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In This Issue
President's Message
July 22, 2010 Workshop
Dave and Buster's , Ontario
Spotlight on our Board Member
Michelle
Leonard
HDR, Inc.
Spotlight
on our Membership
Debbie Morris
HF&H Consultants, LLC
Board of
Directors
Jim Kuhl
President
Mike Giancola
Vice President
Diko Melkonian
Treasurer
Michelle Leonard
Secretary
John Gulledge
Chapter Director
Peter Woodfill
Corporate Director
Susan Moulton
Corporate Director
Laith Ezzet
Corporate Director
Chris Burlew
Corporate Director
Mary Valerio
Public director
Khalil Gharios
Public Director
Robert Ferrante
Public Director
Jeff Southern
Public Director
Scott Ramey
Executive Director
So Cal SWANA Association
July
22
So Cal SWANA Workshop
Dave and Busters
Ontario, CA
August 15-17
WASTECON
Boston, MA
September
16
So Cal SWANA Workshop
Board
Elections
Balboa Bay Club
Newport Beach, CA
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Southern California SWANA
Founding Chapter
21520 Yorba Linda Blvd.,
Ste., G-428
Yorba Linda, CA 92887
ph. (714) 866-9988
fax (951) 277-4498
e:mail: info@socalswana.org
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 President's Message
Join Us...
On July 22, the Founding Chapter will be returning
to Dave and Busters in Ontario. This annual workshop in San
Bernardino is a great opportunity to visit with friends and
colleagues and hear what is happening in the '909".
Two interesting presentations are on tap for the workshop.
Orange County Waste and Recycling will be presenting on their
efforts to aid the response to and recovery from the Freeway
Complex Fire. You may recall the 2008 fire damaged or
destroyed over 300 homes in the Yorba Linda, Brea, Anaheim and
Corona area.
The City of Los Angeles and Recycle Reward (RecycleBank) will be
presenting on the new pilot program currently under development in
LA. This program seeks to increase recycling rates by
rewarding customers for their participation in the program.
And don't miss the profiles of Michelle Leonard of HDR, Inc. and
Debbie Morris of HFH Consultants, LLC in this month's
newsletter. See you in Ontario.
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So Cal
SWANA Workshop
July 22,2010
Dave and
Buster's
4821 Mills
Circle
Ontario,
CA 91764
Mario
Castillo
Assistant
Engineer,
OC Waste
& Recycling
and
John
Benson
Landfill
Superintendent,
OC Waste
& Recycling
will be
presenting on:
County of
Orange | Olinda Alpha Landfill
"Response
and Recovery from the
November
15, 2008 Freeway Complex Fire"
____________________________________________________
Axel
Newe
Recycle
Reward Inc.,
Vice
President of Operations &
General
Manager for California
and
Jonathan
Zari, P.E.
City of
Los Angeles,
Bureau of
Sanitation, Project Manager.
will be
presenting on:
"
Improve your recycling rate and reward your customers for it- A win
a win proposition"
Click here to
download the registration form.
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Michelle Leonard
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What is your real job and what do you really do, as
opposed to your work as a Board member?
I am a Vice
President at HDR Engineering, and the company's National Practice
Leader for integrated waste planning. Most of my work is with
cities and counties, helping them to prepare long-range solid waste
management plans, to design and implement waste reduction and
recycling programs, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these
programs in meeting long term solid waste goals and
objectives. I have worked in the solid waste field for nearly
30 years, and joined HDR one year ago. We are working on some
very exciting and challenging projects, including a new Conversion
Technology feasibility study for San Bernardino County, finishing
the Zero Waste Plan for the City of Los Angeles, and completing a
solid waste plan for the municipality of Lima, Peru. All of
these projects have one thing in common: the desire to
effectively and efficiently manage solid waste in an
environmentally sound manner.
In addition to my work on the So Cal Chapter Board, I was recently
elected to the SWANA International Board Executive Committee, as
the Technical Division representative. My job there is to
bring issues of importance to the Executive Committee from the
seven Technical Divisions, which includes Recycling and special
waste; landfill; landfill gas; collection and transfer;
planning and management; Communications, Education and Marketing;
and Waste to Energy. Our goals are to provide a better link
between the Technical Divisions, the International Board, and the
Chapters, and to increase membership in the Technical
Divisions. As I see it, the Technical Divisions are really
the backbone of SWANA, providing the expertise and knowledge for
all SWANA programs and policies.
How did
you end up in the solid waste industry?
My first venture in the world of waste was working on EIRs for the
SANDER Waste to Energy Projects in San Diego, CA in the late 1980's.
It was my job to research the project alternatives. I
interviewed waste haulers and city and county solid waste managers,
to identify whether 2,250a tons per day of MSW could be recycled or
composted. Although at the time the infrastructure was
not there, it got me interested in solid waste management.
Shortly after that, AB 939, the CA Integrated Waste Management
Act, was passed, and I had the opportunity to teach a series
of Certificate Courses at Cal Poly Pomona on implementing this
groundbreaking legislation in California. Many of my students
were public works employees who came to work one day and were told
they were the new recycling coordinator, charged with AB 939
compliance. Many of those students still work in the field
today, for cities, counties, and private entities.
Any words
of wisdom for Chapter Members?
SWANA is our organization and it is up to us to make it as
valuable and effective as it can be. Don't just be a member,
be an active member. Volunteer to speak at an event, get
involved in planning a program, and of course attend meetings,
workshops and conferences. The relationships you make at
SWANA are relationships for life, who else can you talk trash to,
and not get strange looks?
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Member Spotlight
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Debbie Morris
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Why do I enjoy working in the solid waste industry?
The challenge. .
. that's what keeps me motivated. Changing environmental
regulations, and increasing diversion and sustainability
requirements are what keep the solid waste and recycling industry
interesting. I like a good problem so that I can develop a good
solution.
I have worked at HF&H Consultants since 1991, and I have worked
with Laith Ezzet (SoCal SWANA Board Member) for the past
twenty-five years. I assist jurisdictions in developing,
implementing and monitoring diversion and sustainability programs,
managing their solid waste and recycling franchise agreements, and
complying with environmental regulations. Through this work I have
had the benefit of meeting so many terrific people from municipal
agencies, members of the community, solid waste and recycling
companies, and state staff. Over the years I have had the
opportunity to speak at several SWANA and CRRA events as well
community events. I love talking about environmental/sustainability
issues, and always love an attentive audience!
Personally, my approach to sustainability is pretty simple. Use
less - reuse more. My philosophy is inherited; when my parents were
young in England, they did not have trash service. This was prior
to the use of plastics for packaging, so everything was reused, recycled
into another useful item, traded, or composted. It was just the way
of life; they didn't have a name for it!
We have come a long way since the implementation of AB 939 back in
1989, and the air quality measures in the 1960s - the technological
advances and social/behaviorial changes are astounding. I believe
that we are still at the beginning of the journey, and look forward
to many more years working with all of the amazing people that have
joined me along the way.
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September
16, 2010
Southern California SWANA Workshop
and Board Elections
Balboa Bay Club
Newport Beach, CA
More information to follow.
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