School district receives gold star for pest control program

Members of the Maricopa Unified School District were presented an award at the Governing Board meeting March 29 for outstanding pest management efforts throughout the district.

District employees Dan Vezie, Chad Whittle and Jim Shoaf were recognized for successfully implementing a low-impact pest control program called Integrated Pest Management which, according to IPM officials, has helped the district maintain “clean, healthy and pest-free schools, campuses and buildings.”

The MUSD is one of only two nationally recognized districts given the IPM Star Certification.

First utilized in 2012 under the guidance of Vezie, the IPM program uses minimal amounts of pesticides and implements “low-risk, common sense” plans to combat pest infiltration. With the help of Arizona State University’s IPM team, Vezie instituted a pest reporting program that greatly reduced the amount of pesticides used in the district.

Shaku Nair, a coordinator with ASU’s IPM team, praised the efforts of the MUSD facilities management team.

“They [Vezie, Whittle and Shoaf] have worked tirelessly as IPM champions for their school district,” Nair said.

Another member of ASU’s IPM team and Maricopa resident, Shujuan Li, also acknowledged MUSD’s efforts.

“[I] Understand the unique challenges the rural desert environment can bring,” Li said. “MUSD puts student health and safety first, and I am very happy they will be recognized for their commitment.”

Vezie had previously been recognized in 2014 by the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for his implementation of the program.