Summit Speakers
We brought industry experts together to share their unique insights.
For almost twenty years, Joey has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. He has a long history of energizing and motivating audiences to enhance their customers’ experiences. He is an award-winning speaker (yes – they do have speaking contests) at both national and international conferences – competing against New York Times bestselling authors, business leaders, and internet sensations/celebrities. He is also the author of the #2 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Never Lose a Customer Again.
Dr. Chouvenc‘s research focuses on subterranean termite biology, with a particular interest in the field of termite-microorganism associations, termite ecology, and the evolution of insect societies. His early research focused on the relationship between subterranean termites and soil fungal pathogens. This research helped characterize the individual and social immune mechanisms that termites have evolved to prevent disease from spreading within a colony, which resulted in establishing the limits of the termite biological control field of research. Currently, Dr. Chouvenc’s research focuses on two important termite pest species that have the ability to hybridize in South Florida. Using these two species as a model, he investigates the short-term and long-term consequences of introgressive hybridization between the two invasive species, while studying the economics of the development of a termite colony, within the context of ecological constraints and population inbreeding.
Seth has been involved in the pest control industry in multiple capacities for more than a decade. In 2012, he sold his multimillion dollar pest and wildlife control company and entered the technology space where he has found similar success. Now, as the founder and lead contributor of the innovative e-learning platform Pest Daily, Seth continues to support the industry through education, innovation and advocacy. He also serves as a consultant for many growing pest and wildlife companies. Today, these companies operate in 78 US markets and represent more than $225M in ARR. Additionally, Seth is a partner/founder in several other support companies in the pest industry including Pest Productions, SLG Investments and FRAXN. Seth’s companies support more than 800 pest control companies in total.
In the year nineteen hundred and ninety, Jerry had only three things to his: A family, a truck and a dream. Freshly coming off of being a dog house builder of all things, he reignited his passion for bugs and nature and set out on a journey that is still being written. He knew there was a better way to pest control than that of what the conglomerates could offer. Following his in-laws, he set out for Ocala Florida, a place that has no shortage of bugs. Armed with a clunky sprayer and a thousand watt smile, he paved the path of what you see today: The Bug Doctor. For years many have said ‘The American Dream is dead’, and if Jerry had bought into that lie, you would not be reading this today. Of course, there were hard times, and times where the business was on the brink of failure, but a strong will and faith can trump any circumstance. If you have a few DAYS to spare, Jerry could sit down and tell you an endless amount of stories from those times past, and even today. Ones that could make your skin crawl, eyes water, and ribs hurt from laughter all at the same time. It was tough schlepping to and fro accounts, sometimes being loved or hated, but the love of his family and little creepy crawling guys made it all worth it. It did not start with The Bug Doctor, however. You could say Jerry got a good trial by fire, thrown to the wolves moment when he first started. He met his sweetheart and wife of thirty plus years, Renee, in Baltimore Maryland, where the “city bugs” rule. Some would argue that Florida is the haven for pests and bugs of all kinds, but pests in a metro city are a different breed of bug. Rats the size of small dogs and roaches with seemingly six-inch legs gave Jerry a good taste of the industry within his first few days. It was in these moments where the love, though strange to some, was sparked. Every man can relate to the satisfaction that is problem-solving, and pest control is no exception. It’s often misinterpreted that a pest control tech is set out to kill all bugs. If that was the case, Jerry would’ve steered clear. His goal was and is to simply let pests know where they are welcome, and where they are not. A few casualties occur in the process, but the end goal is to let them exist and thrive where they are most capable; aka NOT in your home or business!
https://mybugdoctor.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pestcemetery/
Has an M.S degree from the University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department. Joe has been in the industry for over 25 years. He has owned his own pest management company, worked for a large manufacturer, worked as a technical director for a Top-20 company, and currently offers training and consulting for the pest management industry and related fields.
A dedicated, hands-on professional and co-owner of multi-inspector firm Honor Construction of Brevard, LLC. D/B/A Honor Services in Melbourne, Florida. John has been working persistently in the inspection industry since 2007. He is Florida-licensed home inspector, an actively licensed Certified Residential Contractor, a licensed mold assessor, and a Florida Certified Pest Control Operator. His first-hand knowledge of the inspection industry is incomparable – as is the information he regularly shares with inspectors and business owners, including at the national events where he speaks.
Jerry Linkhorn form Columbus, Ohio is a certified master inspector, owner of Linkhorn Inspection Group and business coach for InspectionGo. He has over 35 years of experience in the home building and inspection industry. Having been mentored and coached by the most successful coach in the industry he has a passion for helping others and has an innovative marketing strategy that has helped transform a single-man home inspection business doing 110 inspections a year to a multi-inspector company with 15 plus inspectors, doing over 4,000 inspections per year and $2.5 million in revenue. Jerry Linkhorn began his journey into the field of home inspection by working for a builder, doing quality structural inspections. He was responsible for completing foundation, framing and pre-drywall inspections for just over 800 homes per year. His responsibilities also included walking the buyer through the home and explaining how various things operated such as the furnace and water shut-offs. He maintained a detailed list for the superintendent of all the items that needed to be fixed before the buyer could move into the home. This job is what initially got him interested in home inspections. As Jerry continued to grow his business, he realized that he was wearing too many hats. In addition to doing all the home inspections himself, he was answering phones, scheduling his own inspections, sending out confirmation emails, setting up the inspection with listing agents and other administrative tasks. He knew that if he was going to take his company to the next level, he needed to hire additional staff and spend more time focusing on marketing. Listen to Jerry talk about marketing strategies and how to make more money.
Susan Bentley
Susan enjoyed a successful career working at the national level with MADD and Safe Kids Worldwide. When she married Donnie in 2016, she brought the skills she had to Bentley Home Inspections. Bentley Home Inspections is a multi-inspector team with full office staff and a marketing team. At first, she assisted with marketing and office duties and has now stepped into the CEO role of the company. Susan enjoys leading and growing the company. She says the mission, which she shares with her husband, is to have a company that provides a great living for the team while allowing them to have a life balance they can truly enjoy!
As a media-active educator, Wally Conway has been a regularly featured expert on the HGTV series “House Detectives”, co-hosted of the DIY Network series “Finders-Fixers”, and is host of “The Home and Garden Show” radio show on WOKV.
Wally writes routinely and authored #1 Amazon Bestseller “Home Inspection Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector”.
Wally is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, retired Navy Pilot, licensed contractor, home inspector, real estate agent, investor, energy auditor, media expert, and entrepreneur who founded HomePro Inspections in 1994.
Wally has personally performed over 5,000 home and building inspections, numerous energy audits and infrared evaluations.
HomePro Inspections performed over 50,000 inspections and in 2022 merged with Residential Inspectors of America to become among the largest inspection enterprises in the world.
Wally serves on the education staff at Florida Realtors, is a GRI Instructor and a One Thing Certified Trainer as well as a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach and US Coast Guard Licensed Yacht Captain.
Credentials earned include LEED AP, LEED Green Rater, HERS rater, AEE Commercial Energy Auditor, RESNET HESP, BPI Building Analyst, and Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified Barbeque Judge.
JEAN ANNE BAKER is a Florida licensed home inspector (HI 414) and the owner of Home Spec Solutions, Inc. in Port St. Lucie, FL. She is the Immediate Past President of the Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI) and has served as a proud member of their Board of Directors since 2014. Jean Anne has a Masters’s Degree in Science and Math Education from Indiana University. She has been a business owner and entrepreneur since 1994.
Jean Anne has been involved with the FABI Legislative Committee and is the Chair of Testing and Development of the Florida Home Inspector Exam (FHIE). FABI is the leader in education for home inspectors and is Dedicated to Promoting Excellence in the Florida Home Inspection Industry Through Leadership, Education, Mentoring, Integrity, and Unity. Jean Anne is committed to educating inspectors and consumers on the importance FABI membership, as FABI inspectors adhere to high ethical standards of practice.
Harold Van Dyk
Harold is a Certified Master Inspector. He spent 25 years in aviation as a flight instructor and flying private corporately owned business jets. He holds an Airline Transport Rating and is qualified to fly and teach in four different business jet aircraft. He retired from aviation and started a home inspection company in 1998 from which he retired in early 2022. Harold has been conducting engineering inspections of manufactured homes for over 20 years. Harold is married and enjoys boating and traveling with his wife Rebecca.
Manufactured Home Certifications
Pat and Harold started MFD Home Certifications, US LLC in 2017 due to the need for more inspectors throughout the country to provide Manufactured Engineering Certifications a/k/a Tie Down Inspections. In addition, they wanted to improve the level of service to inspectors and their end clients for these certifications. Through MFD Home Certifications Systems, clients get improved and quicker service, a comprehensive report and of course, the inspector makes two to three times more on each job then they would have otherwise earned through other engineering firms in the same space
Harold is a Certified Master Inspector. He spent 25 years in aviation as a flight instructor and flying private corporately owned business jets. He holds an Airline Transport Rating and is qualified to fly and teach in four different business jet aircraft. He retired from aviation and started a home inspection company in 1998 from which he retired in early 2022. Harold has been conducting engineering inspections of manufactured homes for over 20 years. Harold is married and enjoys boating and traveling with his wife Rebecca.
Manufactured Home Certifications
Pat and Harold started MFD Home Certifications, US LLC in 2017 due to the need for more inspectors throughout the country to provide Manufactured Engineering Certifications a/k/a Tie Down Inspections. In addition, they wanted to improve the level of service to inspectors and their end clients for these certifications. Through MFD Home Certifications Systems, clients get improved and quicker service, a comprehensive report and of course, the inspector makes two to three times more on each job then they would have otherwise earned through other engineering firms in the same space
• Corteva AgriscienceTM (pre-merger Dow AgroSciences)
o Territory Manager – February 2001 to Present (Current)
o Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, Vikane and
ProFume Gas Fumigants, Crop Protection Products (Agricultural), Turf and Ornamental, Industrial Vegetation Management, Range and Pasture
o Hawaii, Guam, and CNMI (Saipan) Representative for 17 years o January 2018 relocated to Savannah/Hilton Head Area to cover
Southern Georgia for the Urban Pest Market
o July 2020 relocated to Haines City to cover Central Florida Urban
Pest Market (Tampa/Orlando)
• Bell Laboratories, Madison, Wisconsin, Technical Sales Representative
o 1999-2001
o Technical sales for Bell Laboratories servicing customers and
potential customers in the rodent control markets of N. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii
• Terminix International, Memphis TN: Hawaii Region Office, Region Technical Specialist
o 1997-1999
o Regional trainer for Terminix locations in the State of Hawaii o Service Management for technicians in the State of Hawaii
• New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, Termite Entomologist
o 1996-1997
o Research cooperator in New Orleans on a novel and new baiting
techniques
o Worked with Dr. Nan-Yao Su, the University of Florida on
Coptotermes formosanus sites in Louisiana.
o Co-author in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
▪ Su, N.-Y. , E.D. Freytag, E.S. Bordes & R. Dycus. 2000. “Control of the Formosan subterranean termite infestations in historic ……French Quarter, New Orleans, using baits containing an insect growth regulator.” Studies in Conservation 45: 30-38.
• The University of Kentucky, Bachelor of Science in Entomology (College of Agriculture)
o 1991-1995
Background
• Termite Expert (B.S. Entomology), has spent over 25 years of my
career studying, working for pest management companies, pesticide
manufacturers and research in subterranean termites.
• Voted by peers at Corteva unanimously the 2021 Southern District
MVP award.
• Attended and completed the 2022 Termite Course for Professionals at
University of Florida, Ft. Lauderdale IFAS.
• Graduate of the Georgia Pest Control Association’s Leadership
Program in 2019.
• Approved CEU Instructor in the State of Georgia, Structural Pest
Control Commission
• CEU Instructor in Florida and has trained over 500 people in my short
time in Florida
• CEU Instructor in Hawaii, trained 1,000’s people over my 20 years
there.
• Pesticide Dealer License (previous) with the Hawaii Department of
Agriculture.
• Member of the Hawaii Pest Control Association as an associate
member for over 16 years.
• Awarded the 2015 Distinguished Service Award from the Hawaii Pest
Control Association.
• Member of the Hawaii Farm Bureau and the Cattlemen’s Council of
Hawaii.
• Co-author in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
o Su, N.-Y. , E.D. Freytag, E.S. Bordes & R. Dycus. 2000. “Control of the
Formosan subterranean termite infestations in historic ……French Quarter, New Orleans, using baits containing an insect growth regulator.” Studies in Conservation 45: 30-38.
• Previously licensed as an applicator for Fumigants, Termite Control, and Pest Control by the State of Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture.
Personal
• FAA Certified Private Pilot – Cessna 172 Rating
• Powered Paraglider Pilot
• Hobbies: Travel, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Surfing & Flying
• Married in December 2015, learning to speak Thai (wife)
• Goal with my wife, is to visit 80% of the US National Parks.
Patrick Conroy, P.E.
Pat is a Professional Engineer in 42 states and has been practicing engineering for over 30 years. In conjunction with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Pat has been providing Manufactured Home Inspections for over 15 years. He has provided underwater bridge inspections around the world. Pat is a Certified Instructor teaching Bridge Inspection courses nationwide. Pat spends his free time flying his 1946 Stinson airplane and boating with his wife, Karin. As a Certified Flight Instructor, he volunteers with flight students mentoring and coaching through their flight lessons.
Manufactured Home Certifications
Pat and Harold started MFD Home Certifications, US LLC in 2017 due to the need for more inspectors throughout the country to provide Manufactured Engineering Certifications a/k/a Tie Down Inspections. In addition, they wanted to improve the level of service to inspectors and their end clients for these certifications. Through MFD Home Certifications Systems, clients get improved and quicker service, a comprehensive report, and of course, the inspector makes two to three times more on each job than they would have otherwise earned through other engineering firms in the same space.
As a Florida native, Deanna grew up in Brevard County, studied Elementary Education at Ave Maria University, and landed back in her hometown of Palm Bay/Melbourne where she served as a teacher for about 3 years before switching her educational efforts into the homeowners industry. Since then, Deanna has served as a licensed homeowners insurance agent educating and advising homeowners on protecting their greatest investment and is now working for Honor Services as the pest services client coordinator with a focus in marketing automation efforts in both the pest and inspection services offered.
With 5 kids (4 boys and a girl) and a business to run, my wife Caroll and I seem to stay pretty busy. I graduated from Boise State University in 2001 (Go Broncos!) with an Education degree and taught high school for 4 years before starting Guardian Financial with Ben. Although I loved teaching when I saw the opportunity to start and run my own business I jumped on it, and have been grateful ever since. Together, with Ben and Amber, we have truly loved watching our business grow and develop and we feel grateful for the opportunities and blessings being owners in Guardian Financial has brought into our lives.
The CEO and co-founder of FRAXN, smarter bookkeeping for the pest control industry. He is also the founder and co-host of The Boardroom Buzz podcast, which provides expert insights on strategy, valuation and mergers & acquisitions for service companies. Additionally, he was previously a partner in the largest pest control company in Central Texas, giving him an understanding of the industry from every angle.
Since 2009, Executive Broker Will Colton has protected home inspectors nationwide by helping them find the best insurance policies for their businesses. As one of our first employees, Will played an essential role in developing the relationships that make InspectorPro the largest home inspector insurance provider in the nation. Through countless speaking engagements at chapter meetings, national conferences, franchise conventions, and virtual gatherings, he has shared his knowledge concerning insurance fundamentals and risk management. Will is an outdoor enthusiast and loves to mountain bike, wake surf, ski, and hike with his wife and four sons.
Direct Line: 801-610-2713
Email: wcolton@inspectorprotect.com
Your WolfPack Speakers
While at the University of Central Florida, Aaron worked as a home inspector for his family’s company. After graduation, Aaron worked as the Marketing Manager of Waypoint Property Inspection, a large multi-inspector home inspection company. During his tenure, he developed various successful marketing strategies and worked with other home inspection companies to scale their marketing. Today, Aaron is CEO at WolfPack Advising which advises and serves hundreds of businesses on digital marketing.
As CEO at Waypoint Property Inspection, Austin Hintze thoroughly understands small businesses. In WolfPack, Austin shares his expertise in new ways through marketing automation systems to scale your business.
As an owner of Honor Services, Michelle understands how ISN can be used for your business. Michelle was once the lead trainer at ISN and now continues to serve other business owners by optimizing their ISN.
As the COO of Wolfpack advising, Jenna works to ensure each department is running smoothly. Jenna joined Wolfpack full-time in December of 2022 but has been helping in various capacities behind the scenes since the company’s inception in 2019.
Reach For The Summit
A Next-Generation Inspection, Pest Control, & Business Conference.