The Council Quarterly 2025 v.3

President’s Letter

Hello FUFC Members,

When I think back on our inaugural Membership Summit this summer, one word rises above the rest: together.

The Summit showed us what happens when leaders from every corner of Florida’s urban forestry community come face-to-face, share ideas, and recognize that we’re not just working on our own projects, we’re building something much larger. The Leadership Growth Forum especially brought that to life. For me, it was a reminder that FUFC isn’t just one organization. It’s an alliance of many, each bringing its own strengths and perspectives, all aligned around a common purpose.

Now the question is: where do we go from here?

FUFC has already begun charting that course and developing the 2026 Work Plan.

One of our biggest initiatives ahead is refining and advancing the Model Municipal Tree Ordinance. This work can’t, and shouldn’t, happen in a vacuum. It requires collaboration with our allied organizations, municipalities, and professionals who see the ordinance not as words on paper, but as a living framework that guides healthier, more resilient urban forests. This only happens when we work together.

At the same time, we’re reaching outward. New partnerships are on the horizon with groups like Scenic Florida and the Landscape Inspectors Association of Florida (LIAF). These collaborations are more than adding logos to our list of allies. These crucial partnerships are about creating stronger bridges across the Green industry, so that arborists, planners, inspectors, engineers, and advocates can align around shared goals. The challenges facing Florida’s urban forests don’t fall neatly within any one profession. Our solutions can’t either.

Looking ahead, I see FUFC becoming an even stronger hub for these kinds of collaborations. Whether it’s developing model ordinances, expanding education and outreach, or creating pathways for the next generation of urban forestry professionals, the key will always come back to the power of working together.

What might this look like? It starts with continuing and expanding the Leadership Growth Forum we launched at the Summit. That Forum gave us a taste of what happens when leaders have space to connect and think big. Now, imagine building on that momentum: creating more opportunities for our leaders to meet, talk, and collaborate.

And why stop there? We can envision a Leadership Growth Institute, a dedicated initiative to help grow the next generation of urban forestry leaders. A place where emerging professionals learn not just the science of trees, but the skills of leadership, collaboration, and advocacy that our field needs to thrive. I had the pleasure of meeting and discussing this type of future thinking growth with several leaders at the Members Summit.

While these ideas might sound lofty, they’re far from out of reach. These are doable goals when we commit to working together. If the UFI, Summit, and committee work taught us anything, it’s that we already have the passion, the expertise, and the partnerships to make it happen.

So, as we turn the page from the Summit and look forward to the next season of growth, I encourage each of you to stay engaged, not just within FUFC, but with the many partners who are walking this path with us. Our collective voice is stronger when every member, every committee, and every allied organization plays a role. If you know someone who might benefit from joining FUFC, spread the word. That is how you can help grow the Urban Forest, one professional at a time.

We proved what we can accomplish when we gather. Now let’s keep that momentum alive and continue building Florida’s urban forests — together.

John Snow
2025 FUFC President