GPCA Accepting Nominations For 2005 Leadership Program

NORCROSS, Ga. — The Georgia Pest Control Association (GPCA) is accepting applications for participants in the 2005 Leadership GPCA program.

This year marks the fourth program of Leadership GPCA where to date, approximately 60 individuals have graduated.

“GPCA does not exclusively select its officers from this pool of candidates,” says Tom Buchanon, manager of Allgood Pest Solutions, Brunswick, Ga., who was in the first Leadership class in 1998. “However, the majority of people in my class have served on the board of directors and many have become president of GPCA.”

Nearly all Leadership graduates volunteer to serve on GPCA committees.

In 1998 Jimmy Allgood, Allgood Pest Solutions, initiated the first Leadership GPCA based on the Leadership Georgia program which he attended and later presided over. According to Allgood, Leadership GPCA’s purpose was to create a pool of young, qualified leadership candidates and to create relationships among these candidates. “Creating relationships comes from the team building sessions that are an integral part of each program,” explains Allgood.

The program involves four 2-day sessions every other year. It begins with a team building exercise to learn how to build a team not only for a company but in every aspect of life and how to understand individuals’ leadership styles. Participants visit a state-of-the-art training facility, discover the role that the Department of Agriculture plays in the pest control industry in Georgia, tour the State Capitol and learn from the GPCA lobbyist about the politics of state government.

“Graduates not only are prepared to be GPCA leaders, but their leadership abilities for their own companies are vastly improved,” explains Rick Bell, Leadership graduate and Technical Director of Arrow Exterminating.

Participants are selected from among those who apply. The size of the company is NOT a criteria. “We like to have a mix of folks from different locations and different sizes of companies,” says Tom Buchanon. The committee considers years of experience in the industry, the person’s position in their organization, and what they do within their communities when selecting leadership candidates.

Another Leadership graduate is Ashley Keefer, president of Southeastern Exterminating, who explains, “The Leadership program is so important because we are able to line up leadership five to six years into the future. This program helps advance the industry as well as GPCA.”

Arrow Exterminators’ Rick Bell adds, “The Leadership program is the best thing we ever did. It’s one of the top 5 accomplishments in GPCA in 55 years.”

Charles Dixon, Dixon Exterminating, another Leadership GPCA graduate, explains, “On an individual basis, the networking and lifelong friendships that develop from the Leadership program are invaluable. It’s amazing how people are willing to share information about their business and how much you can learn from other companies.”

Founder Jimmy Allgood believes that an important part of the success of Leadership GPCA is due to the continuity of the leadership of Valera Jessee who has coordinated the program since its inception.