Rickapalooza!

More than 150 family, friends and industry colleagues gathered at Philadelphia party venue Vie earlier this year for a surprise celebration in honor of Rick Cooper, who recently earned his Ph.D. in entomology from Rutgers University.

The event was the brainchild of Rick’s brother, Phil Cooper, CEO of Cooper Pest Solutions, who was assisted by key planners Laura Cooper (Phil’s wife), Manny Corti, Jeff White, Rob DiJoseph and Sybil Cooper, mother of Rick and Phil. The group spent months planning the gala and even overcame Mother Nature, which forced the event to be rescheduled from its original Jan. 23 date to early March due to a massive winter storm that shuttered much of the East Coast.

Even more impressive, the group kept the party a surprise until the very end. Prior to the event Phil said, “Rick thinks he’s coming to meet with some local CEOs as part of a Vistage event. He didn’t want to arrive without me. We have him hook, line and sinker. He has no clue.”

Highlights of the event included an appearance by local band the Record Highs, which played a variety of classic rock (Rick’s favorite genre); a “This is Your Life”-type slideshow presentation; and an insect-themed cake topped off with the “Bed Bug Handbook,” the highly acclaimed reference guide Rick co-authored with Larry Pinto and Sandy Kraft.

Most important of all, the gala was an opportunity for family, friends and industry colleagues to share testimonials about what makes Rick Cooper so special. Said mom Sybil, “I am bursting with pride tonight. It’s been amazing raising these two.” She also recognized Rick’s wife, Louise. “Congratulations to Louise for getting through this with him. I know his dad would be proud.”

Pest control industry colleagues in attendance included Coby Schal, Doug Mampe, Larry Pinto, Sandy Kraft, Jim Fredericks, Cindy Mannes, Richard Berman, and Pat Hottel, just to name a few.

Also in attendance was PCT Publisher Dan Moreland, who presented Rick with a plaque featuring a congratulatory message from E.O. Wilson, the famed Harvard entomologist. One of Moreland’s career highlights was helping to facilitate an interaction between Cooper and Wilson at the 2004 PCT Ant Management Summit. He arranged for Cooper to give his carpenter ant presentation immediately prior to the keynote speech by Wilson, who many consider the world’s leading authority on ants. Said Moreland, “When Rick finished his presentation and Dr. Wilson took the stage, the legendary scientist — who at 86 remains as intellectually inquisitive as ever — turned to Rick and said how much he enjoyed his presentation, even learning a few things about carpenter ants that he didn’t know before.”

Following the testimonials, when it was the guest of honor’s turn to speak, Rick Cooper said, “It’s humbling and slightly embarrassing. I’m obviously very sad that my dad [who passed away] isn’t here to share this night,” but he was thankful for the kindness and generosity of his family, friends and colleagues. Cooper also thanked his mentors Mampe and Schal, as well as his wife and children, for their support.

Helping to make this special night possible were contributions from industry suppliers Residex, BASF, Syngenta, PCT, Temp-Air, Univar and Specialty Consultants. — Brad Harbison