Staff highlights - Walter and Angie

We are fortunate to have dedicated staff passionate about protecting San Mateo County residents from mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry. We'd like to let you get-to-know our staff and why our staff love their work. This month, we are highlighting Walter and Angie.

Click here to learn more about Walter Bruj, Vector Control Technician

Click here to learn more about Angie Nakano, Laboratory Director

New faces in your neighborhood

Every few years our technicans are assigned to new areas of the County as their primary service zones. This keeps them familiar with all parts of the County, as they sometimes cover areas while other staff are out of the office. You may see your 'new to you' technician in your neighborhood. Rest assured, all our staff are wonderful, and you'll come to love your new technician just as much as you loved your previous technician! To see all of our vector control technician staff, visit our Operations page.

Save the date for o​​ur 2025 Open House

Our Open House will be held Saturday, June 21 from 12-4pm. Learn more HERE. 

Prevent tick bites

We are still in peak season for adult western black-legged ticks to be 'questing' for a blood meal.  If you hike or spend time outside in grassy or wooded areas, protect yourself and your family from ticks by following a few simple steps. Learn more HERE.

Dump standing water to prevent mosquito breeding

Mosquitoes can breed year-round, even in cooler weather!  While their life cycle may take longer in cooler weather, they are still around and growing in a variety of water sources. Our staff have been finding mosquito larvae in backyard sources throughout the County. All the rain might have you staying inside a bit more, but don't forget to check for and dump out any standing water where mosquitoes might be breeding! 

District represented at national conference

Last week, three staff and one trustee attended the American Mosquito Control Association annual conference. Attending presentations on a variety of mosquito- and vector-themed topics helps us stay up-to-date on best practices and emerging technologies. Staff earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain the certification required to be Vector Control Technicians in the state of California. To learn more about the continuing education process for our staff, click here.

At the conference, Rachel presented two talks about public outreach and education.  The first talk was about the District’s use of Nextdoor to share information.  The second talk focused on classroom education programming and an international network of mosquito education professionals that she co-coordinates.  In addition, she helped organize an event at a local school - presenting mosquito life cycle information to students so they can better understand how to stop mosquitoes from growing in their yards and neighborhoods.