Convention Conversation: Emily Thomas Kendrick

Photos: Emily thomas Kendrick

Emily Thomas Kendrick is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators, a family-owned company her grandparents, James (Starkey) Sr., and Imogene (Jean) Thomas, founded in 1964.

Kendrick is bringing her leadership experience to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), serving as the association’s newest president (2025-26). Kendrick is the sixth female president in NPMA history, following in the footsteps of past-president Faye Golden, director of government affairs at Cook’s Pest Control, Decatur, Ala. Kendrick has been surrounded by her family business and the pest control industry for as long as she can recall. She had some unusual childhood memories, like when a 50-plus year Arrow team member would drop her off at school in a termite truck.

“Arrow has always been and always will be part of who I am, and I feel like I have been part of NPMA since birth,” Kendrick said. “My dad has always talked about the importance and responsibility of giving back to the industry that has been so good to our family, and he’s absolutely right. We have a responsibility and our entire company takes it very seriously.”

While the pest control industry runs in her blood, Kendrick said she didn't initially plan to join the family business.

“In college, I was planning on going to law school and I interned for our company attorney one summer. I remember being struck by how unhappy so many of the attorneys seemed to be at the firm,” she said. “A year before I graduated Vanderbilt University, my dad offered me the opportunity to come into the business and I accepted. I thought it would be a temporary stop for me, but here I am 27 years later.”

Throughout her career at Arrow, Kendrick has served in a variety of positions throughout the company, including in residential and commercial operations, as well as sales, information technology and marketing. She was promoted to chief operating officer in 2003, president in 2008 and chief executive officer in 2010.

As third-generation CEO, she learned a lot from her grandparents and her father, Joe Thomas. Her family led the company not just as “the Thomas family,” but as one unified “Arrow family.” She said that approach inspires her to continue fostering a strong, family-oriented culture. “We are fortunate to work, play and celebrate life together,” Kendrick said. “Our ‘Thomas’ family enjoys every single minute of every day discussing business and personal life. It’s just part of who we are.”

While some CEOs are not actively involved in the daily business operations, Kendrick said her favorite part of the job is being engaged with Arrow team members as a hands-on leader.

“I love this business and can’t imagine not being involved in it day to day. The day to day is where the gold is! We have a great team, and they do an unbelievable job, but I am always engaged,” she said. “My team gives me the ability to represent Arrow on numerous community boards, like the Atlanta Police Foundation, the Lovett School, Shepherd Center and the Bobby Jones Foundation, as well as serving as president of NPMA. While at the end of the day, there is always time to stay close to the business.”

In the following Q&A with PCT Senior Digital Editor Amanda Joerndt, Kendrick discusses her plans for her NPMA presidency, relationships she’s built along the way and the journey she’s made to get to this point.

Amanda Joerndt: What challenges were you presented with when initially joining the family business and why were you excited to work with your family?

Emily Thomas Kendrick: My dad told me to be ready to go out and work in the field on my first day at Arrow. Back in those days, we didn’t have female uniforms. So, I showed up to the office in a golf shirt and shorts with running shoes and a backpack with my lunch. I have never been so nervous in my life! Looking back, I am sure some of the team members were thinking ‘What in the world?’ They were all patient and accepting and I learned. And I still learn a tremendous amount from the Arrow team. 

I fell in love with our people and the industry. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. My dad built such a solid foundation and created such a great opportunity for growth. Even though we’ve grown immensely, we are still a family business and that makes me very proud. We are committed to being a family business for many decades to come.

Anybody that knows me will tell you that I am a daddy’s girl. I love working with my dad. He has given me so much grace to learn and make my own mistakes and learn from them. He has provided great direction in such an easy way to help guide me over the decades. He always said that as long as I learned from them, they were mistakes worth making. Suffice it to say the biggest challenge early on in the business was just pure inexperience on my part. I was so young and clueless in so many ways. I’ll be forever grateful to the men and women at Arrow for being so patient with me!

AJ: How have you been able to grow the company and continue to help it evolve as the pest control industry adopts new ways of sustainability and innovations in technology?

ETK: We renewed our long-standing commitment to the industry over 20 years ago and decided that we would take a leadership position as it relates to innovation, technology and the entire industry. We live by this, and it has enabled our growth. One of the things we are most proud of is how we have grown. We focus on the “what” and the “how” of the business. Our goal is not to grow just for growth’s sake, but rather to grow in a positive way to improve the lives of our team members and the communities we serve while doing everything with a clear conscience. One of our mottos is we want to do the right thing, the right way, every time.

AJ: How have you seen Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) change since you got involved? Why is it valuable for the pest control industry?

ETK: This group has grown from just a handful of women at our early meetings to hundreds involved with NPMA and state chapters of PWIPM. Arrow Exterminators recently sponsored a PWIPM brunch at a state association meeting and it was heavily attended by [a variety of industry professionals]. Women are having a much larger impact on this industry today. This is a great industry, and we are attracting some of the best and brightest to take part in this industry and be a leader, which is great for our future.

AJ: How have you seen first-hand the value of NPMA’s mentoring program, like the recent development of HIVES and Leader Launch?

ETK: Mentoring provides such a great opportunity to learn from other’s experiences. No one has cornered the market on knowledge. I believe mentoring works best when people are paired from different geographies with different backgrounds. The learning potential grows exponentially in these situations. It provides an opportunity to not only learn about NPMA and how NPMA operates, but also just about the business in general.

Early on in my career, (former NPMA President and one of the longtime leaders of Chicago-based Rose Pest Solutions) took me under her wing and acted as a mentor to me and still does today. I’ve learned so much from Judy about not just the industry and the business, but life in general. I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t be married to the love of my life (husband Hugh) without Judy’s help. He saw right away that our family’s business life and personal life are inextricably intertwined and he dove right in anyway. He’s incredibly patient and kind and is a wonderful sounding board on anything and everything having to do with the business. He’s an engineer and approaches things and thinks about things very differently than most people — and it’s always awesome to get his perspective.

AJ: Can you give us an update on hiring/recruitment (consistently listed by PMPs as their No. 1 challenge) in the industry and how NPMA is responding?

ETK: I just participated in the Executive Leadership Forum and we had a panel discussion on this topic. There were many great ideas. Just a few takeaways from my experience were the power of team member referrals. These referrals usually translate into a long-term team member. Also, try not to get stuck trying the same thing again and again. Try something different and see what works well for your business. Whether that be a paid ad on Indeed or a local community job fair, keep it fresh. NPMA is providing leadership on this industry challenge. Our Workforce Development Steering Committee is presenting ways to recruit talent to the pest control industry through veterans and student programs. 

AJ: What would you like to achieve during your term as president of the National Pest Management Association?

ETK: Our industry continues to grow and attract new talent and this is vital. This creates so many great opportunities. I want to keep the pedal to the metal when it comes to bringing more and more people into the industry. There are so many things that are working well in our industry and I look forward to continuing to support this great industry and positioning it for generations to come.

The author is senior digital editor of PCT (www.pctonline.com).