Prior to guiding Certus, Dave held leadership roles with companies such as Environmental Pest Service, Spirit Airlines, Tupperware Brands Corporation, and United Maritime Group. His experience in helping build operational and fiscal strength for companies experiencing dramatic change played a significant role in leading the growth of Certus. This culminated with Certus being ranked among the top 20 pest control organizations in the annual PCT Top 100 list every year since 2022.

Dave is a strong believer in selfless service for the overall good of a company’s culture and their customers. He directly impacts this through mentoring front-line Certus team members to help maximize their growth potential.

Dave holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Dave’s hobbies align with his passion for the great outdoors, shown through his membership and support of several wildlife conservation organizations, including the Boone and Crockett Club and the Texas Wildlife Association.

As the Chief Human Resource Officer at Certus, Dawn implements HR initiatives and strategies that influence the Certus team and culture every day. This includes leadership and team member development, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, HR operations and technology, as well as compliance and team member relations.

Dawn, who has earned PHR and DDI certifications, has over two decades of human resources experience, working in diverse industries such as healthcare and food services, with nearly the past decade dedicated to pest control. When she’s not busy helping others, Dawn enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and admiring beautiful sunsets around Tampa Bay.

Growing up on a dairy farm taught Dawn that anything worth having was worth working for. This proud work ethic is seen in one of her favorite quotes (by Michele Ruiz): “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore!”

Joles began his journey with Certus as the Vice President of Operations for the Eastern market, before becoming the Senior Vice President of Operations in 2023, and then being promoted into his current role in 2024. David has a bachelor’s degree in management, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

David’s strong work ethic and discipline extends to his primary passion in the martial arts, as shown through his multiple black belts in Aikido and Tae Kwon Do. Despite having nearly a half-century of practice, teaching, and competition under his belt (pun intended), David isn’t resting on his laurels. Continuous learning is important to him, and he is strengthening his skills through studying Wing Chun.

His interest in sports also extends to college football, MMA and boxing, of which he is an avid watcher. David and his wife have two daughters and a son, plus many pets. All his children attend Florida State University, and he enjoys spending time and making memories with them.

As the Senior Vice President of Strategy at Certus, Patrick puts all these specialties to amazing use: He drives strategic growth through spearheading mergers and acquisitions while also enhancing process efficiency across the company.

His experience working with residential and commercial services under private equity ownership, paired with his nearly-one decade of pest control industry experience, is invaluable as our resident “growth guru.” Certus is growing rapidly, and Patrick plays an integral role in that.

Speaking of rapid movement, driving race cars is one of Patrick’s hobbies, in addition to golfing and traveling. This Buffalo, N.Y. native has a well-rounded business education, with a Lean Six Sigma certification and a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a master’s in business administration focused on international management, both from Niagara University.

As the Vice President of Finance for Certus, Jeff leads all accounting and finance functions, including budget management and forecasting, month-end reporting for management and key stakeholders, and risk management.

Jeff, who joined the Certus team in 2023, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) whose background runs the gamut from leadership roles at large corporations such as PODS to working in public accounting for firms both large and local. Through the latter, he was able to positively affect a diverse array of clients, from large Fortune 100s to community banks.

Jeff is a Tampa, Florida native and proud graduate of the University of Florida, from where he earned both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys golfing, rooting for Florida Gators athletics, and spending quality time with his family.