Pest Management Professional, September 2015

PMP Hall of faMe 2015 DR PHIl KoeHleR 50 September 2015 Pest Management Professional mypmp net Photos Dr Phil Koehler istocK com gbrunDin Continued on Page 52 The educational ringleader Step right up and be amazed at just how much Dr Phil Koehler has contributed to the industry during his four decade tenure at the University of Florida By Jerry Mix editor at Large W hen a person reaches age 68 and reflects on more than 40 years of highly successful service with one organization its logical his thoughts start turning to retirement But thats not the case for the University of Floridas UFs Dr Phil Koehler I have no plans to retire he says Im still having a good time so Im going to keep going Dr Koehler points out the university has put together a good staff including Dr Roberto Pereira that has helped the Florida urban pest management industry He played a key role creating a professional industry in Florida by offering various training programs for pest management professionals PMPs conducting research that provides the industry with meaningful information and working with students looking to step into industry positions Case in point Recently the university hosted the 20th Southeast Pest Management Conference an event Dr Koehler helped start and nurture The educational conference attracted a record breaking 400 professionals this year The large attendance was due in no small part to the marquee names of several University of Florida entomology graduates who participated as presenters NPMA CEO Bob Rosenberg a UF graduate also was invited Several UF entomology graduates who now represent top notch manufacturing and supplier organizations attended as well The success of the conference helped advance the reputation of the universitys entomology and nematology department Now Dr Koehler is looking to the future People are concerned about public health from the standpoint of diseases they believe they can get from insects like mosquitoes ticks and bed bugs he says One reason people choose the pest management industry instead of doing control work themselves is fear One of the growth areas will be public health entomology mosquito and tick control for example People should be looking to the industry for control Dr Koehler is focusing his research on ways to help PMPs specialize in handling things people fear He believes specialty insect work such as bee control is already being done in Florida UF is also conducting mosquito control research he says From sea to sunshine state Dr Koehler a Pennsylvania native received a bachelors of arts degree in biology from North Carolinas Catawba College in 1969 and a doctorate in entomology from Cornell University in 1972 He served as a Lieutenant medical entomologist in the U S Navy for three years When he arrived in Florida in 1975 he was hired as extension entomologist But he found there was a considerable difference between dealing with public health pest problems in a military setting and helping PMPs better their businesses through training seminars My indoctrination into the industry was with the Florida Pest Control Association now the Florida Pest Management Association or FPMA he recalls We were doing workshops and all of the training PMP Hall of faMe 2015 name Dr Phillip G Koehler Company University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UF IFAS Extension Gainesville Fla title Professor Department of Entomology and Nematology years in urban pest management 40 Key positions held Professor 1984 present UF Associate Professor 1979 1984 UF Assistant Professor 1975 1979 UF Medical Entomologist 1972 1975 U S Navy Crowning aChievements Managing director Pest Pro author of four books on pests UF Endowed Professor in Structural Pest Control FPMA Endowed Professor for Urban Pest Management