Kathy Davis, Communications
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| Pesticide investigator Val Davis on the job. Val retires from WSDA at the end of January. |
The Pesticide Management Division is about to bid farewell to one of their longest serving colleagues. Pesticide Compliance Program investigator, Val Davis will retire at the end of January.
She began in Pesticide Management on May 1, 1986, after completing graduate school at WSU and nine years at a pesticide industry company. She started working in Yakima and moved to Olympia in 1990. She worked in the division’s Licensing and Registration programs, but spent most of her time in the Compliance.
“I have had the privilege to work all over the state and with all different types of agriculture and businesses that work with pesticides,” Val said.
During her long career, Val has worked on a number of high-profile inspections and investigations. For instance, she’s been assigned to observe all applications aimed at eradicating invasive (gypsy) moth since that work began.
She was involved with the “Alar scare” of 1989 when the national news show “60 Minutes” raised health alarms about this pesticide used on Washington-grown apples.
In 1995, she worked on investigating allegations of pesticide drift onto several farms and homes in Badger Canyon, Benton County.
“Pesticides and compliance are not the most popular subjects,” Val noted. “A lot of the time, both parties we work with expect a different outcome from our investigations. I try to educate them on what we can do, and what can be done to correct a situation so it doesn’t happen again.”
For Val, the most rewarding part of working at WSDA has been the people she’s worked with.
“I’ve spent most of my adult life with many of these people and been with them through so many life events – marriages, children, grandchildren, sickness and death. I feel like we are family,” she said.
“I feel very lucky to have had Val as a co-investigator,” said her Western Washington area colleague, Rusty Sauls.
“Val’s experience, knowledge, and willingness to always answer questions and help with investigations made compliance a more efficient program. Val always had a great attitude and was a friendly, supportive teammate who made our jobs easier.”
After retirement, Val plans to keep busy with many projects around her house and taking college classes.
Congratulations Val! Thanks for your many years of valued service.
In summary: The Pesticide Management Division is about to bid farewell to one of their longest serving colleagues. Pesticide Compliance Program investigator Val Davis will retire at the end of January. She began with the division in 1986, starting in Yakima and moving to Olympia in 1990. She worked in the division’s Licensing and Registration programs, but spent most of her time in the Compliance.
