Meeting the Challenges

JUSTIN MCCAULEY, McCauley Services

This message marks the beginning of my tenure as NPMA president, and I’m beyond thrilled to take the reins of this vibrant association. I grew up in the pest management industry, watching my father’s company grow and thrive, and have also seen the industry progress to be a powerhouse in providing health and safety to the nation. I’d love your feedback on how NPMA can get even better at providing the resources you need to continue serving your clients—please contact me with your ideas.

The industry faces many challenges this year, from the need for a qualified pipeline of a qualified workforce that NPMA is addressing head-on with our Workforce Development Program, to issues relating to diversity and inclusion. The latter is a special concern. NPMA is seeking to lead discussions on diversity and inclusion, as well as provide resources to members so they are well-equipped to deal with this issue at their companies. To this end, we created an Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) Task Force, which after six months of regular meetings virtually, met in person for the first time in May, just prior to the Women’s Forum. The IDE Task Force is responsible for assessing the structural pest control industry’s IDE needs and working toward implementing solutions that improve the inclusivity of the pest control industry to reflect the diverse communities in which they serve.

The Women’s Forum, held May 3-5 in Nashville, was another effort to promote diversity. The focus of this event was to provide education and networking opportunities to women in pest management, and it was a rousing success—we had engaging speakers and an amazing group of participants leading the charge. The event also featured the new Impact Awards for Women in Pest Management program, honoring 69 exceptional women at all levels in the industry—congratulations to these outstanding professionals.

Looking forward, we’re so glad to look forward to more in-person events, including PestWorld 2022, happening in Boston on October 11-14. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with your peers, attend top-notch education sessions and check out new products and services in the Exhibit Hall. Registration is happening now.

Thanks so much for putting your trust in me as your NPMA president. I look forward to working with each of you to improve our industry—we are more than ready to meet the challenge.