Twenty-one months ago, I began my career with the Structural Pest Control Board as the chief enforcement officer after departing the California State Athletic Commission where I served as the assistant executive officer and acting executive officer regulating California's combat sports population for professional and amateur boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

In my previous capacity, I oversaw day-to-day operations encompassing administrative, licensing and enforcement functions. That experience assisted me greatly in my transition to the board working in enforcement and now as the interim executive officer and registrar regulating the pest management profession.

We need a strong and equitable compliance and enforcement program to ensure consumers are protected and the playing field is level for licensees. To carry this out, we must promote clear and well-defined rules, educate licensees, maintain effective licensing practices and operate with transparency.

The primary goals of a good enforcement program should be education and compliance. Disciplinary action, or punishment for lack of a better word, should be used when appropriate in a fair and consistent manner.

I have great respect for the pest control industry, business owners and staff members who perform the work on a day-to-day basis. It is hard work and I value that. In order to complement your work, one example of change in the board's enforcement activities is the monitoring of filing wood destroying organisms activities implemented on Aug. 1, 2011. This action was taken to ensure that all companies are filing the activities that are mandated by law. After all, if your company is doing business "the right way" by filing activities and paying fees on time, shouldn't your competitor be held to the same standard?

Another example of change in enforcement practices is diligent pursuit of unlicensed pest control practitioners. To do so, the board has employed tactics such as undercover operations and following up on any lead received in our offices regardless of whether it is submitted by named or anonymous sources. Again, the playing field must be level and all pest control practitioners shall be properly licensed.

A third example of the enhanced enforcement practices is the strict monitoring of probationary licensees. The board values second opportunities given to qualified candidates for the probation program. After all, the greatest gift of education is to learn from previous mistakes that may have occurred during the course of an inspection. However, to ensure that consumers remain protected and the probationary licensee is properly educated to become successful in his or her future endeavors, meticulous attention to probation cases is now being employed by board staff.

To reiterate, my role is to be fair and equitable in treatment of our licensees and to make decisions that are subjected to careful review of a situation or problem. I look forward to working with each of you. Please contact me if you have any ideas on how we can improve our educational efforts and enforcement.

Bill Douglas is the Interim Executive Officer/Registrar for SPCB