As the calendar turns to a new year, the issues and challenges confronting pest management professionals have already begun. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) plan will be a key focus of the leadership at Pest Control Operators of California (PCOC) for this year. There are significant strategic discussions going on within the association and other stakeholders that are following SPM developments very closely.

Coming up on my first-year anniversary with PCOC, it is amazing how time and events have flown by during these past months. I have genuinely enjoyed meeting so many of the PCOC membership during this period and look forward to the thousands of pest management professionals yet to meet and get to know.

Throughout my career in working with associations, I have learned and experienced so much during my thirty plus years as a governmental affairs and chief executive professional. My first twelve months here in California have provided me the opportunity to observe the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. I look forward to working together to regain our status of being the best state pest management association in the country.

In this process, PCOC’s leadership team will be working to address the structure of the organization and our events more efficiently. One of those activities is the launch of a new association management system that will empower us to strengthen member relations, boost renewal rates and grow revenue. It will include features such as electronic payment capabilities, improved member notification features and other enhancements.

It is also imperative that we rejuvenate our overall membership count that has fallen over the past four years. I am confident that with the focused dedicated efforts of all team members PCOC will rebound strongly with improved analysis of data and greater personal outreach and communication with our members.

Happy New Year. I look forward to the opportunities to visit with you all through calls, emails, meetings, and events throughout this year. Also, please take to heart the quote by Irish Statesman Edmund Burke that I reference quite often: “Nobody made a greater mistake than one who did nothing because one could do only a little.” I hope more members will join the ones that have already stepped up to the plate to help make this the best state pest management association in the United States. Each one of you has the power to have influence in securing PCOC’s goals and objectives.

Michael E. Wilson
PCOC CEO
michael@pcoc.org
(916) 372-4363