NWRA Announces 2018 Driver of the Year, Operator of the Year Winners

The winners will be recognized at WasteExpo 2018.

Waste360 Staff, Staff

March 12, 2018

2 Min Read
Waste360 logo in a gray background | Waste360

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) has announced its 2018 Driver of the Year and Operator of the Year winners, recognizing drivers and operators who prioritize safety above all else.

“Safety is a core value at NWRA and for our members. Our members and their employees are dedicated to keeping our communities clean and safe on a daily basis. Therefore, it is important that we recognize the drivers and operators who make safety a priority. I congratulate them on their achievement,” said Darrell Smith, president and CEO of NWRA, in a statement.

The Operator of the Year award is for employees working in post-collection and operating heavy equipment safely at a materials recovery facility (MRF), landfill or transfer station.

The award winners will be recognized officially at the NWRA Awards Breakfast at WasteExpo 2018, held April 23-26 in Las Vegas. The winners are listed below:

The 2018 Driver of the Year Awardees

Large Commercial — Mike Lawrence, Waste Connections, Inc.

Large Industrial — Toribio Gonzalez, Republic Services, Inc.

Large Residential — Charles Thorpe, Republic Services, Inc.

Regional Commercial — Mark Tumulty, Rumpke Waste & Recycling

Regional Industrial — Calvin Smith, WCA Waste Corporation

Regional Residential — Dean Koch, Recology

Medium — Joseph Lallier, All Waste, Inc.

Small — Bryan Rasmussen, Interwest Paper Pro Recycling Group

Public Sector — Roger Bronner, City of San Diego

The 2018 Operator of the Year Awardee

Scott Russell, E.L. Harvey & Sons

NWRA has also announced winners of awards for contributions in support of the waste and recycling industry, who will also be recognized during the NWRA Awards Breakfast at WasteExpo.

“Our member companies and their employees are the strength of NWRA,” said Smith in a statement. “Without these individuals’ leadership and contribution, NWRA would not be the leading association in the waste industry. I congratulate them on their achievement.”

Tony Cardamone, vice president of sales and marketing at Concorde, Inc., and Robert Lee, president of Ecotech Waste Logistics, are the winners of the Members of the Year category. William Keegan, president of Dem-Con Companies, LLC, and David Pepper, vice president and director of capital projects for Waste Industries USA, are the winners of the Chapter Leadership category.

Jeff Edwards, owner of Evergreen Disposal; Will Flower, vice president at Winter Bros. Waste Systems; Selin Hoboy, vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs for Stericycle, Inc.; Edward F. Spinella, partner in the law firm of Law Offices of Edward F Spinella, Esq., LLC; and Larry Weigman, southeast regional sales manager at Schaefer Systems International, are the winners of the Distinguished Service category.

About the Author

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like