Sterling Barbour

When PCT first reached out to Sterling Barbour to interview him for this article, we had to reschedule. “Sorry, but I’m working with a veteran right now and he is going through a tough time,” said Barbour, who, along with wife Tova, founded Revolution National Pest Council (RNPC), a pest control career training school that promotes economic growth, diversity and inclusion for minorities, women and veterans.

That Barbour would put his work with veterans ahead of an interview that shines the spotlight on himself comes as no surprise to those who know him well.

“I’ve never met anyone who more constantly puts the needs of others ahead of himself,” said Michael Neville, owner of N&N Consulting & Pest Control, Washington, D.C., and one of Barbour’s past colleagues, current mentees and longtime friends.

Barbour defines what it means to be a servant leader, first in management positions at large national pest control companies, then as COO of Revolution Pest Solutions, and now in his third act as president of Revolution National Pest Council, Carson, Calif.

PATH TO VETERAN ADVOCACY. To understand why veteran advocacy is so dear to Barbour’s heart, it’s important to take a look at his upbringing in Maryland (the metro Washington, D.C., area).

The son of Lloyd, a foreman at Washington Gas Company who also owned a small construction business, and Marion Barbour, an engineer at a Naval ordnance station, Sterling and siblings Audrey, Joyce and Francis grew up in a loving household. Although money was tight, his parents worked hard to put him through a private Catholic high school. “I always had a desire to make money and be an entrepreneur,” Barbour recalled. “When I was in high school, I started a construction company, like my dad had. I would go out and find work — the type of work my dad was doing, like building swimming pools, patios, driveways, walkways — and get my dad to do the work.”

This entrepreneurial interest led Barbour to enroll at Charles County Community College (Md.), where he pursued an associate degree in economics. While in college, Barbour met and married his first wife, Joan, and he also had a job working for TWA Airlines. At age 18, life was progressing much as Barbour imagined … that is until he received his draft notice in 1969, while the U.S. was in the midst of the Vietnam War.

© Chris Lake

“I was No. 67, and even though I was in school, was married and had a job, they took me,” said Barbour, who was drafted into the U.S. Army and soon shipped to Vietnam.

Barbour’s time overseas would be short — five days to be exact. His brother Francis, a U.S. Marine, already was serving in Vietnam. “At the time, the military [branches] really weren’t talking to each other, but once they realized that both Francis and I were serving, they got me out because of a policy to only have one son there at a time.”

Barbour was transferred to Fort Richardson, Alaska, where he trained to become an Arctic Ranger, a new company of Rangers created during the Nixon administration to bolster U.S. defenses of the Arctic Circle against the threat of a Soviet invasion. The training involved jumping with parachutes from planes onto the polar ice caps, where temperatures could drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. “So, I went from the really, really hot temperatures of Vietnam to the really, really cold temperatures of Alaska,” Barbour said. “You wanna hear something crazy? Alaska was so bad that after my brother got out of the Marines, I volunteered to go back to Vietnam. But they said ‘no’ because I was a special type of Ranger.”

A bout of severe frostbite put an end to Barbour’s time as an Arctic Ranger. He then went to work in a communications role for a three-star general. “Back then we did not have cell phones or beepers, so wherever he went, day or night, I was there with him. This experience was profoundly educational and shaped my personal and professional development in numerous ways,” said Barbour.

FINDING PEST CONTROL. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1971, Barbour returned to Maryland and took a full-time manager job at Federal Express. He was successful in this position and worked at FedEx for several years before leaving at the request of his mother, who needed Barbour to help her manage an apartment building in New York City. Once done with this work experience, Barbour found himself out of work and at a job fair seeking full-time employment. At this job fair, Barbour met Orkin’s Jeff Plater, who would become a lifelong friend. Plater explained that Barbour could make a decent living selling pest control services. It took some convincing, but Barbour eventually decided to give it a shot, joining Orkin in 1989.

“Within two months, I was the No. 1 salesperson at the branch. Within three months, I got promoted to service manager and within six or eight months, I was a branch manager,” Barbour said. “As branch manager, I was responsible for overseeing all aspects of branch operations, including team management, customer relations and service delivery. This role honed my abilities in strategic planning, problem-solving and improving operational efficiencies.”

One of the people who recognized Barbour’s abilities was Wayne Golden, longtime executive at both Orkin and Terminix. In 1996, Barbour followed Golden to Terminix. Under Golden, Barbour was promoted several times, including to president of Terminix’s Maryland commercial office, which covered Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Golden identified what made Barbour successful when the two worked together. “Part of it is his military background, which has served him well when it comes to running operations, and then there are his people skills — he’s a charmer,” Golden said. “The performance of that branch improved under Sterling because of his ability to not just close sales and meet his numbers, but to hire and develop talent.”

LAUNCHING NEW VENTURES. Barbour worked at Terminix for 13 years (1996 to 2009), rising to become region manager in charge of 11 branches in five states. He left Terminix to join San Diego-based Payne Pest Management in 2010, as vice president of sales and marketing, where he managed sales teams in three branches and oversaw new business opportunities. In 2015, Barbour left Payne Pest Management. He and business partner Pete Coony, along with Tova (in charge of sales), launched Revolution Pest Solutions. “We started from ground floor and grew the business — and we were successful,” Barbour said.

During this time, the Barbours began taking a deeper look at a problem in the pest control industry Sterling had observed throughout his career — technician turnover.

Tova explained, “I said to Sterling, ‘You know, there is no place to train people and get them hired.’ After 90 days (a typical employee probationary period) a lot of people would lose their employment. The community needed help. Unemployment was high. I fell in love with the pest control industry. It’s an industry that needs jobs and there are people who need jobs.”

So, in 2017 the Barbours launched Revolution National Pest Council (RNPC), a training school focused on helping minorities and low-income communities by teaching and educating them about opportunities in the pest control industry — both residential and commercial pest control. Barbour describes RNPC as “a unique vocational school, offering specialized apprenticeship programs in pest control.” (In 2019, the Barbours and Coony sold Revolution Pest Solutions to Sprague Pest Solutions to focus full-time on RNPC.)

RNPC offers four- and 10-week programs that are approved by the Department of Labor, the Department of Apprenticeship Standards and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This approval allows RNPC to partner with the government to recruit and train individuals interested in pursuing a career in pest control.

“Our training covers everything needed to become licensed and employed in the pest control industry,” Barbour said. “We take pride in our training academy, which has successfully trained more than 200 students, both veterans and non-veterans. With our programs, students receive hands-on experience and education, ensuring they are well-prepared for their new careers.”

Twenty pest control companies are on the RNPC advisory board. Representatives of these and other pest control companies attend classes to network with students and identify potential employees.

WHY VETERAN ADVOCACY MATTERS. Barbour’s military experience has had a profound effect on him. When his brother Francis returned from Vietnam, he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Later in life, Francis was 100 percent disabled — the result of being exposed to chemical defoliant Agent Orange, which ultimately took his life in 2014.

© Chris Lake

“When my brother was ill in a VA hospital, he needed help communicating with doctors and caretakers, and we noticed other veterans also needed support and someone to listen to them. I visited my brother three times a day, and my presence improved his recovery and well-being,” he said.

RNPC has had numerous veteran success stories. Barbour recalled the following: “A veteran, struggling with drugs and homelessness after being put out by his wife, found hope through our training program. We took him in for 30 days, trained him, and he excelled. Eventually he became a service manager. Today, he’s reunited with his wife and his life has turned around.”

Another veteran graduated from RNPC and was placed in a pest control job; five years later, he’s a proud homeowner. “So, we found a candidate on Los Angeles’ Skid Row who is now successfully employed with Orkin,” Barbour said. “His journey was so inspiring that it was featured in a YouTube story by Downtown Mission and Orkin.”

In 2010, Sterling and Tova founded the Veterans Advocacy Group of America (VAGA) a nonprofit organization whose goal is “to assist in educating veterans on the programs and resources available to help them on their path to success in civilian life.” In addition to connecting veterans with government agencies, corporations and service providers, VAGA provides military families with filled backpacks and serves veterans Thanksgiving Day dinners.

Barbour also became an active member of NPMA’s PestVets Council and in 2018 was recognized as the PestVet “Veteran of the Year.” Fellow PCO and veteran Marty Overline, owner of Aardvark Pest Management, Philadelphia, credits Barbour for helping PestVets broaden its focus to include outreach. “Every year at PestWorld we do a Day of Service and that really came about because Sterling was so involved in that work himself,” Overline said. “He got us moving in the direction of doing service projects.”

PAYING IT FORWARD. Barbour is the first to tell you that he would not be as successful today if it weren’t for mentors he’s had throughout his life, such as Wayne Golden. He’s tried to pay this good fortune forward by mentoring others.

One such mentee is N&N’s Michael Neville, who worked with Golden and Barbour at Terminix during the late ’80s/early ’90s. After stepping away from the pest management industry for a number of years, Neville returned after Barbour contacted him with a job offer.

When Neville launched his own business in 2006, Golden and Barbour came on board as consultants. “When I told them I was going out on my own they said, ‘No problem, we will be there to support you.’ And they have been there to give me guidance, help with financial matters and give me verbal support,” Neville said.

In addition to PestVets, Barbour is a member of NPMA’s Black Ownership Matters. This group was launched in 2021 to promote and support Black ownership within the pest management industry, addressing disparities and fostering opportunities for minorities.

“Through these organizations, I have been able to contribute to discussions, share insights and collaborate on initiatives that aim to diversify and strengthen the industry,” Barbour said. “By participating actively and offering my perspective, I hope to help shape a more inclusive and equitable future for pest management professionals, especially for minorities who historically have faced barriers to advancement.”

Barbour said he’s encouraged that committees and organizations within the industry are actively promoting diversity and creating more equitable opportunities for minorities. “By opening doors to diversity and fostering inclusive practices, the pest control industry is evolving,” he said. “This evolution not only benefits individuals from diverse backgrounds but also strengthens the industry as a whole by tapping into a broader talent pool and fostering innovation.”

With 35 years of pest control industry experience, Sterling Barbour shows no signs of slowing down. He is looking forward to continuing his role as mentor and veteran advocate, and he is excited about the future of the pest control industry, which includes Faye Golden serving this year as the first Black president of NPMA. “Faye’s leadership and passion for the pest control industry, combined with her diverse perspective, I believe will open doors and bring positive changes.”