NPMA seeks SPARs with a calling to serve

What can pest management professionals (PMPs) do to help ensure legislators maintain their mission of protecting public health and property? Become a State Policy Affairs Representative (SPAR) who will advocate for the structural pest management industry.

The SPAR program is an important part of the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) Public Policy efforts. SPARs maintain relationships with local and state legislators to ensure proposed policies will continue to protect the people in their communities.

The National Pest Management Association recognized, at PestWorld 2019, the State Policy Affairs Representatives (SPARs) who work hard each year on legislative and regulatory issues. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

The NPMA says if it weren’t for this program, there would have been countless products banned, more taxes and burdensome regulations eating away at your bottom line, and more Americans vulnerable to dangerous and deadly pests.

SPARs represent their states for a two-year term. The NPMA asks each state’s pest control association board of directors to nominate a SPAR and a vice SPAR to serve a two-year term that will run 2022-2023. SPARs are required to be a member of the NPMA and may serve consecutive terms. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1.

Recently, SPARs helped:

• Ensure technicians could obtain or renew pest control licenses during the pandemic.
• Crack down on illegal pest control operators.
• Defeat sales tax requirements on pest control services.
• Advocate for science-based bed bug policies that require landlords to hire PMPs for bed bug inspections and treatments.

Each year at PestWorld, the NPMA recognizes SPARs at a reception sponsored by Bayer-Crop Science. At last year’s virtual meeting, NPMA Director of Public Policy Jake Plevelich praised their dedication to the industry, saying, “The SPAR program represents a culture of hard work, service to the industry, and ultimately earning successful outcomes for the structural pest management industry so that we can continue to protect public health and property.”

If you are a member of the NPMA and want to learn more about the SPAR and vice SPAR positions, additional details are here.

For questions about the NPMA’s SPAR program, or to nominate a SPAR and vice SPAR, contact Plevelich.