5 questions with Dr. Cassie Krejci

Dr. Cassie Krejci

Rentokil Terminix’s director of technical services, Dr. Cassie Krejci, BCE, also is president of industry fraternity Pi Chi Omega. We caught up with her to discuss one of Pi Chi Omega’s newest initiatives, the Industry Grant program.

1. What motivated you to make this program a priority when you assumed presidency of Pi Chi Omega?

Ever since Dr. Bobby Corrigan received our first scholarship in 1976, Pi Chi Omega has ambitiously given scholarships to students in academic positions. The awards have traditionally been given to support formal education within the field of entomology or closely related fields. Thanks to our generous donors over the years, we are now able to award six scholarships a year. In our 2017 five-year strategic plan, Pi Chi Omega identified industry grants as a strategic activity that would extend important support for the education and professional development of our front-line technicians and service people. Pi Chi Omega prides itself on connecting all members of our industry, and a grant program tailored for industry professional development was the next step in supporting that connection.

2. How did the program come together?

The Pi Chi Omega board of directors wanted to create a grant program that was founded on equal opportunity and the needs of pest management professionals (PMPs). Pi Chi Omega Director James Miller (Trécé Inc.) chairs the committee, which is comprised of Caroline Kirby (Plunkett’s Pest Control), Alex Blahnik (Rentokil Terminix), and Mark VanderWerp (Rose Pest Solutions). I was so impressed with how quickly this team was able to make a recommendation to the board, and we are proud of the program they have put together.

3. The announcement gained a lot of traction during PestWorld. What can you tell us about that?

PestWorld brought out a membership meeting that was larger than I have seen before, so it was the best time for Pi Chi Omega to announce the grant program and petition for donors. We have been blown away by those who are interested in supporting this new grant opportunity, and we look forward to celebrating their contributions publicly very soon. We would love to meet with any additional interested donors to talk about this next generation of industry endowments with Pi Chi Omega.

4. What is the timeline for the launch and availability of request forms?

Pi Chi Omega is aiming to launch the new industry grant program in January 2023. The available awards will be dependent on funding, and we are working to solidify those contributions prior to launch. We plan to review applications four times per year to account for educational opportunities that occur throughout the year. Reviews will likely coincide with our membership cycles of March 1, June 1, Sept. 1 and Dec. 1.

5. What else should our readers know about this program?

Examples of activities that could be considered for a Pi Chi Omega Industry Grant include conference attendance, college or technical-level courses, other advanced skill acquisition, seed money for a new project, costs of publishing or disseminating relevant information to the industry, and more. As with all
Pi Chi Omega scholarships, you do not have to be a member to receive an award, but we would genuinely enjoy your membership. More information for potential donors and recipients will be online soon at PiChiOmega.org.