Rentokil Terminix taps industry vet for government affairs post

Jake Plevelich

Jake Plevelich, former director of public policy for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), is now director of government affairs for Rentokil Terminix.

Plevelich, who holds a master’s degree in political communication from American University in Washington, D.C., joined the NPMA in 2015 as a public policy coordinator. He left in 2022 for a short stint as associate director of legislative affairs for the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions, but was hired by Rentokil Terminix late last month. Pest Management Professional (PMP) caught up with Plevelich to see what drew him back to pest control and what the future holds for his career.

“I love government affairs and I love pest control, so it was a no-brainer to jump at the opportunity to do government affairs work for the world’s largest pest control company,” he explained to PMP. “Additionally, I’ve always looked up to industry leaders like Mac McAllister and John Myers, so working under them made the decision even easier.”

Plevelich noted that director of government affairs is a new one for this newly formed company, adding “historically, both Rentokil and Terminix engaged in public policy, but this is a new position dedicated to government affairs.” He told PMP he has three goals as he settles into the new post:

1. To defend and bolster the industry in the legislative and regulatory arenas at the federal, state and local levels.
2. To maximize the impact of Rentokil Terminix in public policy.
3. To continue strengthening the Rentokil Terminix State Representative program that Rentokil Terminix uses to engage in policy issues.