NPMA Women’s Forum Aims to Advance Women Leaders in Pest Management

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The National Pest Management Association hosted its first in-person NPMA Women’s Forum Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. The event was held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and offered educational forums and networking opportunities for women in the pest management industry and their male counterparts.

The forum drew about 100 attendees who participated in interactive sessions and listened to industry leaders share insights on topics like the advantages of hiring more women, creative ideas for a more flexible workplace and the importance of diverse teams.

On the forum’s opening night, NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf explained that advancing women leaders in the industry is a joint effort between women and men.

"As a female leader in pest management, I know and have seen firsthand how far our industry has come,” she said. “Together with women and men, we will accomplish our goals as we work to empower, diversify and advance this industry.”

 Though the audience was primarily women, several male industry leaders were also in attendance, including Gokhan Vergon, head of pest management and public health at Bayer U.S. In a man-dominated industry, Vergon said, he believed it was his job to create more equity.

Sessions began with a virtual welcome from Jackie Applegate, head of Bayer North America Crop Science, and Tiffany Fremder, head of global marketing for Bayer Environmental Science, who discussed the importance of mentorship. Following each session, attendees broke into small groups to further discuss the topic at hand and answer a series of prompted questions.

Emily Thomas Kendrick, CEO of Arrow Exterminators, Stacy O'Reilly, owner of Plunkett's Pest Control, and Marillian Missiti, president of Buono Pest Control, shared business insights during one session. O’Reilly said she would advise her younger self “don’t worry so much about being competent. Worry more about engaging with the team.”

During another session, Justin McCauley of McCauley Services and Lauren Thrasher of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control talked about creative ways to create a more flexible work environment, whether through offering employees unlimited vacation time or ensuring they have resources for mental health.

As the forum ended, attendees reflected on key takeaways from the event. A favorite was from Anthony Brown, senior vice president of human resources at Rentokil, who talked about how diverse teams can thrive.

“Don’t treat others how you want to be treated; treat others how they want to be treated,” he said.

NPMA is tentatively planning another Women’s Forum for May 2022.