MAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Russell Holman, MCA Eversource Hyde Park, MA
VICE PRESIDENT Max Ford-Diamond, MCA Boston Parks & Recreation Boston, MA
SECRETARY / TREASURER Brandon Maltby, MCA Maltby & Co. Stoughton, MA
PAST PRESIDENT Kevin Cleveland, MCA Tree Tech, Inc. Foxboro, MA
MCA REPRESENTATIVE Matt Fisk, MCA Fisk Tree Service Seekonk, MA
DIRECTORS Kieran D. Yaple, MCA Bartlett Tree Experts Sheffield, MA
Keith Bernard, MCA Barrett Tree Service East Medford, MA
Steve Vernon, MCA Harrison McPhee, Inc. Millis, MA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR M. Virginia Wood
MEMBERSHIP & CERTIFICATION DIRECTOR Carrie Martin
MANAGEMENT TEAM Peggy Benjamin Amy Davis Charissa Sharkey
MASSACHUSETTS ARBORISTS ASSOCIATION, INC. 67 West Street Medfield, MA 02052 phone: 508.653.3320 admin @ MassArbor. org MassArbor. org
President ' s Message
I hope everyone is doing better than our plants are this summer during this unprecedented drought. Despite the challenging weather, the MAA continues to move forward through a busy and productive season.
I’ m pleased to highlight a few important updates. First, thank you to the MCA committee, which spent the summer reviewing and updating the exam and questions. Their diligent work ensures the MCA exam remains rigorous, comprehensive, and attainable by all prospective certified arborists. This effort strengthens our certification process and upholds the highest professional standards. Thank you for your commitment to excellence.
We are also proud to have awarded a Gordon & Frances King scholarship to Declan Regan an incoming Stockbridge student. Investing in the next generation is vital to the future of our industry, and we look forward to celebrating these rising professionals in the years ahead.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the Trustees opening of the Millborn Farm Reservation in Sherborn, MA and the new MAA programming it will enable. On September 16, 2026, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Tree and Pest ID Workshop. This event will jumpstart our safety and education programs at the up-and-coming Arboriculture Learning Hub. Our relationship with the Trustees at the Millborn Farm Reservation reflects our ongoing mission to educate, connect, and elevate the arborist community. I encourage all members to donate, participate, share ideas, that will help shape the future of the MAA.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our profession. Stay safe in the field, and I look forward to seeing many of you at upcoming MAA events.
Russell Holman, MCA, BCMA, CTSP President
MAA NEWS is a publication of the Massachusetts Arborists Association, Inc. MAA NEWS is published four times a year for the Massachusetts Arborists Association( MAA) and is distributed free of charge to members. The purpose of the newsletter is to disseminate information to promote general standards and ethics in commercial arboriculture, as well as to foster research and share knowledge with its members. The MAA is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to communications between its membership and the industry. The MAA believes the infor- mation in this publication to be accurate as of its publication date and is not responsible for inadvertent errors. The MAA and Massachusetts Certified Arborist( MCA) logos are trademarks of the Massachusetts Arborists Association, Inc. Qualified MAA members and certified members only are permitted to utilize the logos. Logos for MAA and MCA are available through the MAA office.
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DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the MAA.
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