5 questions with John Steenstra, ACE

John Steenstra, ACE

John Steenstra, ACE, a regional quality assurance supervisor for Rose Pest Solutions, Sparta, Mich., was awarded the 2024 Daniel A. Baldwin Industry Grant through the Pi Chi Omega Industry Grant Program (IGP). The pest control industry fraternity created the IGP to help pest management professionals (PMPs) achieve career goals outside the typical university scholarship scenario.

In addition to the Baldwin grant, which is funded by Hawx Services in honor of its technical services VP — and PMP Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) member — Dan Baldwin, BCE, there is the Gene White Field Excellence Grant, created through a donation by Rentokil Terminix in 2023. Additional funding for the White grant was provided in 2024 by PMP Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) member Doug Foster and the Indiana Pest Management Association in memory of the late Gene White, BCE, of Rentokil. We caught up with Steenstra to learn more.

1. You’ve been in the industry since 2003. How did you get your start back then?

My cousin worked at Rose Pest Solutions in Grand Rapids, Mich., and suggested I apply as a technician to help pay for college. I soon realized that in pest control, there is always a new puzzle, problems to solve, people to meet, places to visit and cool new insects to learn about. The biology and habits of insects are amazing. It was such an exciting experience that I asked myself, “Why am I paying for college when I have something I love to do right in front of me?”

2. How did you learn about the Pi Chi Omega grant?

I learned about it through Mark “Shep” Sheperdigian, BCE, our vice president, and Mark “VeeDub” VanderWerp, BCE, our manager of education and training. Earlier this year, VeeDub sent a company-wide email explaining the benefits and opportunities the grant could provide. After looking into the details, I thought, “Why not me?” It seemed like such a great opportunity to further my education and expertise in my trade. I am certainly grateful for the Pi Chi Omega grant.

3. You used the grant to earn certification in food safety auditing. Could you tell us a little more about that?

Food safety and third-party audit schematics play a major role in modern commercial pest management. Global food safety, regulatory and customer standards continue to change and evolve. With the grant, I was able to complete basic and advanced internal auditing certification courses from Zosi Learning. This helped me gain a better understanding of how to conduct both facility-wide and partial process audits. My duties at Rose Pest Solutions include conducting facility assessments to meet third-party audit requirements and Global Food Safety Initiative, or GFSI, standards. I am also tasked with auditing our service personnel for quality standards and policy compliance. The training I completed through the generosity of Pi Chi Omega helped me better understand how to organize an audit and the necessity of following “checklists” to maintain objectives.

4. What advice do you have for other PMPs who are thinking of applying?

The IGP offers wonderful opportunities to assist with continued education. This training has helped me improve my skill set and, therefore, has helped our industry as a whole. I am grateful to Pi Chi Omega for this support. If you are reading this, ask yourself, “Why not me?”

5. How can PMPs learn more about Pi Chi Omega’s IGP?

There is a spring deadline of March 15, 2025, and a fall deadline of Sept. 15, 2025. The fraternity lays out everything you need to know to qualify and apply online. I believe the more qualified, confident and informed we are as PMPs, the better we can represent our industry. And the more we can support and further this industry, the better off we all will be.

<p>The post 5 questions with John Steenstra, ACE first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/12/23/5-questions-with-john-steenstra-ace/
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