Viewpoint: Big Shoes To Fill At Gulfport

When we heard that Brad Kard was leaving the U.S. Forest Service to accept a position at Oklahoma State University (0SU), we had mixed feelings. Like many of you in the industry, we were pleased that Kard was embarking on an exciting new chapter in his distinguished career, but we also wondered, "What’s going to happen to the U.S. Forest Service’s termiticide testing program?" (See "Shake-up at Gulfport," www.pctonline.com/articles/article.asp?ID=1365&IssueID=138)

After all, Kard has been at the U.S. Forest Service since 1987, and during his tenure he’s been the individual most closely associated with the termiticide testing program. In fact, for many PCOs he’s the "voice" of the U.S. Forest Service. For more than a decade he’s been the primary author of the Gulfport studies, which are anxiously read by PCOs and manufacturers throughout the world, and he’s a frequent speaker at industry trade shows and educational events. Now that he’s taken a position at OSU, many in the industry are openly wondering if Kard’s replacement will share his passion for the job and, even more important, his commitment to the industry.

Kard’s supervisor, Terry Wagner, says PCOs needn’t worry. "I don’t want to try to mislead anybody that Brad’s leaving has no impact on us. Brad takes a lot of expertise away from the Forest Service," he said. "But I’m totally confident that the testing program is in better shape today than it was two years ago. We have done many things to ensure that if we’re going to do this we’re going to do it right."

Although Wagner has been at the U.S. Forest Service for several years, few in the pest control industry know him. He’s trying to fix that. "I’ve tried to make a concerted effort over the past two years to get to meetings, such as the NPMA Convention and the ASPCRO annual meeting." To that end, he’s making his first industry presentation at NPMA’s Southwestern Conference in New Mexico this month.

"I do feel a commitment to this project and know that it is important," Wagner recently told PCT magazine. "It has a long history and I have a sense of responsibility to that history." Of course, only time will tell if Wagner’s public pronouncements of support for the termi-ticide testing program are a reflection of his true feelings or simply good public relations, as some in the industry suspect. Let’s hope Wagner follows through on his promises and makes a good program even better. Whatever happens, however, the pest control industry owes a debt of gratitude to Brad Kard for a job well done.

The author is editor of Pest Control Technology. She can be reached at: jdorsch@pctonline.com