The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) today honored twenty-three of its industry’s finest professionals at its annual awards ceremony at WasteExpo. The awards included Drivers of the Year, Members of the Year, Chapter Leadership Awards and Distinguished Service Awards were announced, and four industry executives were named to the NWRA Hall of Fame. Drivers of the Year were honored for their exemplary safety record and commitment to customer service . This year’s honorees are:
- Large Commercial: Todd Colarusso, Republic Services, Inc., Scottdale, Pennsylvania
- Large Public Sector: Marcial Magsambol, Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska
- Large Residential: Jesus M. Santos, Jr., Waste Management, Inc., Irvine, California
- Medium Company: Alan Baltimore, Action Environmental Group, Chester, New York
- Regional Commercial: William A. Justice, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Columbus, Ohio
- Regional Industrial: James Jourden, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Louisville, Kentucky
- Regional Residential: Michael Clay, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Small Company: Doug Reich, Veit Container Corporation, Rogers, Minnesota
- Small Public Sector: Kris Beaver, City of Stillwater, Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Large Industrial: Scott Gordon, Advanced Disposal, Brockway, Pennsylvania
Chapter Leadership Awards recipients for outstanding contributions to advocacy and advancement of the industry through NWRA’s state chapters are:
- Tom Tomaszewski, Homewood Disposal Services, Homewood, Illinois (Illinois Chapter)
- Chuck Dees, Waste Management, Inc., Venice, Florida (Florida Chapter)
Distinguished Service Award recipients for contributions to advancement of the industry and community involvement are:
- George C. Wayne, Waste Connections, El Paso, Texas
- Gary L. Fleming, Cram-A-Lot, Springdale, Arkansas
NWRA Member of the Year awards for companies making outstanding contributions to the advancement of the industry were given to:
- Mike Schwalbach, Rehrig Pacific Company, La Canada, California
- John A. Decker, Apple Valley Waste Services, Kearneysville, West Virginia
Special Trustee Awards for service on NWRA’s Boards of Trustees and Governors are:
- Ronald J. McCracken, RJM Associates, Easley, South Carolina
- Joe Quarin, Progressive Waste Solutions, Fort Worth, Texas
- Stephen B. Smith, Clean Energy Fuels, Newport Beach, California
Four industry leaders were inducted to the NWRA Hall of Fame for lifetime contributions to the waste and recycling industry:
- George Fink, Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Inc., Hendersonville, North Carolina
- Garry E. Mosier, Advanced Wireless Technologies, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Thomas K. Blackman, CalMet Services, Paramount, California (posthumous)
- Bruce E. Ranck, Browning-Ferris Industries, Grosse Island, Michigan
NWRA’s Women’s Council announced the award of three $5,000 scholarships to individuals pursing studies in the field of environmental sciences, waste management, and recycling:
- Kathryne Caprood, student, Jacksonville, Florida
- Iasha Pickens, Waste Management, Inc., Houston, Texas
- Tania Ragland, Republic Services, Inc., San Fernando, California
“Our industry is dedicated to outstanding customer service and a commitment to the environment and our communities,” commented Sharon H. Kneiss, president and chief executive officer of the National Waste & Recycling Association. “Our 2015 honorees are exceptional individuals who uphold the values and the dedication to service that our industry is known for, and our 2015 Women’s Council Scholars demonstrate our industry’s commitment to investing in our future.”
For more information, visit wasterecycling.org.