Photo by Shelley Mann
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), Arlington, Virginia, honored its 2024 Drivers of the Year, Operators of the Year and Hall of Fame inductees at its annual awards breakfast at WasteExpo in Las Vegas. The 2024-25 recipients of the NWRA Women’s Council scholarships and the 2024 recipients of the NWRA Future Industry Leaders Alliance (FILA) Leadership Certificate Program also were recognized.
During the awards breakfast, Don Ross, NWRA board of trustees chairman and New Way Trucks chief sales officer; Michael E. Hoffman, NWRA incoming president and CEO; Pat Carroll, Environmental Solutions Group president; Martin Mattsson, Volvo Construction Equipment director of key accounts, Americas; Lee Dreas, McNeilus vice president and general manager; Faith Zydowsky, Sierra Container Group vice president; Tammy Holtzman, Waste Connections district manager; and Eric Voss, BTR chief sales officer, acknowledged the award recipients’ outstanding safety and leadership efforts.
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“The NWRA awards breakfast is one of the association’s highlights each year,” Ross said. “It is not only a moment to look back and reward our members for their lifelong commitments to the association and the waste and recycling industry but to come together as one to celebrate the collaborative milestones we’ve made thus far. Congratulations once again to this year’s recipients.”
During the event, Hoffman said, “To this year’s Drivers of the Year, Operators of the Year and scholarship recipients, thank you for a job well done. To the newest class entering the NWRA Hall of Fame, welcome. Your induction is well deserved, and we thank you for your longtime dedication to the association, the industry and your hard work each day. As we look to the future, NWRA is prepared to lead on the critical policy and regulatory issues we face. With your participation, we can make a difference, see the employees home safe and sound every day and continue to be the leader on economically practical sustainable solutions to managing waste in North America.”
According to the NWRA, Hall of Fame inductees are selected based on scores in five categories, including recognition in the industry as a founder, pioneer, visionary or icon; enduring legacy and impact of contributions to the industry for a minimum of 25 years; steadfast values such as integrity, respect, courage, mentorship, volunteerism and inclusiveness; inspirational leadership at an NWRA service provider or supplier and on issues important to the NWRA at the national, state and/or local level; and active association engagement and service as an ambassador of the industry.
The association’s 2024 Hall of Fame inductees are Tod Holmes, independent director of Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based WIN Waste Innovations; William Rumpke, Jr., president and CEO of Colerain Township, Ohio-based Rumpke Waste & Recycling; and Mike Schwalbach, president and founder of Ocala, Florida-based Sierra Container.
“We safely put vehicles on the road every day, and the real heroes are the people on the front lines,” Holmes said. “I’m fortunate enough to play a small part in this story.”
Those front line workers were honored during the ceremony as well. With its Operators of the Year awards, NWRA honored heavy equipment operators as the unsung heroes of the industry. This year, there was a four-way tie for Operator of the Year; the tie was a first in the association’s history.
In an emotional speech, Nivardo Gonzalez of WM accepted one of four joint Operator of the Year awards.
“I’m proud of this company, this work,” said Gonzalez, a WM operator since 1992. “They’ve offered me other jobs with other companies, but I’ll never change from Waste Management. It’s my company.”
Joining Gonzalez as Operators of the Year were Sergio Padilla and Stanley Watts from WM and Rob Hamil from Republic Services, Inc.
“This is truly an honor and the pinnacle of my career,” Hamil said.
The Operator of the Year awards are for employees working in postcollection for a material recovery facility (MRF), landfill or transfer station who safely operate heavy equipment, including bulldozers, front-end loaders and compactors. Honorable mentions include Randy Beasley and Jason Malinowski of WM, Steve Blake and Robert Vaughn of GFL and Mathew Grant of Rogers, Minnesota-based Veit Disposal Systems.
The association says the Driver of the Year awards are for those drivers who operate their trucks in a safe and responsible manner, have outstanding performance records and whose contributions have enhanced the overall safety and image of the solid waste industry. The categories are: Local Company, less than 500-truck fleet; Regional Company, 500- to 2,500-truck fleet; and National Company, more than 2,500-truck fleet.
This year’s Driver of the Year winners and honorable mention recipients were:
- National Commercial winner Matthew Linden of Phoenix-based Republic Services Inc. and honorable mentions Juan Alfaro, James (Allen) Cox, Greg Rascoe and Robert Schuleter of Republic and Kenneth Gelderloos of The Woodlands, Texas-based Waste Connections.
- National Industrial winner Ramon Salaz of Waste Connections and honorable mentions Richardson Ball, Sylvester Braswell, David Howard, Terry McQuillan and Lawrence Prezioso of Republic and Jason Jewell of Vaughan, Ontario-based GFL Environmental.
- National Residential winner Terrel Herring of Republic and honorable mentions Jesus Casas, Jon Detwiler and Jacob Mayo of Republic, and Steve Beachy and Darryl Brown of Waste Connections.
- Regional Commercial winner Curtis Rhodes of Rutland, Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems and honorable mentions Sixto Dela Cruz of San Francisco-based Recology, Tony Grodesky of Springfield, Illinois-based LRS and Scott Deal of Rumpke.
- Regional Industrial winner John Michaud of Casella and honorable mentions Louis Shaner, Ralph Snow and Matt Willis of Rumpke, and Cesarin Guerrero of Casella.
- Regional Residential winner Shawn Dutton of Casella and honorable mentions Tina Kelly of Rumpke, Manuel Vera of Recology and Phil Wright of LRS.
- Local Member winner Michael Gondek of Hartford, Connecticut-based All Waste.
- Public Sector winner Manuel Vigil, Midvale, Utah-based Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling.
The 2024-25 NWRA Women’s Council scholarship recipients are:
- Amanda Curtis, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based American Waste Control;
- Carys Dubinski, San Antonio, Texas-based For Good Environmental LLC;
- Madeline Pellitteri, Madison, Wisconsin-based Pellitteri Waste Systems;
- Meilin Tsao, County of Marin, California;
- Phoenix Hughes, Casella;
- Laurin Wood, Casella; and
- Crystal Moore, Waste Connections
Recipients of the FILA Leadership Certificate Program are:
- Able Cota, South Portland, Maine-based Troiano Waste Services;
- Kemrey Kidd, Los Angeles-based Rehrig Pacific Co.;
- John Paglia, Ocala, Florida-based Florida Express Waste & Recycling and United American Recycling; and
- Martin Mattsson, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania-based Volvo Construction Equipment
The NWRA says next year’s awards breakfast will take place May 6 at WasteExpo 2025 in Las Vegas.
On May 6, the association hosted its Chairman’s Reception at the Waterbleau Terrace in the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. The invite-only reception is held each year to thank the NWRA members who have given their valuable time and support to the association and the waste and recycling industry throughout the year.
“As I enter my third term as NWRA board of trustees chairman, I was thrilled to be amongst our members at the NWRA Chairman’s Reception,” Ross said. “Our membership does so much for our great industry, and it’s important that we take the time to thank our members for their hard work and dedication.
“The reception was a time to celebrate and reflect on how far the industry and association has come,” Ross continued. “As our industry continues to ebb and flow, NWRA needs to adapt. While ramping up advocacy on behalf of our members, NWRA will begin to chart the future and work to understand and drive industry trends, all while being the voice and undisputed environmental solutions expert. It’s a time for transformative change, and we’re excited to begin a new chapter in the history of the National Waste & Recycling Association.”
The association said the reception was made possible by the support of title sponsor WM and cosponsors New Way Trucks, Sierra Container Group and Big Truck Transportation LLC. Next year’s reception will be held at WasteExpo 2025 in Las Vegas.
