Leadership

ACRT Services Leadership Team

About the ACRT Services Board of Directors

ACRT Services is privileged to be led and advised by exceptional, experienced professionals from the utility services industry as well as others. Together, our board of directors shape our organizational vision and strategy, ensure our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) remains strong for our nationwide team, and ensure that our family of companies continues to make a positive, measurable impact for our customers.

As the parent company of our family of brands, the ACRT Services board of directors and advisers includes inside and outside directors, our executive leadership team, and the presidents of our four subsidiaries: ACRT, ACRT Pacific, Bermex, and EnviroScience. Each of our subsidiaries is also governed by a board of directors.

2024-2025 Board of Directors. Front Row L to R: Joanne Pem, Bob Owca, Brian Joiner, Tony Colly, Nan McClenaghan, Jamie Krejsa, C. Troy Ross, Allie Hartfelder. Back Row L to R: Dave Pavlich, Brad Schroeder, H. Alen Rothenbuecher, Kevin Puls, John Wasmer, Mike Weidner, Kenny Murphy, Rian Owens. Missing: Don Esch, Charles DeLacey.

ACRT Services Board Members

Don Esch

Don Esch retired after 18 years as the President and CEO of Bettcher Industries — a very mature and successful ESOP company located in North Central Ohio. During his tenure with Bettcher, Don successfully grew the company and continually increased its value to the ESOP participants. Don brings a rich history of company growth in an ESOP environment. Throughout his career, he has been a “change agent,” focusing on the practical application of business principles to help grow and transition companies and employees into high-opportunity market segments. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Albion College and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves as the chair of our board, as the chairperson of the strategy committee of the board of directors, and a member of the audit, compensation, and governance committees.

Michael B. Weidner

Michael B. Weidner is the chief executive officer of ACRT Services. In addition to his leadership career with our organization, Michael brings a wealth of experience from other organizations in the industry. He became CEO of our organization in 2000. In 2003, he established our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), and in 2017, he presided over our reorganization into our family companies. He serves as president of the ACRT Services board of directors and on the executive committee as chairperson. He is also a member of the audit, compensation, governance, and strategy committees. Michael holds an associate degree in applied science from The Ohio State University.

Tony Colly

Anthony “Tony” Colly is the senior vice president and chief human resource officer for Summa Health, a nonprofit integrated healthcare delivery system in Northeast Ohio. Colly served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 10 years in several capacities related to recruiting and specializes in employee relations, compliance with rules and regulations, and recruiting. He is a Society for Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and human resource management from Columbia Southern University, respectfully. He is an outside director for our board, chair of the compensation committee, and a member of the strategy committee.

Charles DeLacey

Charles “Charlie” DeLacey is the chief executive officer for the Kenan Advantage Group, one of the largest fuel-hauling companies in the United States. In a previous role, Charlie led the execution of merger and acquisition assignments across a variety of industries for leading independent M&A advisory firms. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University and an MBA from Harvard University. He is an outside director for our board, chair of the audit committee, and a member of the compensation and strategy committees.

Nancy Ellis McClenaghan

Nancy “Nan” Ellis McClenaghan is the president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries of Akron, Ohio. Nan brings a keen focus on organizational design and business processes. Having previously worked for Dominion Resources, her knowledge of the utility industry provides insight into customer goals. Nan has her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University and an MBA from the University of Akron. She is an outside director for our board, chair of the governance committee, and a member of the audit, compensation, and strategy committees.

Brad Schroeder

Brad Schroeder is the chief financial officer of ACRT Services. Prior to joining our organization in 2012, Brad served in financial leadership positions for Fortune 500 companies and most recently as the vice president of finance for a major national transportation firm. He serves on a number of boards for local for-profit and non-profit organizations. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Bowling Green State University and an MBA in Finance from The University of Akron. On our board, he serves as an inside director, as well as our treasurer, and as a member of our audit, executive, and strategy committees. Brad also serves as the treasurer for the ACRT, ACRT Pacific, Bermex, and EnviroScience board of directors.

Rian Owens

Rian Owens is an operations manager at ACRT Pacific and has been with the company since 2016. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and currently holds the voting employee seat on the ACRT Services Board of Directors and serves on the governance and strategy committees. Rian is an active member of the ACRT Pacific organization and currently serves as the chair of the ACRT Pacific Safety Committee. He attended the College of Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., where he earned an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate.

Board Advisors

C. Troy Ross

Troy Ross began his career with the organization in 1999 as a consulting utility forester and has grown with our organization since. He is the chief operations officer at ACRT Services, a role in which he oversees all ACRT Services companies. He is responsible for maintaining a great working culture for customers and employees. Prior to his roles at ACRT Services, Troy served as president of ACRT — our vegetation management subsidiary. In addition to advising our board of directors, Troy is a member of our strategy and executive committees. He also serves as an advisor to the ACRT, ACRT Pacific, Bermex, and EnviroScience board of directors. He looks to continue to provide the organization with innovative thinking and exceptional leadership among other things. Troy holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Union University and an MBA from Ashland University.

Allie Hartfelder

Allie Hartfelder is the vice president of human resources at ACRT Services. She has been with the organization since 2019 and has progressive experience in all facets of human resources. Allie holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the University of Akron and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the HR Certification Institute. She has over fifteen years of experience in building and leading high-performing teams and implementing human resource programs that focus on results through multiple markets, including hospital administration and retail. Allie serves as an advisor, also on several committees for the Board of Directors including the compensation, strategy, and executive committees.

Brian Joiner

Brian Joiner is the current president of ACRT Pacific. He brings more than 20 years of experience in working with the largest utility in California, making his expertise a great fit for the position and as the head of our California vegetation management subsidiary. Prior to his position at ACRT Pacific, Brian was director of operations for ACRT. In addition to advising our board of directors, Brian also serves as an inside director for the ACRT Pacific board of managers. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Natural Resource Management from California State University, Chico.

Kenny Murphy

Kenny Murphy is the president of Bermex, our metering services subsidiary, where he is focused on adding new innovation and technology while growing the company. He joined our organization in 2005 with ACRT, a sister company of Bermex focusing on vegetation management services, as a contract utility forester after previously managing a utility division in Texas. He grew his career with our organization while at ACRT, eventually holding the position of director of operations. He was promoted to president of Bermex in 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Science in forest management from Stephen F. Austin State University. He is also an inside director on the board of directors at Bermex, our metering services company.

Kevin Puls

Kevin Puls is the president of ACRT. He has been with the company for more than 20 years and began his career with us as a work planner. He worked his way up to becoming an operations manager, senior operations manager, and director of operations. He attended Mount Union College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology and holds an MBA from Ashland University. In addition to serving as an adviser on the ACRT Services board of directors, Kevin also serves on the ACRT board of directors as an inside director.

Jamie Krejsa

Jamie Krejsa is the president of EnviroScience, our ecological consulting firm. He has nearly 30 years of experience and specializes in restoration, natural resources, marine services, compliance services, and toxicity testing. Jamie has been central to the growth of ES and has overseen the management and execution of over 10,000 site evaluations nationally — reinforcing his expertise in all varieties of biological evaluations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in chemistry and geology from the University of Akron. In addition to serving as an adviser on the ACRT Services board of directors, Jamie also serves on the EnviroScience board of directors as an inside director.

H. Alan Rothenbuecher

Alan Rothenbuecher is the secretary on the ACRT Services board of directors. He is a partner at Benesch Law and also serves as outside general counsel to our organization. Alan also serves as the secretary for the ACRT, ACRT Pacific, Bermex, and EnviroScience board of directors. He brings significant experience in building and protecting assets, conducting risk analysis, and providing strategic corporate counsel. He has been working with our organization since 2000. Alan regularly speaks at industry events and has authored numerous articles on risk management and contract issues. He serves on the audit, compensation, governance, strategy, and executive committees. Alan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Joanne Pem

Joanne Pem is an assistant project manager in the marine services division at EnviroScience and has been with the company since 2013. She is currently a non-voting member of the ACRT Services Board of Directors and serves on the governance and strategy committees. Joanne is responsible for project management, as well as overseeing company and personnel pre-qualifications, rental and subcontractor agreements, invoicing, account reconciliation, and human resource activity within the organization’s marine group. She also handles all cost-plus, Federal and Departments of Transportation invoicing within the company. Joanne has completed Time Management & Prioritization Techniques and Project Management/Leadership Training through Kent State University.

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