Seated from left are Karen Furgiuele, Debi Logue, Gene White, Andrea Coron, Judy Black, Brittany Campbell. Standing from left are Kim Kelley-Tunis, Dr. Cisse Spragins, David Fincannon, Dale Baker, Richard Ennis, Dr. Cassie Krejci, Dr. Michael Bentley, Kristin Coron, Tom Wright, Dennis Judy and PMP Columnist Mark “Shep” Sheperdigian. (Photo: PMP staff)
Pi Chi Omega is a well-known entity within the structural pest management industry, but when asked about the purpose of the 67-year-old organization, varying levels of understanding about its mission and purpose arise. Most people know that Pi Chi Omega was founded by entomologists at Purdue University who wanted to further the science of entomology within the pest control industry, but what is the purpose of the organization today?
That question, and the desire to give people a clear idea of why Pi Chi Omega is still relevant today, spurred current Pi Chi Omega President Judy Black, to move forward with a strategic planning session that took place at J.T. Eaton’s headquarters in Twinsburg, Ohio, June 20-21.
“An analysis of our purpose and the wishes of our membership is overdue, and these discussions will provide the foundation for the future of Pi Chi Omega,” Black says.
“It was a tremendous honor to host the event at J.T. Eaton,” notes Dale Baker, incoming president of Pi Chi Omega and vice president of sales at J.T. Eaton. “It was amazing to be part of this group. We had some of the brightest people in the industry working together to reinvigorate the fraternity and create the blueprints for generations to come.”
Rich Ennis, former CEO of the Steritech Group, volunteered his time to assist a group of 16 Pi Chi Omega members and Board members through a strategic planning exercise. In addition, earlier this year Pi Chi Omega surveyed its membership to gain some level of understanding of current members’ satisfaction with the organization. The survey results were shared with the strategic planning participants during a pre-Strategic Planning Session webinar the week prior to the actual event. The groundwork for how the meeting would flow, a consensus on how decisions would be made, and expectations for what would be accomplished were also outlined ahead of time. Ennis kept the group focused on the big picture objectives, taking a view of the organization from a remote view of “30,000 feet,” rather than delving into a detailed analysis of the organization.
In just a short day-and-a-half, the group was able to draft a Mission Statement, Vision Statement and define some key Strategic Activities. At press time, the Pi Chi Omega Board is finalizing the Strategic Plan and will share it with members and the industry in the months ahead.
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