NPMA’s Women’s Forum Encouraged Female Leadership, Growth Opportunities in Pest Control

ATLANTA — A record-breaking 400 women and men in the pest control industry arrived in Atlanta, Ga., last week for a three-day networking and leadership development forum, continuing to grow the number of female leaders in the pest control industry.

NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf welcomed attendees to the fourth in-person forum. Stumpf said these forums serve as a testament to the expanding influences of women in the pest management field.

“I’m profoundly encouraged by this correlation in increased participation here and the emerging impact of women in pest management,” she said. “Today, we gather not only to recognize the strides made, but to forge forward, fostering an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued.”

The Georgia Pest Control Association (GPCA) Vice President and Red Coat Pest Solutions CEO Ashley Marratt addressed the audience on how they could best leverage their participation in the forum and be involved in their state associations.

In Georgia, there are more than 1,200 pest control companies, and less than six are owned by women, Marratt said, adding that all her employees are either veterans or women.

She encouraged attendees to continue to leverage their “superpowers,” strengthen their skills, become more confident in “claiming your space in a room,” and bring more collaboration into the industry.

“We all have unique abilities, and these are our God-given talents,” she said. “I’ve learned that collaboration drives better results. It is challenging but rewarding.”

Stephanie McKay, account manager for turf and ornamentals at Envu, shared her own experience as a woman in business and encouragement to others on behalf of Envu, the premier sponsor of the forum.

“It’s an exciting time for us as female professionals where companies are investing in us. Organizations are realizing that we are not just smaller men,” she said. “We too have great ideas, can lead teams, market to customers and bring leading innovation to a wide variety of industries.”

A Tuesday evening reception, sponsored by Rollins, gave attendees a chance to meet new industry professionals. Bonnie Rabe, managing director of government relations at Rollins in Atlanta, Ga., said, “It’s inspiring to see the growth that continues to happen every day as we prepare for the future generations” to enter the pest control industry.

The breakout sessions and meetings held on Wednesday afternoon brought moments of self-reflection, identifying female career cycles, networking and growth opportunities and challenges women face in the pest control industry.

Jess Phelan, president of Vault Communications, discussed how to attract and keep women in the industry. She said only 87 percent of women are promoted compared to 100 percent of men. This number is even lower for women of color, she said.

“The pathway is not the same for everyone,” she said. “We need to meet each employee where they’re at and help them navigate each phase of their career.”

Phelan said flexibility is the No. 1 reason women seek new work opportunities or leave the workforce altogether, adding, “Women are demanding more from work.”

NPMA awarded 90 women in the industry — ranging from technical/service, sales, management or office staff — with Impact Awards for Women in Pest Management. Award winners walked the red carpet down the center of the room to receive their award. Recipients had to be nominated for the award, and each nomination was considered based on the merits of information included in the submissions.

Amanda Forrestall, chief financial officer for Pest-End, Plaistow, N.H., Suzy Rayner, owner of Valkyrie Pest Solutions, Manitoba, Canada, and Jennifer Leggett, Lindsey Pest Services, Jacksonville, Fla., spoke on challenges and triumphs they’ve each faced as female business owners.

Rayner has three employees and is a full-time owner/operator. “After one too many times being scorned by a male in management,” she said she figured that if no one was going to take a chance of her, then she was going to take a chance on herself.

After just one year in business, Rayner scaled her business threefold by sticking to her values and creating a trauma-informed and compassion-forward approach when working with customers in low-income housing.

She chose to center her business model this way from her past experiences facing homelessness. “That woman back then never thought she would get out of poverty and definitely didn’t think she would sit here in front of all of you,” Rayner said. “The pest management industry did this for me, and women in pest control did this for me.”

The panelists were asked how they’re continuing to recruit a diverse workforce. Forrestall said Pest-End recruits based on its core values and aligns with the company’s mission.

“It’s been hard to gender recruit, but we’ve been pushing public health in pest control, which has been bringing more women to our organizations,” she said. “Once you realize it’s more 80 percent customer service and 20 percent killing bugs, the women start coming.”

Thursday morning, Shay Runion, chief human resources officer at Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta, Ga., and Andrea Hancock with P.E.S.T. Relief International led a charity event for attendees to participate in. Baskets of Hope were crafted for 60 women at The Drake House, a place for homeless women and children in the Atlanta area. 

On-site tours were also offered for attendees to visit Arrow Exterminators or Rollins headquarters to get a behind-the-scenes look of the company’s training and learning centers for employees.