2022 WIPC Conference

November 28, 2022

This year’s WIPC Business Award winner is Mary Susan Branch, who is in the process of opening a business in Louisiana. She received $2,000 and a year of unlimited consulting. Pictured from left are Branch, WIPC Owner Lisa Botts, 2021 Award Winner Melisa Arnold, WIPC Administrator Victoria Myers-Lopez, and WIPC Founder Bobbie Terry. PHOTO: LIN ELLIS

Forty women from across the country gathered together in Houston, Texas, Sept. 29-30 for the third Women in Pest Control (WIPC) Conference. Pest Management Professional (PMP) magazine was among the sponsors. Other sponsors included Rockwell Labs, Veseris, AMM Insurance, BASF, Bayer (now Envu), Bird-X, Nisus, SenesTech, and Target Specialty Products.

WIPC started as a Facebook group, with the goal of providing an environment where women could feel free to ask questions and speak about issues that are gender-specific. As the Facebook group grew to more than 1,200 women, the group’s mission has evolved to provide professional and personal development opportunities for pest management professionals (PMP) with underrepresented genders.

In an effort to provide an inclusive environment for feminine-presenting people of all colors, religions and sexual orientations, WIPC opened the speaker rolls this year to men who have shown a desire to empower women in pest management and help them achieve success through knowledge. Thus, WIPC Conference’s first-ever male speaker was Harry Bryan, director of business development of the Pest Control Division of Nisus. Bryan taught attendees about how gross small flies are, and the “gooey secrets” of fountain drinks.

Each year, B&G offers a pink one-gallon sprayer for WIPC to award to one attendee who has battled cancer. The 2022 recipient is Kathy Elkins, Diva’s Pest Management, Norman, Okla. Elkins shared her story of skin cancer, and the importance of taking care of yourself. PHOTO: LIN ELLIS

Additional speakers included, in alphabetical order:

Anna Berry, BCE, U.S. technical director for Pelsis
Hal Drody, owner and business advisor with Harper Grayson Communications, Spring, Texas
Chelle Hartzer, BCE, owner of 360 Pest Food and Safety Consulting, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Janet Hurley, ACE, MPA, senior extension program specialist – IPM at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Dr. Nina Jenkins, co-founder and CTO of ConidioTec, which manufactures Aprehend, State College, Pa.
Dr. Janet Kintz-Early, owner of JAK Consulting Services and former regulatory affairs manager for Nisus, Knoxville, Tenn.
Sarah Latyn, quality assurance and training coordinator for TRNZ4m, Marlton, N.J.
Dr. Dini Miller, professor with the department of entomology at Virginia Tech and a PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2019)
Anthony Plumley, certified applicator with Smith Thompson Pest Control, Dallas, Texas
Luisa Ramirez, customer service lead for Bird-X, Elmhurst, Ill.
Dr. Cisse Spragins, founder and CEO of Rockwell Labs and a PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2018)

Plans for a 2024 conference are already underway. Learn more on the WIPC Facebook page at
Bit.ly/3DrbbM3.

Nancy Boerema, FireFly Enlightened Pest Solutions, Lincoln City, Ore., was presented with a check and a plaque for the second annual Bobbie Terry Humanitarian Award. Boerema has worked tirelessly to help rebuild lives after the devastating wildfires that ravished her community. PHOTO: LIN ELLIS