The Membership Book for 2023 is complete and available here: Membership Book – CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association) . The 2023 membership book is lovingly dedicated to Chris Donnelly who has spent countless hours working on this book over the years. We are forever grateful and thankful for all Chris has done for the association. Thank you, Chris, from the bottom of our hearts. The following write up was written by his wife Rita, who also gave many years to the association. Thank you Rita!
Chris Donnelly, Chris is a Bridgeport man, born and raised. It was Catholic schools for him K to 12, same as his 9 brothers and sisters. College was close by in New Haven at Yale where his part time job was scooping ice cream. A variety of jobs followed graduation; as with many of his peers. Notably, he did a stint with UI, first reading meters, then at the power plant (ask him about the intake screens and where his car was in a movie) and later in the engineering office. Another thing about the UI, there was a running team in an industrial league in Shelton with the ITT team. So that is how Chris and Rita met. Running was a big thing and Chris did his first marathon (Ocean State 1982) which led to both of us running the New York, Washington, DC, and Bermuda marathons. Chris also qualified for and ran the Boston marathon which I could never qualify for!
We moved to New Haven and one day when changing the oil on his car with newspapers to catch the overflow, Chris saw an ad by Oscar Stone for an Arboriculture class in New Haven. That was the start of his career in trees.
After a graduate degree from the Yale School of Forestry Chris did some work in Kentucky for the Feds (ask him about Fort Knox). He got a full-time job with Western Wood Products and learned the lumber part of trees. We couldn’t go anywhere now without his identifying all the trees and any lumber grade stamps visible. It was a traveling time for both of us. Chris was on the road to cover the Northeast and I was traveling to Brussels regularly for work. Sometimes we got to accompany each other on road trips in the US and Europe.
When Chris started with the DEP (now DEEP) he was the go-to guy for urban trees, Urban Forestry Council, Tree Wardens, Tree Protection Examining Board and of course for CTPA. Not to mention all the town selectmen or mayors or public works people calling about America The Beautiful grants, general tree questions, or licensing requirements.
Chris is still very involved with the CTPA as a past President, writer of many newsletters, organizer of many summer and winter meetings and organizer and participant in many workshops. He and Bruce Pauley got Arboriculture 101 started (Chris still runs it twice a year and it is always full!). he and Doug Pistawka got EHAP, Electrical Hazard Awareness Program up and running every fall for years.
In retirement from the DEEP Chris is still very busy with Arbor 101 and other CTPA work with the Board and Cathy (Executive Secretary). He is always on zooms for public comments on pending or proposed legislation. Or zooms for urban forest council. So, he is at home but always on his computer! A happy retirement with a new house in Durham and lots of gardens to install. We have done some traveling and are planning lots more!
-Rita Smith
