The Board of Directors of the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) is pleased to announce the election of 3 new members:
- Marty Bryant, Chief Executive Officer at Wastequip, LLC.
- Patrick Dovigi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at GFL Environmental Inc.
- Tara Hemmer, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Environmental Compliance at Waste Management, Inc.
EREF’s Board of Directors consists of executives representing all aspects of the waste industry including haulers, facility owners, consulting firms and waste equipment manufacturers. The appointment of the new board members aligns with the 5-year expanded strategic direction set forth by the Board in 2016 to position EREF as a leading source of waste industry funding, education and research.
This year the Board saw a change in leadership with Jim Dowland, retired Vice President, Disposal Operations and Closed Sites at Waste Management, named Chairman of the Board. Pat Carroll, President at Environmental Solutions Group, assumed the role of Vice Chairman, and Ven Poole, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Waste Industries, was named Secretary/Treasurer.
Marty Bryant
Mr. Bryant assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Wastequip in June of 2012. Prior to this role he served as a Senior Advisor to Centerbridge Partners, L.P. Mr. Bryant’s previous assignments were as President of Dana’s Light Vehicle Products, encompassing the company’s Light Vehicle Driveline and Power Technologies business. He joined Dana in 2008 as Vice President of Operational Excellence – North America and was also responsible for the day-to-day management of the Driveshaft Products Group’s North American assembly plants. He was later named President of Driveshaft Products and in 2009, added responsibility for Dana’s Structural Products Group and responsibility of Power Technology Group.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in University Studies with an emphasis in business, industrial technology and sociology from Morehead State University.
“EREF has a continued focus on developing talent in the industry to supply leaders with valuable waste industry knowledge and education. That backing promotes the discovery of innovative solutions that ensure sustainability and efficiency in the waste industry, which has a valuable role to play in multiple trades. These achievements are passed on to processes that everyone is familiar with and impacted by daily. I am proud to serve on the EREF Board of Directors to continue to support the individuals whose successes drive waste industry success.”
Patrick Dovigi
Patrick Dovigi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GFL Environmental Inc. (“GFL”), a Canadian multi-sector environmental services company with headquarters in Vaughan, Ontario.
Prior to founding GFL, Patrick served as President at Waste Excellence Corporation and has held Vice President positions at Brovi Investments and Right Lease, a construction equipment and automotive leasing company.
Patrick attended Toronto’s Ryerson University, studying business management at the school.
Patrick has held a number of Directors’ seats on Boards including NGTV (“No Good TV”), a celebrity news channel, Ontario Waste Management Association and most recently, Environmental Research & Education Foundation.
Utilizing the experience and knowledge he gained from his previous endeavors, Patrick established GFL in 2007. GFL was born from Patrick’s desire and drive to offer sustainability and innovation in the environmental services sector and has grown to provide a robust array of environmental services solutions in addition to their commercial and residential waste removal. Other services offered by GFL include institutional waste management, automotive and collision waste disposal, demolition, shoring, civil, excavation as well as soil remediation. GFL currently employs over 5,000 people across North America.
Patrick’s entrepreneurial spirit has not only driven GFL expansion into ten provinces across Canada and one state in the US, it has also earned him recipient of 2017 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Power & Utilities & Environment. It is for this reason that the Company has also been acknowledged by the media as one of the country’s fastest growing environmental services companies.
“The mission of the Foundation and its support of bright, young talent are critical to the long term success of our industry. I look forward to working with the other Board members to promote the Foundation’s initiatives for sustainable waste management practices. “
Tara Hemmer
As Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety and Environmental Compliance, Tara Hemmer oversees all facets of Waste Management’s operations including the collection, post-collection and recycling lines of business along with safety and environmental compliance. She is a member of the Company’s senior leadership team and reports to Waste Management Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jim Trevathan.
Hemmer joined the company in 1999 and has held several positions, including: the Vice President of Disposal Operations, Closed Sites Management Group and Environmental Compliance; the Area Vice President for the Greater Mid-Atlantic Area encompassing New York City, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and the Delaware Peninsula; and the Area Recycling Operations Director for Pennsylvania. She serves on the Board of the Environmental Research & Education Foundation.
Hemmer graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“I look forward to contributing to the critical research and educational initiatives at the center of EREF’s mission, which will drive broader understanding of sustainable solid waste management practices in our industry and beyond.”
For more information, visit erefdn.org.