CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Steve Nimz, an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist®, chief consulting arborist with Steve Nimz & Associates, and president of Instant Shade Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been named a “True Professional of Arboriculture™” by ISA. The True Professional recognition program honors arborists and tree care professionals for their positive impact on the industry in and around their communities.
Nimz, who has more than 40 years of experience as an arborist, advocates volunteering with local organizations and non-profits. When the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii was formed, Nimz was the first president. He founded the Tree People, co-founded Hawaiian Earth Products and was a charter member of the Aloha Arborist Association.
ISA President Mark Roberts paid tribute to Nimz at a ceremony on Monday, August 4th in Milwaukee as part of the 90th Annual ISA International Conference and Trade Show, August 2nd—6th, 2014.
“Steve Nimz is a leader in tree care, especially in Hawaii, where he has worked hard to elevate the field of arboriculture and landscape industries,” says Roberts. “He became an ISA Certified Arborist® during the first exams offered in Hawaii—exams he helped to establish—and he encouraged a group of arborists to take the test with him.”
Never afraid to take on a challenge, Nimz was also instrumental in an effort to require contractor’s licenses for tree care companies in Hawaii.
“I believe in taking a leadership position and following through on your goals,” says Nimz. “Share information you’ve acquired with everyone because there are no secrets in this industry. If someone wants the information, give it to them because they will discover it one way or another. You should have that kind of person on your team because you never know when the tables will turn.”
Nimz is one of five individuals selected in the 2014 Class of True Professionals. ISA launched the recognition program in 2009 to increase public understanding of arboriculture and the professional skills of today’s arborists. Nominees selected for recognition represent various backgrounds as ISA Certified Arborists, consultants and business owners—all advancing the cause of the industry.
This year’s ISA Awards Committee choosing the True Professionals included John Ball (professor of forestry at South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.), SK Ganesan (deputy director of landscaping and arboriculture, National Parks Board, Singapore), Alan Jones (vice president and division manager, Bartlett Tree Experts, Afton, Va.), Lauren Lanphear (president, Forest City Tree Protection, South Euclid, Ohio and 2011 ISA “Award of Distinction” winner), Randy Lidkea (retired arborist, ISA committee member, St. Thomas, Ontario), Paul Revell (urban and community forestry manager, Virginia Department of Forestry, Charlottesville, Va.), Rip Tompkins (arborist and principal at ArborMaster, Willington, Conn.), and Philip van Wassenaer (president, Urban Forest Innovations, Inc., Mississauga, Ontario and 2009 ISA “True Professional of Arboriculture”).
Profiles and case studies of the “True Professionals” will be featured on the ISA website at www.isa-arbor.com and highlighted in future ISA publications such as Arborist News.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Champaign, Ill., U.S., is a nonprofit organization with more than 20,000 members supporting tree care research and education around the world. To promote the importance of arboriculture, ISA manages the consumer education web site, www.treesaregood.org, which fulfills the association’s mission to help educate the public about the importance and value of proper tree care. Also, as part of ISA’s dedication to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees, it offers the only internationally-recognized certification program in the industry. For more information on ISA and Certified Arborists, visit www.isa-arbor.com.