Darrell Smith, President and CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association, has announced the promotion of three individuals to Chiefs within the organization. Anne Germain has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, Jim Riley has been promoted to Chief Counsel, and Kirk Sander has been promoted to Chief of Staff.
Anne Germain will serve as Chief Operating Officer & Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs. Germain arrived at NWRA in 2013 currently serving as the Vice President of Technical & Regulatory Affairs. She will be given additional responsibilities in operations and financial administration.
Jim Riley assumes the position of Chief Counsel & Senior Vice President, Government Affairs. Riley has been Vice President, Federal Affairs & Deputy General Counsel for NWRA since January 2018. In his new role, he will be the top in-house attorney for the association and oversee both federal and state government affairs.
Kirk Sander has been elevated to the role of Chief of Staff & Vice President, Safety and Standards. Sander served from August of 2018 to present as the Vice President of Safety and Standards. As Chief of Staff he will work closely with CEO Darrell Smith to improve efficiency and expand the reach and engagement of the Association.
Smith stated, “Anne, Jim, and Kirk have demonstrated exceptional leadership and are well-deserving of their new roles. I look forward to continuing to develop NWRA into a world-class advocacy operation with these fine individuals on my team.”
Germain is a board-certified environmental engineer and a Delaware registered professional engineer. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and obtained her master’s from University of Delaware. Germain is a veteran of the waste and recycling industry with nearly 30 years’ experience. She came to NWRA after nineteen years with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority.
In addition to being a registered lobbyist, Riley is an attorney admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, New York, and Massachusetts as well as before the United States Supreme Court. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and received his law degree from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC. Riley came to NWRA from the National Sand, Stone, & Gravel Association where he spent 16 years in their government affairs division.
Sander previously served as Chief of Staff for OSHA and has worked in the White House, the Department of Interior, Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement, and NASA. He possesses a bachelor’s degree in environmental geoscience from Slippery Rock University, and a masters’ degree in environmental science and policy from the University of South Florida.