Head of the Class

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — PCT and Syngenta Professional Products welcomed 11 new Crown Leadership honorees during NPMA PestWorld in October.

The ceremony recognizing the Class of 2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the Crown Leadership Awards program, which was created to spotlight individuals who have contributed positively to the growth and development of the structural pest control industry, as well as established ties with fellow business leaders, civic groups and customers in their local communities.

"At Syngenta we're honored again this year to sponsor the Crown Leadership Awards as we have done each year since 1998," said Scott Reasons, head, Syngenta Home Care and Garden. "The Awards' criteria — leadership, integrity, promoting the growth of our industry and developing positive relationships — are an excellent fit with Syngenta's approach to the structural pest control industry."

From the first, eight-member awards class in 1989, to this year's class of 11 honorees, the Crown Leadership Awards have consistently sought to honor the best and brightest in the pest management industry. This year's honorees included:

• Ed Blumenthal, Massey Services, Maitland, Fla.
• John Chapman, Terminix International, Memphis, Tenn.
• Dennis Jenkins, ABC Pest & Lawn Services,  Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
• Sandy Jenkins, ABC Pest Control, San Antonio, Texas
• Valera Jessee, Georgia Pest Control Association and UP&FDA
• Kevin Kordek, A-Active Termite and Pest Control, Virginia Beach, Va.
• Todd Leyse, Adam¡¦s Pest Control, Hamel, Minn.
• Jack Marlowe, Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, Olympia, Wash.
• Phil McCloud, McCloud Services, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
• Don Reierson, University of California, Riverside, Calif.
• Mark 'Shep' Sheperdigian, Rose Pest Solutions, Troy, Mich.

Syngenta's Reasons and PCT Publisher Dan Moreland presented this year's awards. "It's been an honor and a privilege to honor more than 200 industry leaders since the first Crown Leadership Awards ceremony was held nearly two decades ago. The industry owes a debt of gratitude to each one of them for the key role they've played in the ongoing advancement of the pest management industry," Moreland said. "We also owe a debt of gratitude to Syngenta Professional Products for sponsoring the event for so many years. It isn't very often that you have same corporate sponsor for an event for two decades. The fact that Syngenta has been willing to support the Crown Leadership Awards for 20 years is indicative of their commitment to the industry and pest management professionals as well."

IMPORTANT TRIBUTES. Since 2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the Leadership awards, PCT and Syngenta used this occasion to reflect back on previous honorees, including the inaugural Leadership Class of 1989. Two members of that class — Jim Steckel, Torco Pest and Termite Control, Columbus, Ohio and Richard Keenan, Waltham Services, Waltham, Mass.  — passed away this year, and Moreland took a moment to recognize their contributions to the pest control industry. "Even after Jim retired and his health began to fail, I would periodically get a note from Jim, passing along news of an industry colleague or commenting on something he read in the magazine. He was a remarkable man who will be missed, but his contributions to the pest management industry will never be forgotten," said Moreland. "The same is true of Richard Keenan, a man of unquestioned integrity who served as president of Waltham Chemical Company for more than 30 years. Richard was a man with a legendary independent streak who was unafraid to speak his mind and commanded the respect of his peers due to his moral authority."

Moreland also recognized another member of the inaugural Leadership Class, John Cook Sr., owner of Cook's Pest Control, who is bravely battling pancreatic cancer. Attending this year's ceremony on his behalf were son John Jr., daughter-in-law Lyn, and grandson Brian. The Cook family, including John's wife of 61 years, Jo, has been keeping the industry updated on John's progress and, as Moreland noted, "the Cook family faith — both their immediate family and their 1,200 employees — have remained strong, which is just how John would want it."

In addition to honoring the Crown Leadership winners, PCT used the occasion to recognize its 2007 Professional of the Year, Tommy Fortson, president of Terminix Service Co., Columbia, S.C. Fortson was chosen for a variety of reasons including his role in the success of the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), NPMA's public awareness organization.