Misti Perez is the new ISAT Member Services Specialist and she will be helping to provide you better membership and certification services. Many of you have gotten to know Misti as the volunteer Certification Liaison on the ISAT Board for the past seven years and have seen her passion for adding value to members and the Chapter. 

Mark your calendars now! The ISA Annual International Conference and Trade Show provides a forum for the exchange of information and opportunities to network with others in the arboricultural profession. The event provides a lineup of educational sessions led by industry leaders from around the globe, sharing their thoughts and views about the newest trends in equipment, practice, technology and research in arboriculture and urban forestry. It is the world's premier gathering of arboricultural professionals, where practicing arborists and urban foresters come together with top researchers and educators.

Features of the conference include:

Consider attending as a way to build your business network, meet the industry's leaders, and learn from the best in the profession

The Center's staff conducts research on financial, socioeconomic, public policy, trade, legal, land use and local market analysis issues related to Texas.

The results of Center research are communicated in a variety of formats, including this website, print publications (many of which are available as free downloads), and videos. 

"I have insurance, I'll just file a claim."

Have you heard yourself saying that before? I'm sure you have at least thought it in the past. Unfortunately, a common misconception people have about insurance is that small claims will not affect them since the insurance company is still taking in more money from the premiums that are paid than the amount they are paying out in claims.

In reality, when comparing two businesses against each other, one that has multiple small claims versus one that has had only one large claim, every insurance company will look more favorably upon the business with only one claim. Why is that?

Read more here

To explain the exceedingly long life of the planet, the Smithsonian's new fossil hall designers began with a arboreal wonder - a fossil sequoia. 

Each yearly delineation on the sequoia's surface is a small part of a far grander story that ties together all of life on Earth. Scientists know this as Deep Time. It's not just on the scale of centuries, millennia, epochs, or periods, but the ongoing flow that goes back to the origins of our universe, the formation of the Earth, and the evolution of all life, up through this present moment. 

See more about the exhibit here

And the oldest fossil trees in the world are...

And the oldest fossil flowering trees in the US are...

With these new awards, the TREE Fund has provided over $4.2 million in grants and scholarships since their inception in 2002! Read more details about the Spring research and education awards at the link below.

Read more here

Between sifting through stacks of resumes and conducting endless interviews, the hiring process can be an intimidating one, especially since choosing the wrong candidate can result in terrible consequences for your small business. Fortunately, there are several measures that you can take to not only simplify your current recruiting practices, but also ensure that you find the right person for the job. In episode #156, Gene Marks and special guest, Steve Jones, offer their insights on the hiring process.

Small Business Ahead Podcasts