Meet Our Experts

Willingham received his Bachelor of Arts in Entomology from California State University, Long Beach, in 1978 and a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 1984. After first spending many years with a competing pest control firm, Willingham began working at Western in 1984 in our Technical and Training Division as an on-staff entomologists and continuing education instructor. The Technical and Training Division develops and conducts an extensive new hire and on-going training curriculum for all personnel, performs quality assurance inspections, identifies insect specimens for customers, handles decisions regarding approved materials for general use by Western personnel and addresses pesticide concerns. During his Western career, Willingham also served as Quality Assurance Manager and Safety Manager. He was promoted to the director position within the Technical and Training Division in 1995, and became a Vice President in 2005.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Board Certified Entomologist in Urban and Industrial Entomology
• NEHA: Registered Environmental Health Specialist
• BCSP: Certified Safety Professional in Comprehensive Practice
• Instructor in Food Safety: International Food Safety Council and Experior

State

• AZ and NV: Registered Sanitarian
• CA: SPCB – Operator in General Pest (Branch 2) and Field Representative in Fumigation and Wood Destroying Organisms (Branches 1 and 3)
• CA: DPR – Pest Control Advisor (ACDEFG) Qualified Applicator License (ABCDFIK)
• AZ: Applicator License B1, B2, B4, B8 and Qualifying Party License B1 and B4
• NM: Bureau of Pesticide Management 7A, 7B, 7C
• NV: Division of Agriculture – Principal License in C2, C3 and Primary Principal in C4

Strom, a grandson of Western Exterminator Company's founder, Carl Strom, has been involved with the pest control industry his entire life. He started working for Western in the 1970's while still in high school, painting the Little Man statues that are seen on the backs of company vehicles. After graduation, he began working full time in the Wood Destroying Organisms department, held a variety of positions and later with cousin, Richard Coleson, headed up a Western subsidiary company which performed structural fumigations. Since 2000, he has focused his energies in the Commercial Division and in 2007 was elected to the Board of Directors. In 2008, Strom succeeded his father, Western's Executive Vice President Robert J. Strom, as the California licensee for Western's operating license in the fields of general pest control and wood destroying organisms.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Associate Certified Entomologist
• A.I.B.: Certified
• Copesan Signature CARE, IPM Specialist

State

• CA: SPCB – Operator's License in Fumigation (Branch 1), General Pest (Branch 2), and Wood Destroying Organisms (Branch 3)
• CA: DPR – Qualified Applicator License (ABC)

Rozo received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974. After graduation, he was employed by the S.S. Kresge Company, now known as the K-Mart Corporation. As part of the management team he worked in several management capacities from assistant store manager to merchandise manager. He began his tenure with Western Exterminator Company in 1982 starting as a Sales/Service Technician. He was later promoted to a Service Center Assistant Manager in Western's Palm Springs, California office, and then to Service Center Manager for the South Orange County, California facility. In 2003, he began his current position in the Technicial and Training Division. His field experience brings an added value to the department, and provides practical understanding to the scientific process. Rozo helps develop and conduct training curriculum, performs quality assurance inspections, identifies specimens, handles pesticide concerns, and heads up the Safety Committee. He is a Board Certified Entomologist in Urban and Industrial Entomology with the Entomological Society of America. Since 1986, he has been a State Director and an active member of the Pest Control Operators of California.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Board Certified Entomologist

State

• CA: SPCB – Field Representative in General Pest (Branch 2) and Wood Destroying Organisms (Branch 3)
• CA: DPR – Qualified Applicator License (ABC)

Coleson, a great nephew of Western's founder Carl Strom, is also the grandson of Carl Strom's brother-in-law and only partner, Ray Lovejoy. He began working for Western as a high school student painting the Little Men seen on the back of each of Western's trucks. Although he worked in all facets of the business, Coleson quickly specialized in the structural fumigation division, and in the 1980's joined his cousin, Chris Strom, in heading up a Western subsidiary company which focused on fumigation for drywood termites. In the late 1980's he joined Western's Technical Division and teamed with another cousin, Carl's oldest grandson the late Michael Strom, in the writing, filming and editing of on-going training videos for Western employees. Along with Strom, Coleson also produced informational videos for clients along with training in preparation procedures prior to chemical treatments for their employees. In 1995, Coleson was elected to the Western Board of Directors. Beginning in 1997, Coleson worked closely with another Western subsidiary helping train licensees throughout the industry on safe and effective methods of pest control. He returned to Western's Technical Division in 2007 as an instructor and integral part of Western's valuable in-house training program, and continues to write and produce training programs. Coleson assumed the duties and responsibilities in California for Western Exterminator Company's fumigation licensing in 2009.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Associate Certified Entomologist

State

• CA: SPCB – Operator's License in Fumigation (Branch 1), Field Representative License in General Pest (Branch 2), and Wood Destroying Organisms (Branch 3)

Lawton received his Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology from the University of Maryland in 1975. He started his pest control career as a structural pest control technician for Atlas Exterminating Company, a small firm in Towson, MD. He began looking at firms in the west which were near large research universities, and interviewed with Western in 1978. He was offered the position of Assistant Technical Director and moved to California, becoming the Director of Western's Technical and Training Division in 1984. He was asked to become Western's Sales and Marketing Division Director in 1995, solidifying Western's firm commitment to link both the sales and services sides of the business. He was elected a Vice President in 1997, and in 2005 assumed his current position of Vice President-Commercial Services, working closely with our major account clients to insure their places of business are pest free. Lawton is a Board Certified Entomologist with the Entomological Society of America, and is a sought after speaker and expert in the structural pest control field. He has been a guest technical expert on a variety of television news shows, and his credits include appearing on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" and HGTV's "House Detective". He is a member of numerous pest control trade associations and the American Marketing Association. Lawton blends his expertise in pest control, the biological sciences, and urban, industrial, and institutional entomology with a firm knowledge of the pest control scientific literature, personal computers, business management, finance, and performance improvement technology. Lawton works closely with research faculty at various universities who specialize in structural pest control and the development of new techniques and materials to protect consumers from pest and vermin infestations.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Board Certified Entomologist in Urban and Industrial Entomology

State

• CA: SPCB – Operator in General Pest, Wood Destroying Organisms and Fumigation (Branches 1, 2 and 3)

Dr. Pachamuthu received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1989 from Annamalai University, India, his Master's degree from West Virginia University in 1994, and his Ph.D. in 2000 from the University of Nebraska. Pachamuthu's doctoral research program focused on bio-control strategies for controlling German Cockroaches. His professional contributions include presentation in scientific meetings (National and Regional Meetings of Entomological Society of America) and author of scientific articles in professional and pest control Journals (Journal of Economic Entomology, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Texas Pest Control Magazine). Pachamuthu was recipient of student awards for paper presentation at ESA meetings (Atlanta, Georgia and Sioux Falls, South Dakota) and Outstanding Scholastic Award at the National Urban Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He also received a number of student awards (1995, 1997-2000) at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.

Pachamuthu joined Western Exterminator Company as an Urban Entomologist/Technical Trainer in January 2001. He is an active member of the Entomological Society of America [ESA] and a Board Certified Entomologist. He participated in the 2005 Bed Bug Symposium organized by the California Department of Public Health, San Francisco, and has given presentations for both county pest management professionals and the food industry.

Pachamuthu helps in pest identification, develops and conducts training curriculum, provides solutions to challenging accounts, and does detailed quality assurance audits. He is one of the principle investigators in our field research program. Western Exterminator Company's research program coordinated by Dr. Pachamuthu evaluated baits for Argentine Ant control and developed a Fly program for Commercial accounts. He and Keith Willingham are actively developing a "Green Program" for both residential and commercial customers.

Licenses

National

• ESA: Board Certified Entomologist in Urban and Industrial Entomology
• Instructor in Food Safety: Experior

State

• CA: SPCB - Field Representative in General Pest (Branch 2)
• CA: DPR - Qualified Applicator License (ABC)
• NV: Division of Agriculture - Operator License in C2

Yaldezian has been a registered dietitian for over twenty-five years and has specialized in food safety for the last fifteen years. She has worked in the pest control field for Western Exterminator Company since 2001. Yaldezian spends the majority of her time trouble shooting for facilities with hard to solve pest related issues. Working with both the account and technician, Yaldezian relies on her environmental health background to recommend the best course of action. As an auditor, she audits many warehouses, food distribution warehouses and food production plants to determine if the proper sanitation and food safety standards are met. In the past she has been a food safety consultant for private corporations, large hotels, restaurants, theme parks and sport stadiums where she developed food safety programs using HACCP principles. As a certified instructor for the National Restaurant Association's Servsafe Food Protection Manager Course, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, Inc. and also the National Certified Professional Food Manager (Experior) course she has successfully taught hundreds of restaurant owners, chefs and food service workers the principles of preparing and serving safe food.

Yaldezian attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and graduated from the California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Dietetics and Food Administration.

Licenses

National

• ADA: Registered Dietitian
• NEHA: Registered Environmental Health Specialist
• NEHA: Certified Food Safety Professional
• Instructor in Food Safety: ServSafe, National Restaurant Association; National Registry of Food Safety Professional, Experior Assessments

State

• AZ and NV: Registered Environmental Health Specialist
• CA: SPCB – Field Representative in General Pest (Branch 2)
• CA: Qualified Applicator License (AB)

Lauren Small is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, with a degree in child psychology. She received her training and certification for bed bug detection from the Falco K-9 Academy.

Licenses

State

• CA: SPCB — Field Representative in General Pest (Branch 2)

HONEY

Certified K-9 Inspector

Honey is a rescue dog found from a shelter in Washington State. She is a graduate of the Falco K-9 Academy, specializing in bed bug detection.