Get to know the people working for you!
Meet Rylan Smith — Journeyman Tree Trimmer, Employee Ambassador Committee Chair
Q. What does a Journeyman Tree Trimmer (and Employee Ambassador Committee Chair) do for the Co-op?
A. Tree trimmers keep trees away from power lines that could contact them and potentially cause an outage, injury, or a fire. Our work is all about making power safer and more reliable for members. As the Employee Ambassador Committee Chair, I help steer the cross-departmental ship of coworkers that focuses on community engagement. I enjoy interacting with our members.
Q. What’s the best part of your job?
A. I have an office with a view! Each day presents its own challenges and each tree is different. There are many levels of complexities with each tree trim or removal, and our process changes all the time. Sometimes we’re up in the bucket or climbing up a tree, and sometimes we’re on the ground, stabilizing a tree with ropes and rigging.
Q. What’s your favorite thing about living in Northwest Montana?
A. That there are plenty of trees to climb here! This is the last best place – it’s full of amazing mountains and scenery and it’s a great area to raise a family. This community is such a good one.
