GT is proud to have their professionals represented on association boards and committees across Ohio and the country. The following is an update on activities at our associations.
On July 1, 2021, Jim Skora, GT’s Manager of the Materials Management and Sustainability Business Unit, will join the Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) Board of Directors representing Region 9 (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Jim will represent one of thirteen regions across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Jim will participate in developing SWANA’s five-year strategic plan at WASTECON in Orlando and other Board business throughout the next two years.
Jim, as a Board member for over 20 years on SWANA’s Ohio Buckeye Chapter, has coordinated the Ohio Buckeye Chapter’s awards since their inception. Each year, the Ohio Buckeye Chapter presents the Professional of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, and Operator of the Year awards. In 2021, the awards will be announced at the Partners Conference in October in Chillicothe.
Jim is also Vice President and Board member of the Ohio Organics Council. The Ohio Organics Council is a non-profit organization that promotes the growth of the organics recycling industry in Ohio by encouraging further study, research, advancement, and development of composting and organic recycling through professionalism, education, training, information exchange, and networking within the industry and with regulatory agencies. The Ohio Organics Council annual conference is held in the fall each year.
Michael Greenberg, GT’s President, will be completing his last year as SWANA Past President. Michael has been on the SWANA Board of Directors for 15 years and a member of the Ohio Buckeye Chapter for 25 years. This year, SWANA national officers retained their positions during the presence of COVID-19 to ensure continuity with the Board and SWANA staff. Michael will be chairing the nominating committee to select SWANA’s next secretary and ultimate future president. Nominations are due to SWANA by December 31, 2021, with a selection typically made by the winter meeting in January or February. Michael will also chair one of the four key committees for the development of the five-year strategic plan.
Dan Graeter is currently on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Hoosier Chapter of SWANA. Dan is also an active member of the Ohio Buckeye Chapter and the Michigan Great Lakes Chapter of SWANA.
Dan Graeter is the Collection and Transfer Technical Division Advisory Board representative for SWANA National. The Collection and Transfer Technical Division tracks equipment innovations and analyzes developments in vehicle fleet management and maintenance, collection efficiency, emission regulations, and enhancing vehicle performance with the use of alternative fuels.
Dan has also started a regional GT group of transfer station managers that meet every two months to discuss transfer station issues including scale management, operations, safety, fire issues, and budgeting. During each meeting, a different transfer facility presents their transfer system. This group has attracted members from throughout the country from Michigan to Texas and Ontario, Canada.
Erin Oulton is Assistant Treasurer and a member of the Association of Ohio Recyclers (AOR) Board of Directors. AOR’s mission is to promote and advance waste reduction, reuse, and recycling through statewide leadership, communication, research, education, and networking opportunities, and the vision is to lead, encourage, and facilitate maximum diversion of materials from the waste stream. Erin is assisting with AOR’s planning for the Partners Conference to be held in Chillicothe on October 4-6, 2021. The Partners Conference is held every two years and hosted by the Association of Litter Prevention & Recycling Professionals, AOR, and SWANA Ohio Buckeye Chapter. The theme for this year is to “Revamp, Refresh, and Refocus.”
Wanda Schaad, GT’s Environmental Educator, represents GT on the Ohio Association of Litter Prevention and Recycling Professionals (OALPRP) as Vice President. OALPRP is a statewide organization dedicated to professional development by providing leadership, training, and networking opportunities to its members. This year, OALPRP will be a partner at the 2021 Partners Conference in Chillicothe.