In Memoriam… Ron Stephens

Over the Christmas holiday, CCMC and Viridian lost our Executive Director Ron Stephens. Ron served on the CAI board and worked in Association Management for over 34 years. We know that Ron had many contacts in the industry, and was at one time an intricate part of CAI and its education. Ron worked in Texas and Florida both. Below is the announcement that we sent out to our CCMC family.

With deep sadness and heavy hearts, we inform you of the passing of one of our CCMC team members Ron Stephens. Ron passed away on December 23, 2022, unexpectedly and peacefully in his sleep. Ron has been with CCMC for 34 years and has served as a colleague, mentor, and friend. Ron has served in many roles at CCMC over his tenure, beginning in maintenance and growing to vice president. He retired in 2017 and, in 2018, decided to return to community management, where he could continue to impact our teams and build community; Ron currently serves as Executive Director at Viridian.

Ron never met a stranger he couldn’t talk to and a community he didn’t love. Please keep Ron and his family in your hearts during this holiday season.

For more information about his arrangements, please get in touch with Brett Wiklund, Senior Vice President.

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Have you ever wondered how trees endure the freezing temperatures of a cold winter?

Since they can’t hibernate or migrate to warmer climates, trees have developed several ways to tolerate the cold and survive to warmer spring days.

They have bark

Bark provides insulation and protection against freezing and cracking during the winter. Tree bark comes in different textures, densities, and colors - variations that can help a tree tolerate cold temperatures by reflecting light and dispersing heat.

They drop their leaves or have needle leaves

Broadleaf, deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter to reduce water loss. Most needle-leaved trees, known as conifers, retain needles year round - with exceptions such as larch and bald cypress trees – only losing older, damaged needles. Needles are better at retaining water than broadleaves thanks to their small surface area and waxy outer coating that limits water loss to transpiration, the evaporation of water from leaves.

They slowly increase their cold tolerance at the cellular level

Trees begin to prepare for an oncoming winter in late summer as daylight hours decline, entering a dormant state and reaching their adapted tolerance by mid-winter. Through a combination of cellular changes that involve shrinkage, dehydration, and sugar concentration, the cells harden and become glasslike. This helps prevent freezing and damage to living cells.

What happens when they just can’t take it?

While trees have evolved amazing strategies for withstanding the winter cold, sometimes it gets so cold that trees can explode. Yes, you read that right. During spells of extreme cold or when trees haven’t had time to acclimate, the life-sustaining sap inside a tree can begin to freeze. Sap contains water so it expands when frozen, putting pressure on the bark, which can break and create an explosion. There are numerous historic and current observations of trees exploding due to extreme cold.

On your next visit to a National Forest this winter, take a fresh look at the trees surrounding you and impress your friends with your knowledge of tree adaptations to cold temperatures.

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