Takeuchi-US hired Jeff Stewart as vice president and general manager, effective immediately. In the newly created role at the company, Stewart will oversee parts, service, IT, facilities and non-machine related warehouse operations.

While Stewart is a new hire, he has previously been employed in various roles with Takeuchi, spending 13 years with the organization. The position is among many changes and new hires in the product support area, including Rick MacLeish who recently joined Takeuchi as national parts manager.

“Product support is critical for maintaining our growth and customer satisfaction and this new position will help direct that effort moving forward,” said Clay Eubanks, president at Takeuchi-US. “Jeff brings a wealth of knowledge and respect to this role, which will be an easy transition with all his previous experience here.”

Most recently, Stewart held various roles at Alimak Hek Group in Webster, Texas, including vice president of the after sales division and national service manager. He had been at Alimak for seven years.

The American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) recently named the winners of a few of its most prestigious awards.

Brent Mecham has been selected as recipient of ASIC’s Roy Williams Memorial Award. The award is given annually to a person or organization who has shown outstanding achievement or made significant contribution to the irrigation industry. Brent will be presented the award at the ASIC National Conference in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on March 6.

Currently the industry development director for the Irrigation Association (IA), Mecham has been a regular presenter at ASIC National Conferences, sharing information with irrigation design professionals from across the country about upcoming industry codes and standards and future trends. He also serves as a perennial presenter and instructor for IA classes and helped author many of the IA study guides and other educational materials including the authoritative Irrigation, 6th Edition.

Steve Hohl has been named the winner of ASIC’s Sam Tobey Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given annually to a person who whose long-term support of the Society’s principles and whose efforts to promote the goals of the Society are deserving of special recognition by his or her peers.

Hohl has served on the board of directors since 2002—a total of sixteen continuous years, ten of those years as an officer. He has served as treasurer, secretary, vice president, president and past president, including one additional two-year term as past president, sitting in for Ivy Munion. In addition to his contribution on the board of directors, he has been and continues to be involved in many committees including membership, certification, and annual conference planning.

Hohl is principal and owner of Water Concern in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Water Concern was established in 2000, and currently has a staff of seven. Their office is involved in large-scale, high-profile projects, primarily in Southern California. Hohl’s professional contribution to the industry was recognized in 2017, when he was elected an ASIC Fellow, joining a prestigious group of irrigation design professionals.

Ann Runley Carroll has been selected as recipient of the Ivy Munion Langendorff Women in Irrigation Award. The award is given in recognition of women who positively impacted and made a difference in the irrigation industry.

Carroll worked as a specification manager for Rain Bird, providing technical support to irrigation specifiers in 1979. In 1987, she decided to join the ranks of irrigation consulting and accepted a position at Russ Mitchell Associates, in Walnut Creek, Calif. A year later she formed her own irrigation consulting firm, Brookwater.

Lastly, Jeffrey Bruce was named the newest ASIC Fellow.

Bruce, FASLA, is the owner of Jeffrey L. Bruce & Co. (JBC) a national landscape architectural firm founded in 1986. JBC provides highly specialized technical support, including irrigation, to many of the nation’s leading architectural and landscape architectural firms on a wide variety of project profiles.

Bruce has extensive experience in engineered soils, green roof technologies, green infrastructure, performance sports turf, water harvesting and irrigation engineering. He and his staff have been team members of seven national Awards of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and ten national Awards of Excellence from the American Society of Irrigation Consultants.

“Jeffrey has great vision and delightfully creative thinking. I always enjoy our discussion which opens the door to fresh thoughts and new approaches,” said Carol Colein, ASIC executive director.

Bruce previously served on the ASIC board of directors, including the Executive Committee, and also served as chairman of GRHC. He is a lead instructor of GRHC seminars and chairman of the GRHC Accreditation Committee, is a LEED accredited professional, a certified irrigation designer, an EPA WaterSense Certified Professional, and a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.

All award recipients will receive their awards at the ASIC National Conference in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on March 6.

The Davey Tree Expert Co. promoted Nathan Baker to district manager of the Memphis, Tenn., residential/commercial office of Jones Bros. Tree and Landscape, a Davey company.

Baker started with Davey Tree in 2007 as an intern in the company’s Dulles, Va., office. After graduating in 2011, he joined Davey’s Memphis office as an accelerated sales trainee and was promoted to tree care foreman later that year. Most recently, Baker was assistant district manager for the Jones Bros. office.

“Nathan’s breadth of experience paired with his technical knowledge and familiarity with the area will serve the clients of our Memphis office well,” said Keith Francies, southeast operations manager, residential/commercial services.

Baker holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, a Tennessee Certified Pesticide Applicator, a 2012 graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences, a Tree Care Industry Association Certified Tree Care Safety Professional and is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified through the ISA.

In other Davey news, the Davey Resource Group (DRG), the wholly owned subsidiary of the Davey Tree Expert Co., promoted Joe Gregory to regional operations manager, environmental consulting market in the Indiana, Ohio, Western New York and North Carolina regions.

Gregory joined the company in 2001 as an inventory arborist and was promoted to urban forestry project manager in 2003. In 2005, he assumed responsibility for the urban forestry production team until he was promoted to assistant manager for DRG’s natural resource consulting team in 2013.

“Joe consistently delivers client-centered service and I look forward to him carrying this into his new role,” Ken Joehlin, vice president and general manager, environmental consulting and business development for DRG. “He’s been with the company for nearly 20 years now and he knows the importance of building relationships and doing things right.”

Gregory holds a bachelor’s degree in conservation from Kent State University and a master’s degree in geography and urban planning from the University of Akron. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and an ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist.

The Aspire Software Co. added Sharon Dujon as its newest account manager.

Most recently, Dujon was a strategic account manager and business manager for two major East Coast landscape companies. Her background in account and project management, training and recruiting, and hands-on administration makes her a valuable addition to The Aspire Software Company’s team of account managers.

Dujon’s responsibilities will include project management, as well as training and supporting Aspire clients in all areas of the software during their deployment and ongoing use.

“Aspire’s growth has opened many new positions on our deployment team and created other opportunities companywide,” said Aspire Director of Client Services Bryan Mours. “Sharon is a welcome addition to Aspire and we look forward to her assisting ambitious new clients grow their businesses with Aspire Software.”