Photo courtesy SWANA
David Biderman has exited his role as executive director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), effective March 12.
The announcement was made via a letter signed by the board and sent to members March 13, citing a changing vision for the Maryland-based association’s future as the reason for the departure.
“At a juncture like this, in many organizations, change is inevitable,” the letter states. “With an evolving industry and changing vision, SWANA and David agree that it is an opportune time for new leadership to guide us toward achieving the goals in our new strategic plan and for him to pursue other opportunities. We wish David all the best in the future.”
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The specifics of the departure are unclear at this time. Biderman was seen at industry events as a representative of SWANA earlier this month, including at the Plastics Recycling Conference in Washington.
“Serving as SWANA’s executive director for the past eight years has been a tremendous privilege,” Biderman said in a statement. "I want to express my gratitude to SWANA’s members, board and staff. I look forward to continuing to work in this great industry, focusing on safety, advocacy and sustainability issues, and helping local governmental agencies and solid waste companies achieve their operational goals.”
Meanwhile, SWANA’s board of directors has started the search for an interim executive director/CEO. The board says it will begin a longer-term search for a permanent selection before WasteCon in September. However, the board says it is not rushing the selection process.
Biderman joined SWANA in 2015, and, under his leadership, the association grew by more than 34 percent. He also helped expand the association’s safety program that aimed to improve safety performance at companies and agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada, and worked to position the association as an advocate for the industry with congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies.
Before joining SWANA, Biderman served the Arlington, Virginia-based National Waste & Recycling Association for 18 years as its general counsel and vice president of legal affairs.
Biderman says he plans on remaining in the waste and recycling industry and will attend Waste Expo in May as well as other industry events later this year.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
