Chairman Tommy Fortson to Retire from PPMA Board of Directors

Bobby Jenkins, owner of ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, Texas, will assume the Chairman role after PestWorld 2017.


FAIRFAX, Va. – The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the consumer education and marketing arm of the National Pest Management Association, today announced that Tommy Fortson of Terminix Service, Columbia, S.C., will retire from his position of Chairman on the PPMA Board of Directors at the conclusion of PestWorld 2017 being held in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 24-28.

Bobby Jenkins of ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, Texas, will assume the role of Chairman. Michael Rottler of Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions in St. Louis, MO will assume the role of Secretary/Treasurer, currently held by Jenkins, in addition to his role as Vice Chairman.

“It has been the honor of my life to work in such a wonderful industry and to help grow PPMA into the powerful organization it is today along with my fellow board members,” said PPMA Chairman Tommy Fortson. “What a handful of industry leaders once dreamed of twenty years ago has come to fruition, and I know it will continue to grow as companies continue to work together to promote, protect and defend the professional pest management industry.”

Fortson has served on the PPMA board of directors since it was established in 1997, as Chairman for 15 of those 20 years, and will remain a welcomed member as Chairman Emeritus. Lex Knox, Chairman and CEO of Terminix Service, Inc. in Columbia, S.C. will fill the company’s voting seat on the board.

“Tommy is without a doubt one of the smartest and most dedicated advocates for this industry,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director or PPMA. “Words cannot express how indebted we are to him for his vision and his many years of service. The board will work to honor his legacy with the next 20+ years in mind.”

The PPMA board of directors is comprised of representatives from pest management companies and the supplier community, committed to supporting the group’s mission. They are tasked with growing, protecting, promoting and defending the industry, as well as marketing the industry to residential and commercial audiences through a variety of programs and tactics aimed at increasing consumer awareness about the value of professional pest control services.

For more information about PPMA, visit NPMAPestWorld.org/PPMA or PPMAMainframe.org.