![]() This forced customers to shift course and Van Steenwyk dove headfirst into identifying alternatives. His debut in the industry coincided with the widely used pesticide, Dursban, being exited out of the market. His father, Bob, was an extension entomologist at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in production agriculture.ĭuring summers in high school and college Van Steenwyk worked as a research assistant with his dad and that led to an internship with Dow AgroSciences and extended hours working in the research labs at the University of California, Davis where he earned his undergraduate degree.įollowing graduation, Van Steenwyk took a sales position with Univar in the Bay Area selling to specialty markets including pest control. It should come as no surprise Van Steenwyk developed an innate sense of curiosity and passion for learning. Has chaired and served on various committees at the national and state level including the NPMA Technical Committee, Pest Management Foundation, PCOC Executive Board, PCOC IPM Committee, UC IPM Program Review Committee Member, and IPM Continuing Education Committee for the California Structural Pest Control Board.Current chair of the PCOC Legislative Committee.An active member in the National Pest Management Association, Pest Control Operators of California, California Association of Pest Control Advisors, Entomological Society of America and the Northern California US Green Building Council.Appointed to the California Structural Pest Control Board in 2016, serving as President from 2018-2020.2019 – present: Director of Learning and Technical Services.2006 – 2019: Technical Director, Clark Pest Control.2002 – 2005: Sales representative, Univar USA (now Veseris).| WIFE | Jennifer | CHILDREN | Madeline (14) and Luke (11) | EDUCATION | University of California, Davis, Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences University of Florida, Master’s with emphasis in pest management “They already understand how what they are learning can be applied for the benefit of customers and have a sense of empathy of what the customer sees and feels.” (Left to right) Darren, Luke, Madeline and Jennifer Van Steenwyk.ĭirector of Learning and Technical Services “There will be greater focus on preparation and that will play to the strengths of high-performing technicians who go above and beyond,” says Van Steenwyk. He feels technicians must be more active participants in multi-platform training efforts and not just wait for the information to be shared. “There will be more virtual work done ahead of in-person training events to maximize the time allotted.” “Having an all-day seminar for sake of having one won’t be part of the formula,” says Van Steenwyk. Ndustry educators and trainers be more efficient in their instructional time. Going forward Van Steenwyk feels the shift to virtual learning will force i “There was no way we could eliminate the in-person component because of the specialized nature of the training but we were able to get a lot work done in advance and still meet our high standards,” says Van Steenwyk. While some of the training required an in-person component, the service teams were able to tackle much of the pretraining virtually and reduce the amount of in-person time that was required. With a full plate in front of them, Van Steenwyk and his team put together a series of videos and online comprehension tests for the disinfection services training. Darren Van Steenwyk (center) enjoys working side-by-side with Clark technicians in the field. Adding to the challenge for Van Steenwyk was the launch of Essential Clean, Clark’s disinfection services division, amidst the crisis. When Clark moved the bulk of its in-person training to virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, a creative approach was needed, and it was needed fast. It’s a job he loves and one that has required a new measure of flexibility and creativity in 2020. At a time when the pest management industry has again been called to protect food, property and people from pests and pathogens, its leaders have stepped up and delivered.ĭarren Van Steenwyk, director of learning and technical services for Clark Pest Control in Lodi, Calif., has done just that.Ī 14-year veteran of Clark Pest Control, one of California’s most well-respected and recognizable companies, Van Steenwyk has seen and experienced a lot while digging deep to identify new treatment techniques, solve a client’s pest issue or train technicians on the finer points of pest control.
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