I have always been interested in tree work. When I was little, I would help my father with firewood for our home in Groton, Massachusetts. I can remember riding my bike through our neighborhood and following the sound of chainsaws and a brush chipper. When I found the tree crew, they took a break to chat with me. I asked them to let me help and they put me to work. I helped them drag branches and wood out of their client’s back yard. At the end of the job, they paid me a few bucks and I was hooked. My fascination with tree & logging equipment continued. The first time I saw an arborist climbing in a tree, I was excited to try it myself. In the summers during high school, I worked for a tree service and learned the ropes.
In 1993, I began working full-time for a tree & landscaping company. I feel fortunate to have been able to work for such professional outfits and have some very good instructors. The best one of all was Lanny Poor from Littleton, MA. I worked for Lanny from 1994-1999. He set a very good example as to how a reputable tree business should be run. In 1999, I moved to Vermont and since then I have worked with trees from the Maine coast to California, and the British Virgin Islands.
In 2001, I started Whitney Tree Service. In the spring of 2004, I became a Certified Arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). My wife, Marilyn Ruseckas, and I purchased our home in Warren, Vermont in November 2004, which is the current location of WTS. Here we have our shop, woodlot, and pole barn for equipment storage. On April 5, 2008, I became a Certified Tree Worker/Climber Specialist through the ISA.I attend annual trade conferences and workshops to earn continuing education credits to maintain my professional certifications.
When I’m not working with trees, I enjoy mountain biking, road biking, cyclocross racing, and dirt midget racing. In the winter when tree work is slower, I groom ski trails part-time at Sugarbush Resort, ski daily, and compete occasionally in Nordic ski races.
Career Highlights:
- Started working in the tree care industry full-time in 1990-Present
- Massachusetts Arborist Association Course 1991
- Chain Saw Course 1992
- Precision felling Arbor Master Training (2 days)
- CPR/First Aid Training (annually)
- TCIA- Electrical Hazard Awareness Program 1995, 2007, 2011, 2013-present
- Roots: Where Tree Planting Begins
- TCIA- Precision Felling (Part1)
- TCIA- Arborist Rigging (Part 1)
- TCIA- Arborist Rigging (Part 2)
- TCIA- How to Overcome Challenging Work Positions
- TCIA- Crane Safety
- Greener Pest Management
- The Essentials of Woody Plant ID
- Today’s Urban Forest: Managing Risk
- TCIA- Webinar (Setting up an employee Program)
- Tree Time with Michael Dirr- Middlebury College
- ISA-Annual Conference Montreal, Quebec (2003)
- Tree Care Industry Trade Show Baltimore 2003 & 2016, Hartford 2007, Milwaukee 2008, Hartford 2011 & 2014, 2018 Charlotte, 2019 Pittsburg, 2021 Indianapolis, 2023 St. Louis
- ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) Workshop Burlington, VT 2014
