Inside ISSA Consulting: David Swindle Behind Training, Purpose, and Progress

David Swindle's path through the cleaning industry is anything but linear-and that's exactly what makes his perspective valuable.

Now serving as associate director of ISSA Consulting, Swindle brings decades of firsthand experience across nearly every corner of the industry, from janitorial work and distribution to manufacturing, training, and consulting. That breadth shapes how he approaches his work today, helping organizations rethink how people, processes, and accountability come together to define clean.

Swindle's career begins modestly. "I had one month of working fast food. That was all I needed," he said, recalling a brief stint at Kentucky Fried Chicken while still a teenager. Knowing the cleaning business from his mother's housekeeping work, he transitioned quickly into janitorial work, a move that would quietly set the direction for the rest of his career.

From there, Swindle worked his way through distribution, sales management, and chemical manufacturing. He spent roughly 25 years on the sales side before realizing something important. "After about 25 or so years on the sales side of the business, I found that I hated sales," Swindle said, adding that while he enjoyed working with people, his real passion was helping them solve problems.

That realization eventually led him to training. "Every time we held a workshop, my family said, 'You come alive. You absolutely love this,'" he said. By 2018, Swindle made a deliberate shift, stepping into training roles with school districts and later UC Davis, where he helped build custodial training programs and supported certification efforts using ISSA content.

That work deepened his connection with ISSA. After attending a Train-the-Trainer program at an ISSA trade show, Swindle fully implemented the curriculum within his organization. By 2021, he was working more closely with ISSA as a consultant, eventually joining the association full time.

Today, Swindle helps lead ISSA Consulting with a focus on working smarter, not harder. "We think in terms of three things: people, process, and proof," he said. Built around the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS), that framework helps organizations assess training, operational systems, and quality assurance to identify both strengths and gaps.

For Swindle, the most meaningful work happens when consulting intersects with purpose. One recent project stands out: Partnering with a community college in Chalmette, Louisiana, to develop a custodial training program for neurodivergent high school students. "We literally got to help them build the entire program," he said, from developing trainers to adapting curriculum while maintaining industry standards.

The result, he noted, has been powerful. "There are 12 students in Chalmette that are absolutely totally engaged in the program … and that is a huge part of when you see that, you're just like, 'Yeah, I'm glad I'm doing what I do.'"

Swindle is quick to acknowledge that training still faces misconceptions across the industry. One of the most common, he said, is the belief that training isn't necessary. "When I started in the industry, it was, 'Here's your supply closet, go clean,'" he said. "Everybody knows how to clean, right?"

That mindset is slowly changing, especially as organizations recognize cleaning as a career-not just a job. Swindle said many custodians take pride in their work, value the stability it provides their families, and want opportunities to grow. "As an industry, this is an area we've kind of lagged behind on," he said, pointing to career development as a critical next step.

For organizations unsure where to start, Swindle keeps the message simple. "Reach out," he said. ISSA Consulting offers initial conversations with no commitment, followed by on-site discovery assessments that help organizations understand where they are and where they can improve.

At the heart of it all, Swindle returns to purpose. "We support communities," he said. "Whether it's manufacturers, distributors, building service contractors, or in-house teams, everybody is here because we're supporting communities to keep them healthy and clean."

That perspective, shaped by decades of experience and a willingness to pivot, continues to guide Swindle's work-and the evolving role of consulting, training, and professionalism within the cleaning industry.

Learn more about ISSA Consulting here.