Carl Braun

Carl Braun is president and co-owner of Quality Pest Control, Inc. and is located in Omaha, NE.  Carl and his wife purchased QPC in the fall of 2010 as a “retirement adventure” for Carl.

It has been an adventure for him, but far from retirement!

All the while keeping involved with church and family (13 grandchildren with 3 more on the way) Carl has become every active in The Nebraska State Pest Control Association, serving as a Board member since 2014, and now, as President. 

Thanks to many blessings, an amazing team, and the extremely humbling opportunity to participate in N.P.M.A.’s E.L.P. program, his company has grown from a one-man show in 2010 (with a client list of about 250, supported by a flip phone, a legal pad, a B&G, and an old pick-up truck), to a still small-and-growing, but fiercely competitive team of 7 serving nearly 1000 residential and commercial clients in the metropolitan area.

Quality Pest Control’s purpose is to deliver, amazingly, on our core values.  Building relationships with clients and teammates, educating, and providing safe, healthy places to live and work is why we get out of bed in the morning!  To serve with noble purpose is both incredibly rewarding and humbling at the same time.  It is an honor to be a part of something so great.

Mark Davidson

Pestech Pest Solutions was founded by Mark’s father in 1989 and has consistently grown every year since then. Mark started in pest management as a part-time technician and fell in love with the industry. After completing college he decided to join the family business as a service technician. Over the course of fourteen years he moved up the ranks to his current position as Operations Manager, where he oversees the day-to-day operations of the entire organization. Mark has been active in the industry through the Executive Leadership Program and, more recently, the QualityPro board of directors. He firmly believes that programs like these are instrumental to the long term growth of the industry.

Mark holds a BA in Business Driven Information Systems, a MS in Information Systems Management, a MS in Business Administration, and is an Associate Certified Entomologist.

Robert McElwain started in the pest control industry in 1996 as a part-time employee for American Pest Management while attending Kansas State University. In 2001, APM opened a branch office in the Kansas City area and Robert became a branch manager of the Kansas City office. Starting from a part-time employee and now the operations manager of American Pest Management-Kansas City, 23 years later. Robert is currently serving as the Past President of the Kansas Pest Control Association and President of the Pest Management Association of Greater Kansas City. One of the highlights of his career has been his involvement with NPMA, especially as part of the ELP program. 

Layne Salvant is the Vice President of Operations at The Bug Man in Baton Rouge, LA. Third generation to the industry and second generation at The Bug Man, Layne has worked in her fathers company, The Bug Man, since graduating college in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration. She currently serves on the board for the state and local pest control associations in Louisiana and is a member of the Junior League of Baton Rouge.

Greg Schmidt is the proud owner of a local pest control company. He and wife Alyce, have been together over 24 years and have a lot of fur babies. He is very active in his church. Holding a position as a deacon and as the commander for the children’s AWANA program. He is also active in the Virginia Pest Management Association as well as the Fredericksburg Builder’s Association. He enjoys the hobbies of target shooting, fishing, and cooking. Originally from Richmond Virginia, he took an interest in the field of pest control as a teen. Following in his father Levi’s footsteps, as he had been working in the industry for many years. He started by securing a job and becoming trained as a termite tech. He continued to work in the industry over the years at both large and small pest companies alike. Then in 2002 he was blessed with an opportunity to start his own business. Pest Solutions was established in January of 2002. Later that year he was again blessed when he was able to bring on Joe and Jessica Hughes, his friends and prior co-workers. Together with their team, they have built a strong competitive company within the Richmond/Fredericksburg area. Greg prays that his company, first and foremost, glorifies God.  He then prays that the company will provide for his and his team members' families. Finally, he prays that he and his team shine a light as they endeavor to exceed their customers expectations. Providing them not only with exceptional service in pest management but also by serving in their communities. 

Our company, Capital Pest Services, Inc. was founded by my father in 1981. After graduating from NC State University in 2004, I decided to try out the family business while deciding about law school. Well......15 years later I am now the President of a company that has tripled in size since 2010. Capital Pest Services, Inc. is a full service residential and commercial pest control company operating in Central North Carolina. The pest control industry is one of the best industries in the world and I love working in it everyday!

Lauren Thrasher is president and co-owner of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control of So Cal, Inc. located in San Diego, CA.  Lauren and her husband, Garrett Thrasher, started their business out of their home in 2009. The company’s mission is to develop people, provide solutions, and protect health. Since its founding, Lauren has focused on the operational efficiency of the business and leveraging business systems to support exceptional customer service.  She has consistently worked to engender a “Can Do, Will Do” attitude among employees through example, strategic hiring, and by providing an exceptional work atmosphere. She is a proud mother of two children, ages 6 and 3, and volunteers weekly as a victim advocate. 

Lauren is a Licensed Brach 2 Field Representative in California, holds a B.A. in Criminology and Psychology from UC Irvine, a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and is a member of the State Bar of California.