A brief history of NWMAD
Northwest Mosquito Abatement District (NWMAD) and it’s board of trustees was organized and established in April 1956. The Board hired on the first Director of NWMAD, Wilbur R. Mitchell, who worked diligently to establish the District within the community through key property purchases and standardizing operational procedures. With each subsequent Director, the District implemented facility upgrades and improved public health practices. Over 70 years, the Directors and Board responded proactively to community needs and legislative shifts which ensured the Districts continuity and growth. Through the hard work of staff, seasonal employees, and the community, NWMAD continues to serve mosquito control and tick surveillance to the northwest suburbs of Cook County.
April 20, 1956
The Northwest Mosquito Abatement District was organized.
May, 1956
The first board meeting of Northwest Mosquito Abatement District.
April/May, 1957
Purchase of Wheeling Shop property at 147 W Hintz Road.
May, 1960
Purchase of Bartlett facility.
March, 1964
Plans for adding administrative and laboratory facilities at Wheeling shop location.
March, 1986
Purchase of Elk Grove village facility.
September, 2001
First West Nile virus cases are found in Illinois.
July, 2022
Trustees begin discussions of Hintz Road (Wheeling) modernization project.
January, 2025
Illinois amends the Mosquito Abatement Districts Act to allow Districts to conduct tick surveillance.
November, 2025
Construction on new building and garages begins at Hintz Road location.
In the early days
Checking sites, observing adult mosquitoes and maintaining trucks – while the equipment and techniques have changed, the goal remains the same: providing mosquito abatement for the community.
A historical first meeting
In May of 1956, NWMAD Trustees held their initial board meeting, setting precedent for the next 70 years of gatherings. Click below to read the first minutes on NWMAD and be transported to the spring of 1956.
Read the first board meeting minutes
The Bartlett facilities in the 1950’s and now.
News caster interviewing field technicians on their roles.
Thank you for your response!
Thank you to the community
Northwest Mosquito Abatement District is grateful for a community that has taken part in mosquito control for 70 years. Every container emptied of stagnant water or service request submitted is part of the District’s Integrated Mosquito Management Practices. We applaud your great work and encourage you to keep practicing preventative tactics:
- Dispose of old tires, cans, buckets and containers that can hold water.
- Keep rain gutters clean to allow water flow.
- Replace water in bird baths.
- Drain and store kiddie pools upside down.
- Store canoes and other small boats upside down so they don’t collect rainwater.
Find more resources on how you can slow mosquito breeding and protect yourself from bites on our Fight the Bite page.
Thank you to our Trustees
Current Trustees
Northwest Mosquito Abatement District’s current Trustees are guided by 70 years of history to help envision the next 70 years of mosquito control to the northwest suburbs.
President
Daniel R. Ansani
Trustee Daniel R. Ansani has been the President of the Board of Trustees since 2012, serving the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District for over 46 years . Mr. Ansani is a graduate of DePaul University and DePaul College of Law. He is a partner at Ansani & Ansani with 52 years of experience practicing real estate law, commercial law, probate law, and general practice.
Vice President & Secretary
Dale Niewiardowski
Trustee Dale Niewiardowski has been the Vice President of the Board of Trustees since 2021 and Secretary since 2022. Dale Niewiardowski born and raised in Elk Grove Village. Dale graduated from Triton College River Grove. He is Vice President of three local businesses: Nevarr Inc. Lawn and Construction Equipment Division, Nevarr Inc. Public Safety and Homeland Security Division and Nevarr Property Management, LLC, served as a Trustee for Elk Grove Township from 2013 through early 2025.
Treasurer
Russell Nowak
Trustee Russell Nowak serves as the Treasurer since 2018. Russell graduated from South Suburban College with the degree in Pestology. Currently retired from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority , for more than a decade, Russell served as a School Board Trustee for District 57/59.
Assistant Secretary
Carol Johnson
Trustee Carol Johnson serves as the assistant secretary since 2025. Carol graduated from Pasadena City Jr. College and San Diego State College, with a degree in Special Education. She began a career in realty in 1968. During her career, she won Realtor of the Year awards from local and state associations, wrote a book on real estate recruiting, and published newsletters. She is now the president of the Schaumburg Monarch Initiative and a Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist. Carol’s focus lies on registering monarch waystations and marketing the financial and environmental benefits of protecting pollinator habitats.
Assistant Treasurer
Dr. Justin Harbison
Trustee Dr. Justin Harbison, a professor of public health at Loyola University Chicago, joined the NWMAD Board of Trustees in 2024. Dr. Harbison has over 20 years of experience in mosquito control work and research in locations including Chicagoland, the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota, Southern California, and western Kenya. He enjoys the mosquito control work at NWMAD so much that he routinely spends much of his summers checking local storm sewer catch basins for mosquitoes.
Past Trustees
Northwest Mosquito Abatement District would not be serving the community as it does today without the leadership of the past. We share a heartfelt thank you to all our past Trustees.
Past Presidents:
Charles E. Zanzie 1956 – 1957
Matthew L. Cockrell 1958 – 1960
Richard Crandall 1961 – 1977
Arrnold D. Kincaid 1977 – 1979, 1982 – 2011
William Payes III 1980 – 1981
Past Vice Presidents:
Cockrell, Matthew L. 1956 – 1957
Walter S. Christopher 1961 – 1967
Richard A. David 1967 – 1975, 1977 – 1978
Arrnold D. Kincaid 1975 – 1977, 1980 – 1981
William Payes III 1979, 1982 – 1984
Daniel Ansani 1985 – 2011
Karen V. Mills 2012 – 2019
Past Secretaries:
Henry M. Chakoian 1956 – 1960
Walter J. Wells 1961 – 1994
Richard David 1997 – 2014
Raymond Kincaid 2015 – 2021
Past Treasurers:
Walter S. Christopher 1956 – 1960
Jacob Goldman 1961 – 1976
Richard David 1976 – 1996
William Schneck 1997 – 2017
Past Assistant Secretaries:
Richard A. David 1961 – 1967
Walter S. Christopher 1967
Arrnold D. Kincaid 1967 – 1975
Thomas H. Schmitt 1975 – 1978
Daniel Ansani 1980 – 1984
Lenn A. Larsen 1985 – 1992
Karen V. Mills 1997 – 2013
Russel Nowak 2014 – 2017
Dale Niewiardowski 2018 – 2020
Yellow trucks carrying sprayers have always been a NWMAD staple.
NWMAD Directors
In 70 years, there have only been four directors at NWMAD. Each has brought something important to the role which, in tandem with their strong leadership, has shaped the District. Thank you!
- Wilbur R. Mitchell 1956 – 1981
- Glenn Levinson 1982 – 1994
- Mike Szyska 1995 – 2019
- James P. Thennisch 2019 – current
Director
James P. Thennisch
James P. Thennisch with a distinguished career at the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District, has served as Director since 2019, following roles as Assistant Director and Chief of Internal Services. His expertise spans over four decades, beginning as a Mechanic and advancing through progressive leadership positions within the District. In addition to his professional achievements, Mr. Thennisch was a certified EMT Paramedic and served as an on-call firefighter for ten years with the Barrington Fire Department. James is also dedicated to community leadership as the President of The Shorely Wood Condominium Association since 2004.
Hintz Road facilities in the 1900’s, 2000’s and during demolition in 2025
Wheeling Modernization
Trustees began discussions for an updated facility in July 2022 for the Hintz Road location, as modern technologies and team size began to outgrow the original building. The new building and garages will include modernized zones for administrative, lab, field and mechanic work. The new Hintz facilities are planned to be complete in Fall 2026, with an open house to follow. See the rendering for the new facilities below.
Take on the quest!
Do you have what it takes to protect your neighborhood from mosquitoes? Play Epic Mosquito Quest, an online game developed for Arizona State University’s Ask a Biologist program. Find more games and activities on the Kids’ Corner page.
Early mosquito treatment on three wheeled motorcycles.
Connecting with the community
Connecting with the community and delivering education on the work we do has always been a central pillar of NWMAD. Check below for the upcoming events we will attend!
Related Resources
Mosquito Information
Visit the Mosquito Information page to learn more about the biology of mosquitoes, the diseases they carry and how NWMAD is testing for mosquitoes.
Tick Information
Visit the Tick Information page to learn more about tick biology, the diseases they carry and how to protect yourself.
Kids’ Corner
Are you a parent or educator looking for kid-friendly mosquito information? Visit the Kids’ Corner for videos, activities and fast reads for kids and students!