By Paul Ploumis
March 28, 2017 12:30:45 PM
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Arlington, Virginia-headquartered National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) has announced the names of recipients of this year’s awards. A total of 22 industry professionals are being selected for the industry’s highest awards. The award distribution will take place during the NWRA Awards Breakfast at Waste Expo Tuesday, May 9 in New Orleans. The winners were announced during an event broadcast via Facebook Live.
The awards are being distributed in five categories- Driver of the Year, Operator of the Year, Member of the Year, Chapter Leadership and Distinguished Service. In addition, the association has also announced the names of four industry veterans who are being inducted into the NWRA Hall of Fame. Kevin Kraushaar, NWRA Interim CEO congratulated the winners and noted that the Association is proud of their commitment to safety and excellence.
The Driver of the Year award is sponsored by 3rd Eye Cam and Heil Environmental and is evaluated on the basis of their driving records and their commitment to customers. For the first time, a woman has also been selected to receive the award. The 10 winners of the award are :- Javier Verduzco: Republic Services, Huntington Beach, California; Jesse Peña: Republic Services, Phoenix; Mark Rutkowski: Waste Management, Baltimore; Rick Thomas: Waste Connections, Eugene, Oregon; Halsey Wolford: Rumpke, Cincinnati; Greg Figueroa: WCA, Tavares, Florida; Terry Russell: Rumpke, Circleville, Ohio; Derrick Belin: All Waste Inc., Hartford, Connecticut; Bill Kuhlman: Walters Recycling and Refuse, Blaine, Minnesota and Rhonda Kitchen: Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District, Midvale, Utah.
The Operator of the Year Award, introduced for the first time this year, is sponsored by Volvo and is given to recognize the industry’s safest and most industrious heavy equipment operator in post-collection operations. The winner of the award is Bruce Russin of Casella Waste Solutions.
This year’s Member of the Year awards are sponsored by McNeilus and are given to individuals for outstanding contribution to advancement of the industry. The winners of the award are Michael McLaughlin: Scranton Manufacturing Co., Scranton, Iowa and Garrett Trierweiler: Waste Management, Houston.
The Chapter Leadership Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to advocacy and advancement of the industry through NWRA’s various state chapters. Charlie Latham of Waste Management who chairs the NWRA Florida chapter is the recipient of this year’s award.
The four winners of Distinguished Service Award are Carmen Smothers: Environmental Solutions Group, Chattanooga, Tennessee; James Thaxton: Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Cincinnati; Robert Pfister: Advanced Disposal, Ponte Vedra, Florida and Carl Hornbeger: Republic Services, Pheonix.
In addition, four industry leaders have been inducted to the NWRA Hall of Fame in recognition for their lifetime contributions to the waste and recycling industry. They are Ronald Mittelstaedt: Waste Connections Inc.; John and Douglas Casella: Casella Waste Services Inc. and Kenneth Burkett: American Waste Control Inc.
About NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association is the leading organization providing leadership, advocacy, research, education and safety expertise for the waste and recycling industries. NWRA is the ANSI accredited standards developer and organizational member representing waste and recycling companies throughout the United States involved in the collection of waste, recyclables, organics and composting, and the production of waste-based energy.
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