May 15, 2026 | Company News, Teammate Celebration
Growth isn’t always linear. Sometimes, it comes in unexpected shapes and sizes, through opportunities you never saw coming. For Kathryn Smith, Administrative Operations Manager at Northwest, this has been the most surprising and rewarding part of her journey. Those unexpected moments have offered invaluable lessons, broadened her perspective, and opened her eyes to new possibilities. As she puts it, “Perspective creates possibility.”
Kathryn’s Northwest story began in 2015, when she walked into a Service Center to apply for an Administrative Professional role. From the very first moment, the sense of family and community stood out. Even during the interview, she felt completely comfortable being herself – a rare and refreshing experience. “I knew this place was different,” she shared. “I wanted to be part of it.” That initial feeling of belonging only deepened after she joined the team. The culture, rooted in inclusivity and support, became a driving force that kept her moving forward. At Northwest, everyone has a place.
Over the years, Northwest has consistently bet on Kathryn, offering her opportunities to grow and thrive. Every role and promotion has been a leap of faith, a testament to the company’s belief in her potential. “They’ve continued to believe in me, and because of that, I’ll continue to show up and fight for the Mouse,” she said. This unwavering support has allowed her to pursue her passion for Administration and look ahead with excitement to all that’s still to come.
When asked what advice she’d share with someone just starting out, Kathryn’s words are both practical and inspiring. “Stay the path,” she said. “Focus on excelling at the basics. When you consistently own your craft, people notice. That’s how you quietly become a leader – to yourself and to those around you.”
She also emphasized the importance of resilience and growth in the face of challenges. “Own the ‘No.’ When you’re ready for more, you won’t always hear ‘yes.’ Learn to own the no. That’s where you grow – maturely, intentionally, and with resilience. Ask yourself: How can I grow so that next time, the answer becomes yes?”
Finally, Kathryn offered a reminder to stay true to yourself. “Love your ‘you.’ Your words matter. Learn to say the hard things and speak your truth – but always kindly and for the right reasons.”
Kathryn’s journey is a powerful reflection of what makes Northwest extraordinary: a culture that fosters growth, a community that feels like family, and a belief in the potential of every individual. Her story is a reminder that growth isn’t just about climbing a ladder – it’s about embracing every twist, turn, and unexpected opportunity along the way.
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May 8, 2026 | Teammate Celebration
Northwest teammates Ana Nedio, Broward, FL Office Manager, and Erica Tucker, Region 1 Regional Administrative Leader, have been named recipients of the 2026 NPMA Impact Award for Women in Pest Management, a recognition that celebrates their leadership, dedication, and commitment to putting people first.
Both teammates were nominated because of how they not only embody our Service Standards to their teammates but also to their customers and communities.
Ana Nedio: Leading Through Listening and Care
Ana Nedio is widely known for her ability to mentor, coach, and genuinely connect with others. Ana creates an environment where teammates feel comfortable bringing both professional challenges and personal concerns to the table. She offers guidance, encouragement, and support. Whether it means staying late or stepping out of the office to help someone through a difficult moment, Ana consistently shows up for her team.Her strength in active listening extends beyond teammates to customers as well. When a frustrated customer considered canceling their contract due to a service issue, Ana saw this as a golden opportunity to turn the situation around by constantly communicating with the customer. The customer was grateful for Ana’s involvement and walked away feeling heard and valued—ultimately deciding to continue their service with Northwest.
Ana’s leadership also shines in the way she approaches her weekly team meetings. Ana creates a space where teammates feel comfortable asking questions and sharing ideas. Her meetings also serve as a pulse check on the team, giving her insight into how teammates are doing both professionally and personally. She is intentional about making sure every teammate leaves with clarity, confidence, and the tools they need to succeed.
Ana’s leadership is a reflection of Northwest’s Service Standard #6 Genuinely Listen. Her dedication to being a pillar of support is a great example of what it means to create meaningful connections that make a difference and ensure customers and teammates feel valued.
Erica Tucker: Bringing People Together with Purpose
Erica Tucker has a gift for bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging across her region. Known for her thoughtful leadership style, she goes beyond traditional management by fostering connection and collaboration among teammates.
Her quarterly manager meetings in Region 1 are anything but ordinary. Erica blends creativity and fun with purposeful discussion, creating an environment where teammates feel energized, valued, and inspired. It’s not just about goals and growth numbers; it’s about building relationships and recognizing the people behind the work. She makes it a priority to visit each service center in her region every month. Her presence has a profound impact on her team. During her visits she’s available to any teammate who wants to talk to her. Whether celebrating successes or working through challenges, Erica ensures every teammate knows they have someone in their corner.
Behind the scenes, Erica’s impact is just as meaningful. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to track and analyze key data points that help teams grow and support one another more effectively. She has developed systems to track sales cross-promotion, office administrative performance, and community outreach—bringing clarity and structure that allows teams to scale with intention.
Erica’s leadership is a reflection of Northwest’s Service Standard #18 Make it better. Her dedication to improving the internal and external experiences we create by bringing people together and striving to be better helps strengthen Northwest’s culture.
Ana and Erica’s recognition as 2026 NPMA Impact Award recipients is a testament to the power of putting people first. Their stories remind us that leadership isn’t just about the titles we hold, but the intentionality we bring to every conversation and the systems we build to support one another. As we celebrate their incredible achievements, let’s all take a page from their book: lean into active listening, lead with genuine care, and always look for ways to make our teammates and customers feel truly valued.
Please join us in congratulating Ana and Erica for setting the standard and showing us all what it means to lead with purpose.
May 8, 2026 | Company News, Teammate Celebration
Cullman has been named the Quality Assurance (QA) Team of the Year for both 2024 and 2025. The repeat recognition reflects a commitment to quality service in every customer interaction and inspection.
Last year, Cullman’s QA inspections averaged over 99%. Our Learning & Technical Services (LTS) team names the QA Team of the Year based on the highest averaging score of two annual QA inspections visits. Cullman has achieved the highest inspection average in the Northwest Family of Brands for two consecutive years.
When asked how the team continues to set the standard, James Nelson, Region 1 Manager, pointed to Cullman’s strong leadership.
“There is a high expectation of excellence with our management team in Cullman,” said James. “It’s relayed to the team. Communication is a strong suit for this team. They are organized and prepared for each month before it gets here.”
Because the team acts with clear intent and preparation, teammates consistently perform at high levels. The discipline is apparent through dependable service, an aligned team, and detailed communication that customers can rely on. One 10/10 NPS review for Nicholas Nunnelley reflects the team’s standard of communication and reliability.
“The communication is great! Always letting us know when they will be doing our service with a follow up text from the technician with approximate time of arrival.”
Another 10/10 review for Brad Owens highlights the team’s consistent service and level of care.
“Brad our technician is very knowledgeable and caring. Love green option for pest control.”
Cullman’s 99% QA score and 98 NPS rating reflects careful planning and teammates who are fully committed to serving customers well. By listening closely and responding with precision and care, the team continues building trust with homeowners across neighborhoods.
Cullman’s commitment is another example of us honoring our customers by delivering our vision every time, at every service.
Mar 17, 2023 | Company News, Good Deed Team, Teammate Celebration
The Northwest Family is ecstatic to announce that Mike Wells, Tennessee Service Professional, has accepted the 2022 Outstanding Service Professional award for the Tennessee Pest Control Association. Mike currently works for the Northwest Hermitage office as a Service Professional and has worked with Northwest for over 7 years.
Mike is an extraordinary asset to the Northwest Family. He’s an active member of the Northwest Good Deed Team, known within his team for supporting others and creating Customer for Life experiences, and has completed the Supervisor in Training leadership program. Mike is also certified and licensed in Wildlife Management, a certification he sought and upkeeps on his own due to his love of animals. Most importantly, Mike is a teammate who everyone can count on and always goes the extra mile! It’s incredible to see his talents and passion recognized by other organizations, as every member of the Northwest Family is inspired by him and his commitment to service.
Mike has previously received the Northwest Teammate of the Year Award three separate times. He was also the runner up to the NPMA (National Pest Management Award) Residential Service Professional of the Year (2022) Award.
Mike accepted the Outstanding Service Professional award amongst his managers and peers, including Regional Manager Blake Harston, Managers Billy Cox and Clinton Ford, and peers George Simpson and Blake Southerland, all Northwest teammates.
Talking to any of Mike’s managers, anyone would quickly realize how extraordinary Mike is, not only to his customers, but also to his teammates and community. We are thankful to have a teammate like Mike and are honored to have how great he is to be recognized by the Tennessee Pest Control Association. Congratulations, Mike!
Aug 30, 2022 | Company News, Teammate Celebration
Northwest Exterminating recently hosted its inaugural Teammate Appreciation Day across its 50+ Service Centers! Each Service Center Manager put together a surprise celebration for their office to honor their teammates in all that they do for each other, for Northwest, and for our communities.
Each manager was responsible for organizing fun activities and food for their team, with some opting for hibachi grill catering, raffle tickets, food trucks, and more! Teammates were also gifted their yearly Northwest t-shirt. While each team gets together regularly throughout the year, dedicating a day and time to truly say thank you was important because Northwest wouldn’t be Northwest without our extraordinary people.
Each manager had a blast spending time with their team and having the opportunity to show their appreciation for all that they’ve done so far in 2022. A small but meaningful way to show gratitude, the entire Northwest Team is looking forward to hosting Teammate Appreciation Day each year for more fun and quality time.
May 12, 2022 | Company News, Teammate Celebration
With our mission to create healthier living and working environments, every Northwest team strives to make a difference for their customers through innovative green services and extraordinary care. To ensure this standard of service is achieved, each of our Northwest teams are consistently evaluated by our own internal process. While every team takes great pride in their fieldwork, paperwork, customer service, vehicle, equipment, and personal appearance, it was the Canton team that received the Quality Assurance Team of the Year award after extraordinary quality scores all year.
Our Canton Team is grateful for this honor, as they have made it a priority to create a positive working atmosphere to ensure they honor their customers and teammates. This award is meant to recognize teammates who keep safety, innovation, and service top of mind, and the Canton team certainly embodies this and each of Northwest’s 24 service standards.
Being proud is an understatement when describing how Daniel Frangione, Canton Service Center Supervisor, feels about the team receiving this award. “Our Northwest Service Standards provide a blueprint to being extraordinary. The Canton Team has put in the hard work and dedication to represent the standard of what an extraordinary Team is. I am extremely proud of each one of our team members in the field and in our office for achieving this award. Thank you, Canton Team,” stated Daniel when asked about the award.
The Canton Team displays many qualities that benefit all our Northwest teammates, and they have become a Service Center that we can all look to for inspiration. We are so grateful for the efforts Canton put into place for their customers and teammates!
Jun 2, 2021 | Company News, Good Deed Team, Teammate Celebration
Our Corporate office is always trying to find a way to show their support for the communities they live and work in daily. They recently took lunch to the Metro Atlanta Fire Fighters Conference for the firefighters that attended the class, as well as the trainers and leaders.
MAFFC is an all-volunteer group of firefighters, instructors, and sponsors dedicated to bringing the best training to each other at almost no cost. They strive to provide a forum for the best possible training in the region. The conference was an 8-hour hands on class that challenged and informed participants in size-up, identification, and mechanical defeat conventional locking devices.
Our local first responders are always a focus for the Northwest team. Each year, we host First Responder Cookouts as a way of showing our gratitude for all that they do, so we were thankful to be involved with the Conference to show that same appreciation. Being involved in the communities is an honor and something that all our teammates enjoy doing. We were grateful for the opportunity to show our appreciation by bringing lunch to this conference, and for the ability to create even a small impact in our community.
Jun 2, 2021 | Company News, Teammate Celebration
Northwest Exterminating’s LaGrange Service Center is grateful to have recently received the 2021 Best of Troup County Award. This honor was received thanks to the votes of Troup County residents, as each year, the LaGrange Daily News asks the community to vote for winners in several categories. This is the second year in a row that our LaGrange service center has won this honor.
While Northwest Exterminating has been creating healthier living and working environments since 1951, we have been serving the LaGrange, GA area for the past 11 years. We have an extraordinary team dedicated to creating extraordinary experiences and Customers for Life throughout Troup County and beyond. The LaGrange team also actively works to create extraordinary experiences within their community through local resource and time donations to organizations like Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Twin Cedars.
Our LaGrange Service Center and the entire Northwest Family is grateful to not only be considered for this award again but to have been chosen by the community we have the honor to live and work in for the second year. Thanks for trusting the Mouse, Troup County.
Jun 1, 2021 | Company News, Good Deed Team, Teammate Celebration
By being in the people business, Northwest is always looking for ways to honor our customers. We put them first by honoring their time, health, investment, and most importantly, trust in us. Our Canton office recently demonstrated this when a teammate noticed a customer’s gutters; he brought what he noticed back to the office, getting everyone together to go out and clear this customer’s gutters as a team.
One of our customers had an issue with ants that our teammate Chad G. was helping treat. Chad noticed that the gutters were starting to overflow, and when he brought it to the customer’s attention, he learned that there was no one to help him keep up this part of his home. Since this customer is wheelchair bound, Chad saw this as an opportunity to show our customer how much we care about him. Shortly after, our team scheduled a time frame during the day for our group of Managers, Administration, and Service Professionals to go out and help.
All of our Canton team was happy to go out to support our customer. While this may seem like a small act of kindness, we were able to give this customer an extraordinary experience while giving back to them in a way that created an overall healthier living environment, always our mission for any home. We’re thankful for teammates like Chad and our Canton office, who, while it’s not part of their “job,” continue to keep their eyes open to serve the customer in a way that keeps them first!
