Philip M. Charlton, Ph.D. ([email protected]) has 40 years of experience in the electric utility vegetation management industry. He retired as President and COO of ECI after 26 years during which he led in developing vegetation management programs for 150 electric utilities worldwide. He is now the principal of Charlton & Associates, serves as the Executive Director of the UAA with 6,000 professionals engaged in utility vegetation management, and is a Lead Auditor for the Rights-of-Way Stewardship Council.