At ACRT Arborist Training, our senior instructors head up a team of well-qualified trainers dedicated to creating safer work environments. Our instructors started in the field as line clearance arborists and tree care employees. Their drive to pass their knowledge to others is what has led them to become leaders in our organization. Learn more about each of our senior instructors below.
Kevin Myers has been a part of the tree care industry for over ten years. As one of our senior instructors, Myers travels around the country teaching individuals Basic Arborist, Line Clearance Arborist, and customized training courses. In 2016, Myers was the recipient of the Silver Shield award through the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) for his continuous dedication to building strong safety cultures.
Prior to joining ACRT’s Arborist Training team, Myers served as a consulting utility forester for ACRT at a large transmission and distribution utility in the southeastern part of the United States. His previous experience includes utility line clearance operations, as well as residential and commercial arboricultural operations.
Myers is a certified International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Arborist and Utility Specialist, a Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), and a licensed pesticide applicator in the state of Georgia. Additionally, Myers serves on the Events Committee for the UAA, and is the Task Group Chair responsible for updating the Electrical Hazard section of the ANSI Z133. He is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), UAA, Georgia Arborist Association, and the Georgia Urban Forestry Commission.
Matt Knull has been part of the tree care industry for over 10 years. Matt travels around the country teaching individuals Basic Arborist, Line Clearance Arborist, and customized training courses.
Prior to joining the ACRT Arborist Training team, Matt worked as an Arborist/Tree Climber at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. where he managed trees for a variety of causes ranging from forestry/logging to line clearance, as well as pruning and maintenance of ornamentals. He also worked in residential tree care for Bartlett Tree Experts (one of the nation’s biggest tree services).
Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Georgia. He is a certified International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Arborist and a Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP).
Jeremy McCombs has been in arboriculture for over 27 years. He brings experience in urban forestry, logging, residential tree care, and line clearance to the ACRT Arborist Training team. Jeremy started his tree career in 1994 at a private tree care company and worked his way up to crew leader quickly. For more than 10 years, he specialized in wildland-urban interface fuel hazard mitigation. Jeremy provided solutions to many Sierra Nevada residents who were striving to meet strict State of California and Cal-Fire standards on their properties.
Before joining the ACRT Arborist Training team in 2020, Jeremy was a foreman/estimator with a California-based tree care firm for eight years. Field training, safety meetings, and arborist reports were additional responsibilities he undertook at this company. Since joining ACRT Arborist Training, Jeremy has been providing focused crew training for a large utility line clearance contractor in Northern California. He teaches Basic Arborist, Line Clearance Arborist, and custom classes to clients across the United States.
Jeremy is an active member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Western Chapter ISA, and the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). His credentials include ISA Certified Arborist, TCIA Tree Care Safety Specialist, and Line Clearance Arborist. Jeremy has articles in industry publications and is dedicated to furthering safety practices in arboricultural operations industry-wide. Safe work practices have been paramount in the success of his career and Jeremy is passionate about giving tree workers the tools to thrive in one of the most hazardous industries in America.
Annissa May began her career with ACRT Services and our family of companies in 1999 as a receptionist and hasn’t stopped growing within our organization since. Over the last two decades, she has served in both the Operations and Arborist Training divisions of the organization. Annissa has established herself as a go-to resource if you are needing assistance. In 2021, May took on additional responsibilities in support of ACRT Arborist Training, now serving as its School Director. In her role, she is increasing the availability of ACRT Arborist Training courses to individuals and small businesses throughout the U.S. She is a Kent State University graduate with degrees in Science and History.
ACRT Arborist Training is the largest licensed arboriculture vocational training organization in the industry, and we’re working towards making tree care safer one workshop at a time.
Since our founding in 1985, our organization has been teaching individuals about the top practices and safety standards. If you’re interested in carrying the torch to future arborists and employees in the tree care industry as one of our trainers, check out our employment opportunities here.
