My name is Jordan DiGeronimo, licensed for pest control operating throughout the Commonwealth. We employ numerous certified pesticide applicators who are trained and licensed under Virginia’s current standards.

We fully support the VPMA Petition for Rulemaking to create a new certification category that separates area-wide public health pest control from non areawide (residential/backyard) mosquito control.

Currently, I oversee technician training, licensure, and field operations daily. One of our biggest challenges is helping qualified technicians advance into public health certification when much of the current Category 8 exam material focuses on aerial and large scale mosquito control programs. These topics are irrelevant to their work, which centers on small scale, residential mosquito management using ground-based equipment, integrated pest management practices, and homeowner education.

This disconnect often discourages skilled professionals from pursuing licensure, creating staffing bottlenecks and limiting our ability to respond to community demand for safe, regulated mosquito control services. A targeted, residential specific certification would not dilute safety standards, it would enhance them by ensuring every technician is trained and tested on practices that directly reflect their scope of work.

This change would strengthen our industry’s professionalism, support workforce development, and help Virginia maintain high compliance and safety standards while keeping pace with modern pest control needs.

Thank you for considering this important issue. I strongly urge the Board to approve the petition and move forward with the rulemaking process.