Air Force Colonel (Retired)
CFO, McCall Service
Discipline and accountability. Service before self. These are the traits that define David Cooksey, a retired Air Force Colonel, a current member of the NPMA PestVets Committee, and CFO of McCall Service operating in Northern Florida and Southern Georgia.
David Cooksey first learned of his dedication to serving and love for his country from his father who also served and was very patriotic. “My father took great pride in being a good citizen. He taught me to get up, work hard in life, and it will reward you. Protect those who can’t protect themselves,” Cooksey reminisced.
Cooksey has an impressive track record of serving his country, family, and running a thriving business. He has an infinite amount of love for the United States, as evinced by his two stints of military service. Most notably, while he was comfortable in civilian life, had a family, and experiencing substantial success in helping run the family business, Cooksey stepped up to protect our country after September 11th. His decision to go back into the Reserves came after serving seven years of active duty and seven years as a civilian. His post 9/11 stint in the Reserves lasted for sixteen years.
Cooksey’s entry into the military all started when he enrolled in the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1985, graduated in 1989, and transitioned into the role of an Intelligence Communications Officer at Shaw Air Force Base. Only a month later, the First Gulf War started, and Cooksey served under General Norman Schwarzkopf in Saudi Arabia, as the United States and Coalition Forces successfully defeated Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and his nefarious ambitions to invade, annex countries, and disrupt peace in the Middle East. After serving there, Cooksey also was deployed to Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan to conduct various exercises with those countries’ air forces. During his 16 years of service in the Reserves after 9/11, Cooksey was stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, held the position of Deputy Group Commander, deployed to Djibouti to support search and rescue missions, and in 2017, achieved the rank of Colonel.
Looking back on his military career, Cooksey looks most favorably on, “The people that I served with and grew really close to in trying times. Especially going through basic training. It’s a unique experience, and there’s nothing like it.” Cooksey also added that he learned a lot about the execution of tasks and how he approached work, “In the military your job is not dictated by the clock. It is dictated by the mission being completed.”
When asked about the advice he would give regarding the transition from the military to the pest management industry, Cooksey asserted that: “Veterans should bring their can-do attitude with them. Service is a part of both the military and the pest management industry. This is a great industry for people who are dedicated to serving others. They will thrive.”
In closing, Cooksey mentioned that his favorite part about working in the pest management industry is, “Being able to work with my family, both immediate and extended family. The way our company and employees interact makes for a great environment. Protecting public health and property and helping people keeps us going.”
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