Women in pest management: You’ve come a long way

Times certainly have changed since pest management was an up-and-coming service in the mid-1800s. Women did not play a key role; it was not considered women’s work and besides, their hoop skirts would have made thorough inspections impossible to perform.

Rockwell Labs Chemistry Manager Todd Fleischmann and student intern Kathryn Monahan discuss a new formulation with Dr. Cisse Spragins.

That’s no longer the case, thankfully. This issue of Pest Management Professional shines a spotlight on seven noteworthy women in the pest management industry. They include:

• Valera Jessee, executive director, United Producers, Formulators & Distributors Association (UPFDA).
• Kim Kelley-Tunis, director of quality assurance and claims, Rollins Inc.
• Dr. Dini Miller, professor of urban pest management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
• Deni Naumann, president, Copesan Services Inc.
• Karen Reardon, vice president of public affairs, RISE.
• Dr. Cisse Spragins, founder and CEO, Rockwell Labs Ltd.
• Mary Vongas, president, ChemTec Pest Control.

Women have come a long way since the male-dominated days of “vermin exterminators.” Here’s hoping women continue to turn to pest management for a rewarding career protecting human health and property.

You can reach Managing Editor Diane Sofranec at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.