June 2025 Edition
Meet the Central Office team, see who attended the GF school, check out who obtained their CDLs and received kudos from customers!
Hurricane Season is Underway – meet the Central Office Team
What’s open 24/7 and helps track daily field systems and storm response in real-time? If you said a national weather service, you would not be wrong. But another correct answer—that also makes your job easier—is the Central Office.
Led by Tucker Miller, Director of Central Office, and Hannah Kallenbach, Central Office Manager, this team of eight makes sure our crews run safely and efficiently each and every single day, whether it’s during storm season or not. This includes making sure work time, safety forms, and pre-job planning are transparent to the office, customer, and employee. Central Office uses the UKG platform to get the right people moving around to the right job. From there, our CRM system aggregates data assets and crew information and flows it to Motive, the fleet management and driver safety platform.
The Central Office is a pivotal part of headquarters in Norfolk, VA. The Storm Wall is always on and features six screens, with two weather stations, Motive GPS, an outage tracker, and any other details needed on the remaining screens. When our crews are sent for storm response, Central Office deals with the logistics of lodging, fuel cards (including getting them turned on and monitoring potential issues), and lining up everything else needed to get the job done. In the likely event of a power outage in a storm response situation, the Central Office can keep the communications going with the General Foreperson and customer, still putting together rosters, tracking hours worked, and uploading safety forms.
Read more about our Storm Response and Restoration here: Storm Response & Restoration - Xylem Tree Experts.
May GF School is Complete!
We wrapped up another great GF School session with the following 13 attendees: Josh Floyd, Jairo Samayoa Cifuentes, David Tyler, Andrew Masincup, Joe Ottinger, Jesse Cook, Michael Mcleod, Hunter McFarland, Todd Ellison, Anthony Houston, Cale Cassidy, and Carl Bane.
Stay Connected
If you have any cool photos from the field or with your team that you think would be great to share, please email marketinghelp@xylemtree.com for the chance to have your photo featured on social media and in a newsletter!
Between the Branches
Congrats to our Newly Licensed Commercial Drivers
Congratulations to the employees who participated in our most recent training classes in Hamlet, NC, and to the following three team members who obtained their Commercial Driver’s License last month:
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Class A: Pintle Hook Restriction: Donald Bryant, Daniel Lawlis
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Class B: Phillip Gentry
We applaud these three employees for successfully completing the classroom session, field training course, and skills test to achieve these qualifications!
Our next training sessions will be held in Mt. Jackson, VA, on June 13-14, Myrtle Beach, SC, on June 20-21, MD, on July 11-12. For more information about the CDL program, contact Tim Haynes at thaynes@xylemtree.com.
Jamey Coker Reaches 20 Year Work Anniversary!
Title: Xylem Supervisor, Region 6
How did you start with the company?
I started with W.A. Kendall in 2005 as a Jarraff spotter/groundman.
What has kept you with Kendall and now Xylem, for 20 years?
I have remained with this company for several important reasons. Foremost among them are the meaningful relationships I have built with both coworkers and leadership. I place great value on loyalty and integrity - both my own and that of the organization. Once I commit to something, I am determined to see it through to completion. I have always viewed my role here not just as a job, but as a long-term career. That perspective drives me to continually improve myself, support the growth of my team, and contribute to the success of the company as a whole.
What advise would you give to your younger self?
Always stay true to who and what you are. Do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing all alone. There will be moments when it feels like your voice doesn't matter, or like you are not being heard, but don't let that silence you. You do matter, and the strength it takes to stay authentic will make a difference. Not just for you, but for others around you that need someone to look up to. Trust that the struggles you face will shape you into a compassionate, wise person, and make you capable of helping others in meaningful ways.
What has been your most rewarding experience at the company?
I have been thankful for the opportunity to move forward. Tree work has been in my family for generations, and I honestly never thought I would go beyond running a bucket or working with equipment. This has meant the world to me, and I look forward to what lies ahead.
Xylem is now a Gold Canopy Partner
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Canopy Partners program is a collaborative initiative that brings together industry leaders to support ISA's mission to promote the professional practice of arboriculture, inform the public about tree benefits, and provide a global network of arborists, urban foresters, and people who care for trees.
Compliments for the Crew
“Tim Johnson, Klickitat (WA) Fire Chief, called to extend his thanks and gratitude to the crew (Richard Moore, Max Long, Sarina Waldal, Anthony Osborn) for stopping and assisting with a rollover car accident along Hwy 142. He said the accident was on a blind corner and the crew volunteered to perform flagging to help with traffic control around the accident. Tim said the crew was very professional and courteous and their willingness to help was very appreciated.”
We Want to Hear from You!
Do you have suggested article ideas or pictures to share? Email us at marketinghelp@xylemtree.com!