Connecting People, Powering Progress: XKIG’s Leadership Summit Recap 

Earlier this month, XKIG hosted its fourth annual Leadership Summit in Norfolk, VA, bringing together approximately 150 employees from across the country for a few days of connection, collaboration, and forward-looking conversations.  

What began four years ago as an opportunity to align leadership has continued to grow and evolve alongside our organization. This year’s summit reflected that growth, welcoming a broader group of team members representing both field operations and shared services across XKIG’s brands: Xylem Tree Experts, Kendall Vegetation Management, and River City Construction. From regional managers leading crews in the field to office-based employees supporting operations behind the scenes, this event created space for voices across the company to come together with a shared purpose.

Aligning on Vision and What’s Ahead

The Leadership Summit serves as a key moment each year to align XKIG’s vision, share ideas, and focus on what’s next. Through presentations and discussions, attendees explored priorities for the year ahead while strengthening the connections that drive our work forward every day.

Company leadership played an important role in shaping those conversations. Attendees heard directly from CEO Randolph Hoover, President Benjamin Hoover, CFO Kurt Goodman, and Chief of Staff Michael Scherer, who joined XKIG this year. Additional perspectives from teams like Information Technology and Business Intelligence highlighted the importance of data-driven decision-making and cross-functional collaboration as the company continues to grow.

Together, these sessions reinforced a shared commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and delivering value to our customers and partners nationwide.

Strengthening Connections Across the Organization

Beyond presentations, the summit created meaningful opportunities for employees to connect with colleagues from different regions, roles, and business units. Bringing together diverse perspectives helps strengthen relationships, encourage new ideas, and build a more unified approach to solving challenges.

These connections are critical to how XKIG operates, ensuring that whether teams are working in the field or supporting from the office, everyone is aligned and moving in the same direction.

Recognizing Excellence: Mission, Vision, and Values

A highlight of this year’s summit was the Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV) Awards ceremony, where employees from across Xylem and Kendall were recognized for living out XKIG’s core values in their daily work.

This year’s eight award recipients represented each of our four core values — Trust, Transparency, Respect, and Unity — demonstrating what it means to lead by example in the field and beyond:

• Trust: James Smith (Xylem) and Timothy Frazier (Kendall)
• Transparency: Mike Wheeler (Xylem) and Bobby Brown (Kendall)  
• Respect: Jay Samayoa (Xylem) and Gil Velasco (Kendall)  
• Unity: Richard Moore (Xylem) and Wilber Perez (Kendall)  

Each of these employees exemplifies the integrity, communication, professionalism, and teamwork that defines our culture. In recognition of their impact and commitment, six of the winners received a $2,500 bonus.

These awards go beyond recognition. They reinforce the values that guide how we operate, support one another, and deliver for our customers every day.

Celebrating Employees of the Year

The summit also provided an exciting opportunity to recognize two individuals whose leadership and performance set them apart at the highest level.

Selected from this year’s MVV Award winners, the two 2025 Employees of the Year (link to blog) are:

• Xylem Tree Experts: Jay Samayoa, General Foreperson (Region 2)  
• Kendall Vegetation Services: Timothy Frazier, General Foreperson (Region 3)  

Both Jay and Timothy exemplify XKIG’s core values through their leadership, consistency, and commitment to their teams. Their ability to lead safely, build strong crews, and deliver high-quality work makes a lasting impact across their regions and the organization. 

Each honoree was awarded a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 to recognize not only their achievements, but the standard they set for excellence across Xylem and Kendall.

Looking Ahead

As XKIG continues to grow, the Leadership Summit remains an important moment to step back, align, and refocus on what matters most. The conversations, insights, and connections built in Norfolk are already helping shape a stronger, more aligned path forward for the year ahead.

With clear priorities, shared goals, and a unified team across Xylem, Kendall, and River City, we’re well-positioned to continue driving progress, supporting our people, and delivering for our customers nationwide.