Pest Management Professional, September 2013

off the cuff Will Nepper t Managing Editor Wandering the Hallowed PMP Hall of Fame PMPs 2013 Hall of Fame inductees remind us why we honor industry greats I ve said it many times I cant think of any industry as amicably competitive supportive and chock full of leaders as the pest management industry In my tenure as a journalist Ive covered several industries Ive been a professional for more than 15 years which might not sound long to some but keep in mind I belong to the first generation to use email in college and take its first steps into the American workforce just as the Internet was beginning to show a glimmer of what it would become We grew along with technology Some of us initially had little help from mentors especially from preceding generations when it came to learning the ropes of for example newsrooms without typewriters or research that didnt involve libraries and encyclopedias Many of us thought this gave us a leg up Who needs mentors We know it all They need us and our collective technological knowledge Thankfully such clueless thoughts fizzled out around Day 3 of our first professional jobs We all need mentors to serve as guides Sure we young guns might bring our high falutin tech knowledge to the table Big deal Without leaders mentors who teach and inspire and trailblazers who push boundaries wed be lost This industry has no shortage of great leaders mentors and trailblazers Thats why we established a Pest Management Professional PMP Hall of Fame to recognize and thank those who led and continue to lead this wonderful industry to new heights Its a reminder of the industrys fellowship and sense of family where knowledge and experience are unselfishly shared and theres never a shortage of help available from our big brothers and sisters Please join us in congratulating our PMP Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Bob Rosenberg The National Pest Management Associations NPMAs executive vice president and CEO who for decades has helped navigate our national association and pest management overall through challenging times as he continues to give back to the industry he so loves Greg Baumann whose work with Rollins the NPMA and the food industry have earned him induction to the PMP Hall of Fame Dr Thomas Elliot Snyder posthumous inductee an early leader in the research of termites and their control Dr Claude Thomas southeastern technical representative for B G Equipment whose 34 years of industry experience has made him a respected pioneer of practical industry research and technological expertise Vernon McKinzie a past NPMA president whose distinguished career as an entomologist PMP and association leader cast him as a key agent for positive industry change Stoy Hedges whose combined professional skill sets of both scientist and entomologist have helped him make an unprecedented literary and public speaking impact in pest management Because new names and faces continue to enter the field our PMP Hall of Fame panel will never have a shortage of leaders from which to choose However narrowing the names down to a short list will continue to prove difficult Please check out our PMP Hall of Fame special section featuring profiles of this years inductees in our October issue of PMP and visit pmphalloffame com for profiles of PMP Hall of Famers inducted 1997 2012 Last but not least we thank our PMP Hall of Fame supporters for partnering with us in recognition of our industry icons Platinum Sponsor Bug Off Pest Control Center Cocktail Hour Sponsor JT Eaton and Gold Sponsors Bird B Gone Control Solutions Inc CSI Marathon MGK Oldham Chemicals Purdue University Rockwell Labs Rollins and Service Pro net PMP You can reach Nepper at wnepper@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3775 Bob Rosenberg Greg Baumann Dr Thomas Snyder Dr Claude Thomas Vernon McKinzie Stoy Hedges 8 September 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net