Kevin Myers Steps into a New Role as ACRT Arborist Training Manager

Our team is proud to share new leadership at ACRT Arborist Training as Kevin Myers steps into his new role as Arborist Training Program Manager. Kevin has been part of the ACRT team for 12 years, and his career is a story of growth, opportunity, and a willingness to embrace new challenges.

Early in his career, Myers worked as a line clearance tree trimmer for five years before moving into residential tree care for two years.

Myers shifted his focus to the utility industry, which ultimately led him to ACRT. Although he did not have a forestry or arboriculture degree, he brought significant utility vegetation experience along with several professional credentials.

In April 2014, Myers joined ACRT as a Consulting Utility Forester (CUF), where he inspected transmission lines for compliance and scheduling tree crews when work was needed.

The Conversation That Redirected His Career

Throughout his career, Myers has looked to several mentors, including ACRT Operations Manager Jess Mason, ACRT Services Senior Account Manager Bob Urban, and ACRT alumnus Cliff Benedict. He also credits countless other colleagues with making ACRT feel like family.

“It’s about the people you work for and work with,” Myers said.

Early in his time with ACRT, Myers had his sights set on eventually joining a utility. After interviewing for approximately seven positions without being selected, he learned that his lack of arboriculture, horticulture, or forestry degree was viewed as a barrier despite his business degree and industry experience.

Frustrated, Myers spoke with his supervisor, Jess Mason, who encouraged him to shift his focus from joining a utility to growing within ACRT.

“Had it not been for Jess saying that I would not be where I’m at right now,” Myers reflected.

Learning the Ropes Through Experience

With a new perspective, Myers began actively looking for opportunities within ACRT. One came when he volunteered to help transport trucks from Georgia to ACRT’s former Cuyahoga Falls office and bring new trucks back.

Myers used the visit as an opportunity to connect with people throughout the organization. One of those conversations was with Lois Tennant, who asked for his résumé after learning about his line-clearance, residential tree climbing and consulting experience.

That connection eventually led to a call from Keith Norton, then senior instructor for Arborist Training. Myers returned to Ohio and sat in on a Basic Arborist class with Norton, where he quickly found himself wanting to help teach.

“It just kind of put a fire in me,” Myers recalled.

Myers soon joined ACRT Arborist Training as an instructor, beginning a chapter that would last nearly a decade. Over time, however, he began searching for his next opportunity to grow.

“For me to not feel stagnant, I need to feel like I have goals and something to grow towards,” Myers said. “The department has grown. That’s good, but I needed personal growth.”

“I like a challenge,” he added. “I want to learn new things and grow. That’s probably my biggest driving purpose for wanting to move into this role.”

Shifting Roles

As Arborist Training Program Manager, Myers brings years of hands-on field and instructional experience along with a deep familiarity with the department, its training programs, and its clients.

That background has already proven valuable in his conversations with customers.

“When a tree guy calls to talk about training for tree work and they get to talk to someone who’s done tree work, I feel like the conversation’s different,” Myers said.

The new position is also giving Myers exactly what he was looking for: an opportunity to learn. He is expanding his experience with contracts, proposals, internal platforms, and the administrative side of managing a growing department while helping advance several department initiatives.

One major focus is transitioning processes from paper to digital formats. The team is working to digitize documents and exams, including an electronic final exam that can streamline grading and provide data to help strengthen future exams.

Myers and the team are also updating curricula and presentations to reflect the 2026 revision of the Z133 standard and exploring future online training options.

Growing Into What Comes Next

For Myers, stepping into leadership isn’t about leaving his years as an instructor behind. It’s an opportunity to use everything those years taught him about arboriculture, training, customers, and the people of ACRT to help guide the department forward.

His career has taken him from the field to consulting, from consulting to the classroom and now from instruction into leadership. Through each transition, the common thread has been a willingness to keep learning and recognize when it is time for a new challenge.

Myers credits Benedict with giving him his first opportunity at ACRT, Mason with encouraging him to see a future within the company, and Urban with consistently reminding him that he could take on new challenges.

Now, Myers could provide that same leadership and encouragement to the team he has spent years helping build.

And as for feeling stagnant again anytime soon?

“It’s going to be a while before I start getting bored of this,” Myers said. “There’s a lot to learn.”