June’s Lunch & Learn: A Family Affair of Learning & Teamwork

This past Thursday, the Gregory Forrest Lester, Inc team took time out for one of our favorite traditions, our Lunch & Learn. These days give us a chance to slow the pace, step away from the daily hustle, and focus on sharpening our knowledge and skills together as a team.

This session was all about pruning, safety, and climber training, and we were lucky enough to set up three stations at the beautiful Green Hills Commons. What made it even more special was how much of a family affair it turned out to be.

At Station 1, we were joined by Jeannine Yacko, wife of Tree Crew Supervisor Jared Yacko and an EMT, who led a hands-on session on proper tourniquet use. While we’ve thankfully never had to use a tourniquet in the field, tree work is inherently dangerous, and knowing how to respond in an emergency could save a life. Jeannine shared her expertise and made sure our team felt confident and prepared should the need ever arise. Having her there not only gave us life-saving knowledge but also reminded us how lucky we are to have family members who care deeply about the safety of our crew.

At Station 2, PHC Lead Lynn Kendall led the team through ornamental pruning techniques—sharing her insights on keeping trees and shrubs healthy and beautiful.

Station 3, Crew Leads Josh and Brad gave team members who aren’t usually climbers the chance to get off the ground. They introduced basic climbing skills and walked everyone through proper pruning cuts while in the tree. For many, it was their first time in a harness, and they embraced the challenge with excitement.

We were also joined by Ty Kendall, son of BCMA Barry Kendall and PHC Lead Lynn Kendall, and Drew Haas, son of Owner Jennifer Lester-Haas and Marketing Director Jordan Haas—both spending the summer with us. Seeing parents and their kids learning, working, and supporting each other on the job is a rare and wonderful thing. It’s moments like these that really show how much our team feels like family.

After training, we headed back to the office to celebrate our incredible customer reviews for the month. A big congratulations to Crew Lead Tyler, our Employee of the Month! And since it was the end of the second quarter, we brought out the punch board full of bonus tokens to make the Timber Token Store even more exciting.