Whether you are a portly pigeon or crafty rat, if UC San Francisco Pest Control Program Coordinator Ronda La Che’ Metcalf is on your trail, you’re a dead duck.
“She’s not scared of new challenges,” said UCSF Landscape & Grounds Program Manager, Morgan Vaisset-Fauvel. “You can find her doing rooftop pigeon inspections and crawling into the darkest spaces to inspect rodent activities. She is quick to jump on pest control emergencies right away to support our customer’s concerns.”
And while most people would shun crawling in the dark under buildings looking for rats or climbing rooftops to remove pigeons, Metcalf loves the work. “It’s a great field to work in,” she said. “We have such a variety of pests around our UCSF structures.”
This includes American cockroaches, mice, ants, roof rats, raccoons, pigeons, and bed bugs. Roof rats? What is a roof rat? They are a common black rat, also known as a ship rat, that gets its name from its tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings. “These particular species are usually our friends that we run into,” Metcalf said. “Who knows what will be next? Whatever it is, my team will be ready to respond and eradicate!”
Metcalf said advances in technology have changed pest control. “There are many new innovative processes to maintain control of challenging pest concerns as they arise,” Metcalf said. Metcalf said the UCSF Pest Control Team is proud of transitioning from old, inhumane, sticky traps to catch rodents.
“We have upgraded several buildings on both the East and West Campuses along with the UCSF Fresno Education Building, UCOP in Oakland, and the President’s Residence in Berkeley to the new Victor VLINK Mouse and Rat Tunnel Traps which deliver a high-voltage shock that humanely kills rodents in seconds with zero escapes,” she said. “It also alerts the technician directly to the catch. Our goal is to rollout VLINK Technology Traps to all UCSF properties. To date, this has been successful.”
In May, Metcalf will celebrate 20 years of employment at UCSF. In 2023 she received a Certificate of Completion of Levels 1 through 4 of the APPA Leadership in Facilities Training. She recently completed the first of two sessions in the New Leader on-boarding training. “As UCSF continues to offer opportunity for professional growth, it’s my desire to be reclassified to managing the Pest Control Program,” she said. “Education and training courses are consistently offered on a consistent basis annually.”
Metcalf also received a Community Service Award from Both Sides of the Conversation, a San Francisco non-profit providing programs that uplift and empower Black and Brown communities through digital media, mentorship, and community engagement.
Metcalf said she is pleased that all UCSF employees can cross-train and take external courses to increase their skills. “We are encouraged to attend school to obtain degrees while we are working.”
In 2016, while working full-time, Metcalf completed two associate degrees and never missed a day of work. “I am very proud of myself,” she said. “It took a lot of patience, prayer, endurance, and hard work, considering I had just put my only son through college as a single mother. Together, he and I have a total of five degrees. He has made me very proud. We share a similar work ethic. We work hard, we commit, and remain consistent. To date, we are committed to professional progress.”
In addition to feeling supported professionally, Metcalf said she also feels supported as a woman working at Facilities Services. “We are a very diverse bunch,” she said. “We come from different cultures, backgrounds, and mindsets. We often see the world differently, but when it comes to working hard and achieving our goals, we come together to meet, share, coordinate, train and advise one another on meeting and setting new goals.”
She said it’s inspiring that women are working at all levels of Facilities Services. “We facilitate meetings, coordinate special projects while making decisions on the front line, and work in the field,” she said.
Metcalf said women in the organization have earned the respect of their male counterparts. “We are here, and we have earned a place to shine and make a difference in creating a professional world where men and women can all exist.”
Metcalf prides herself as an excellent communicator and works expeditiously to put her customers at ease, no matter how nasty their pest problem is. “I work quickly to address issues and explain in basic terms how the problems will be remediated. When dealing with pests, many people are not happy to begin with. My goal is to provide common sense solutions and make sure my customers feel safe can comfortable.”
Lastly, Metcalf is committed to being a service provider at UCSF. “I believe in helping people of all experience levels, ethnicities, young and old,” she said.
