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Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) — a National Pest Management Association (NPMA) committee — provides support, education and networking opportunities to women in the industry. Since 2005, the NPMA has encouraged women to meet up at events such as the networking breakfast held at every PestWorld. The number of women participating has grown each year; get involved at PWIPM.org.
Pam Blauvelt, vice president of operations for Griffin Pest Solutions in Kalamazoo, Mich., and member of the PWIPM committee, shows off the “Real Women of Pest Management” T-shirt and ball cap. To learn more, contact pwipm@pestworld.org.
ServicePro CEO Andy Deering said the company has supported PWIPM from the beginning. “We’ve been doing this since the group started,” he said. “The first breakfast, I think there were fewer than 10 people. It’s really grown.”
In her welcoming remarks, NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf, CAE, CMP, called on attendees to get their peers involved at the state level. “Let’s take it back home and encourage others to belong,” she said. “If you can’t travel, there are so many other ways to network in today’s world.”
McCloud Services’ Jennifer Shook-Harris, SPHR, SCP, chair of the PWIPM committee, encouraged attendees to “take the time to connect with each other outside this room.” She introduced the 2018 Professional Empowerment Grant recipients.
The 2018 Professional Empowerment Grant recipients are Rachel Alexander, multi-residential exterminator, Citron Hygiene, Ontario, Canada, left, and Teresa Brannon, state commercial sales supervisor, Cook’s Pest Control, Ala.
