Davey Tree promotes Thea Sears as senior vice president and controller

The Davey Tree Expert Company has promoted Thea Sears to senior vice president and controller.

In her new role, Sears will continue to adapt the company’s operational and financial accounting functions to support Davey’s growth and business and government regulatory requirements. 

“Under Thea’s leadership, Davey’s accounting functions have become more efficient through process improvements and subsequently enhanced our financial reporting,” says Pat Covey, chairman, president and CEO of Davey Tree. “Her team’s detailed information has provided key insights for our managers at every level on how their operations are performing.”

Sears joined Davey in 1993 and held a variety of roles in reporting and operations accounting. In 1995, she was promoted to supervisor of financial accounting, in 1998 to manager of financial accounting and in 2010 to assistant controller. In 2016, Sears was elected corporate controller and then promoted to vice president and controller in 2017. Sears also serves as an officer of the Company.

Sears received her undergraduate degree in industrial management from the University of Akron and is a certified public accountant. She is a past member of Davey’s President’s Council, a rotating team of managers who meet semiannually for management development and to share ideas to improve the company, serving from 2006 to 2008. Sears is affiliated with professional organizations, such as the American Institute of CPAs, the Ohio Society of CPAs, SEC Professionals and Financial Executives International, currently serving as treasurer of the Northeast Ohio chapter. Sears also previously served on the board of Bio-Med Science Academy from 2017 to 2024.