Schedule

Sunday, February 7, 2027

Monday, February 8, 2027

Tuesday, February 9, 2027 – (Domains: Workforce Development and Training)

Speaker: Sarah McVanel, Professional Speaker, Founder of Greatness Magnified

In a time of constant change and uncertainty, people need to know they matter. Join Sarah McVanel, Canada’s Recognition Expert, for an engaging, evidence-based keynote on making meaningful appreciation a true workplace advantage. Through real-world stories, compelling data and her signature F.R.O.G. framework—Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness™—Sarah will challenge outdated approaches to recognition and share practical ways to strengthen belonging, trust, retention and performance. Attendees will leave with greater confidence and actionable strategies for creating a culture where authentic recognition happens at every level.

Sarah McVanel PortraitBio: Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, professional speaker, coach, author, recovering perfectionist, and movement maker dedicated to helping organizations create thriving, inclusive cultures. As the founder of Greatness Magnified, Sarah has spent over 25 years training, speaking, coaching, and leading teams, using her F.R.O.G., Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness™, philosophy to inspire companies to celebrate their people and build exceptional workplaces. Known as the “Frog Lady,” she spreads her message in a fun and unforgettable way, handing out squishy frogs to perfect strangers and asking, “Have you been FROGed lately?” before recognizing their greatness. Through her engaging approach, Sarah empowers leaders and teams to embrace recognition as a powerful tool for success.

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One of WMC’s most popular networking events, the Sunset Catamaran Cruise features a coastal evening sail, an open bar, and plenty of opportunities to scan the seas for dolphins, sea turtles, flying fish, or even a breaching whale.

Wednesday, February 10, 2027 – (Safety & Advocacy)

Speaker: George Strout, TCIA, Manager, Grassroots & Political Advocacy

This fast-paced update will showcase the legislative and regulatory issues that demanded our attention, the resources dedicated to advancing member priorities, and the results achieved on behalf of the tree care industry. Discover new opportunities to get involved, strengthen our grassroots network, and help shape the policies affecting our businesses. We’ll also preview the Voice for Trees Auction, where every contribution helps amplify the industry’s voice and ensure TCIA remains a strong advocate for tree care professionals nationwide.

Bio: George Strout is the Manager of Grassroots & Political Advocacy at the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), where he leads efforts to mobilize tree care professionals across the country in support of smart policy and industry advancement. With over a decade of experience in grassroots organizing, legislative strategy, and PAC engagement, George brings a deep understanding of how to activate stakeholders and influence decision-makers. Prior to joining TCIA, he led advocacy initiatives for NEA-NH, where he developed the award-winning MOM Program and spearheaded outreach campaigns tied to major legislation. George is passionate about empowering members to become effective advocates and building a strong, unified voice for the commercial tree care industry.

Speaker: David Vincent, Co-founder, Guardian Group Safety and Leadership Group

In high-risk environments like skydiving, safety is built into the work itself. Every step, system, and decision supports production, quality, or safety. The same approach applies directly to tree work.
This session uses skydiving examples to show how individuals and crews build safety through preparation, systems, and daily habits rather than relying on luck. Instead of focusing on rules or compliance, it examines how professionals operate at the point of execution and how simple, repeatable processes reduce risk while improving performance and work quality.
Attendees will explore practical systems used in skydiving, including gear checks, briefings, and structured workflows, and how these translate to climbing and crew operations. The focus is on recognizing what works, why it works, and how to apply it in the field.
Delivered through storytelling and real-world scenarios, this session allows participants to connect the concepts directly to their own work. Attendees will leave with clear, usable approaches to strengthen preparation, improve decision-making, and build the capacity needed for consistent, high-quality outcomes.

Bio: David Vincent is a safety and risk consultant and professional skydiver with over 18 years of experience operating in high-risk environments. He serves as Executive Director of Guardian Group Safety & Leadership Solutions, where he works with organizations to identify operational risk, evaluate control effectiveness, and improve performance through practical systems and leadership alignment.

David’s background spans construction, manufacturing, and field operations, with direct experience supporting organizations within captive insurance programs and aligning risk controls with loss performance expectations. His work focuses on closing the gap between documented programs and real-world execution, helping leaders and crews improve reliability, reduce exposure, and make better decisions during operations.

He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and holds multiple industry credentials, and has contributed to safety standards and training programs within the tree care industry. As a USPA Tandem Instructor and Safety & Training Advisor with over 3,500 jumps, David brings a unique perspective on how preparation, repetition, and systems drive performance in high-consequence environments.

Speaker: Haley Vincent, Co-founder, Guardian Group Safety and Leadership Group

Tree care is a high stress industry and the demands don’t just wear on the body. They wear on the people. Tight timelines, physical demands, fatigue, and high stakes create conditions where small disagreements can quickly escalate into breakdowns in communication, trust, and team performance. In tree care, where people work closely together in demanding conditions, poorly managed conflict can directly affect efficiency and the overall health of your operation.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to recognize their own stress responses and pull back before reacting; identify what is actually driving conflict in a high pressure moment; and apply practical field ready techniques to navigate tense situations more effectively, whether they are a crew member, a supervisor, or an owner.

Bio: Haley Vincent is the Executive Director of Operations & Program Development at Guardian Group Safety & Leadership Solutions. She is an operational leader and business builder with extensive experience in high-risk work environments.

Haley comes from the aviation and skydiving industry, where she has played a key role in building and scaling complex operations that require precise coordination, disciplined execution, and sound decision-making under pressure. She is a United States Parachute Association (USPA)–rated skydiving instructor and has spent years working in environments where individual performance, teamwork, and communication directly affect safety outcomes.

Thursday, February 11, 2027 (Domain: Business Strategy)

Speaker: Cherry Rose Tan

AI is no longer coming. It’s here: making decisions, creating content, replacing workflows, and redefining what it means to lead and to compete. The question is no longer, “Should we use AI?” but “Who will we become because of it?” Organizations that embrace this moment are unlocking unprecedented speed, intelligence, and scale. Those that don’t risk becoming irrelevant faster than they ever thought possible.

In this electrifying keynote, serial tech founder Cherry Rose Tan pulls back the curtain on what’s actually happening in AI and what matters. From generative AI like Lovable to agentic AI like OpenClaw, many of these tools can execute entire workflows without human intervention. She reveals the three ways AI can help you create, work, and lead, so you can accelerate your business and your leadership in these changing times.

Cherry Rose Tan PortraitBio: Fifth Generation Entrepreneur, Cherry Rose Tan is the Entrepreneur in Residence at the Schulich School of Business, based in Canada’s third largest university, where she advises an ecosystem of 250 startups and 3,000 members. She leads Advisory and Fundraising services, where Schulich founders have raised $60M in four years, while teaching three MBA courses on Entrepreneurship.

With 18 years of experience in Tech, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, she has a reputation as the First Mover in several industries. Tan served as Pre-Seed Investor of Paycase Financial, a Canadian blockchain pioneer that provides infrastructure to global markets. She was also a General Partner at Renew Venture Capital, an early-stage firm focused on impact and underrepresented founders.

Facilitator: Cherry Rose Tan

Panelists: TBD

Exiting a tree care business is more than a financial transaction, it is a decision that can shape your family, employees, company culture and legacy for years to come. Led by keynote speaker Cherry Rose Tan, this candid panel brings together business leaders who have navigated four distinct paths: transferring ownership to family, selling to private equity, being acquired by a larger tree care company and transitioning to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Panelists will share what influenced their decisions, how they prepared, what they learned during the transition and what they wish they had known beforehand. Attendees will gain an honest look at the opportunities, tradeoffs and challenges associated with each approach, along with practical considerations for preparing themselves and their businesses for an eventual transition, whether that exit is approaching soon or still years away.

Friday, February 12, 2027 (Domain: Sales and Marketing)

Speaker: Shawna Suckow

Today’s customers are more skeptical, distracted and resistant to traditional sales and marketing tactics. In this interactive workshop, Shawna Suckow will show tree care companies how to stand out by becoming more visible, credible and human. Using her Customer Brandships™ Framework, participants will explore practical ways to build trust, strengthen their company and personal brands, create memorable customer experiences and generate lasting loyalty and referrals. Attendees will apply these concepts to their own organizations and leave with a customized action plan they can begin implementing immediately, regardless of company size or marketing budget.

Shawna Suckow PortraitBio: Shawna Suckow is a globally recognized consumer-behavior expert who helps small businesses understand how customers think, decide and buy—and use that knowledge to become unforgettable. A Certified Speaking Professional, she has spoken in 18 countries across five continents and is the author of seven books, including Small Is Your Superpower: How Small Businesses (Finally!) Can Outsmart Big Brands at Marketing. Her engaging, conversational sessions leave audiences energized and equipped with practical strategies they can put to work immediately.

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Connect with
the TCIA CONNECT App!

Download the TCIA CONNECT app and set up/log in with your TCIA account. Message other attendees on the app, and set up your agenda to never miss a thing. The app is free and a great resource for anyone attending the TCIA WMC 2023!

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