President's Message

By Susan Moulton, Waste Management

Dear colleagues:

I enjoyed seeing so many of you at our January 18th Good Neighbors Workshop. Thanks to Doug Drennan and Susan Nakamura for some good practical tips on dealing with the Rule 410, Jeff Southern on being a good neighbor as a landfill operator and my colleague Kit Cole for some provocative thinking on the importance of taking a leadership role in sustainability efforts. Our upcoming workshop, Waste Board 101, promises to be equally as informative. The format will be a little different from the last meeting. Following our Waste Board speakers, we will have a panel discussion about Waste Board issues, which should prove to crystallize some of the thinking and some of the issues.

As usual, let me remind you that we are always open to your recommendations for speakers and topics. Feel free to contact me, any of the board members, or Evelyn or Scott at the SWANA Association office with your suggestions. And, as always, we invite you to bring prospective members with you to the April event. We have two free tickets, available on a first-come first serve basis for prospective new members. Please contact Evelyn or Scott to request these at info@socalswana.org.

I look forward to seeing you at the San Antonio Winery in April.

Best wishes,

Susan Moulton

April 19th Chapter Workshop
San Antonio Winery

Please join us on April 19th for our Spring Chapter Workshop on Waste Board 101. Learn about the key priorities and issues currently facing the California Integrated Waste Management Board. We’re pleased to have two speakers from CIWMB to provide key insights and issues overview: Rubia Packard, Advisor to the Executive Director and Cara Morgan, Branch Manager – Office of Local Assistance. Following their presentations there will be a panel discussion led by professionals representing organizations that work closely with the CIWMB. Panel members include Grace Chan, SWANA Board member and Department Head, LA County Sanitation Districts; Mark Murray, Executive Director, Californians Against Waste; and George Eowan, President, Integrated Recycling Inc.

Rubia has been with the CIWMB since 1996. She initially served as the Assistant Director for the Policy and Analysis Office, and works on such areas as Waste Export, Strategic Planning, the 21st Century Project, Universal Waste, Landfill Operator Training and Certification, and the Landfill Study. Prior to that, she spent 10 years with the Department of Toxic Substances Control in the Hazardous Waste Management Program with responsibility for developing general statewide permitting policy for the Permit Streamlining Program; negotiating and monitoring the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) grant; and developing and implementing the Standardized Permit Program under Tiered Permitting.

Cara has worked in the waste management field for the past 19 years, and is currently responsible for Office of Local Assistance staff, who serves as the primary liaison between CIWMB and local jurisdictions. She and her staff consult with local jurisdictions on program implementation, and identify tools and resources to help jurisdictions achieve their mandated diversion requirements.

The workshop will be held at the San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles, from 10:30 am to 1:30pm. The cost for the lunch is $45 Members and $55 Non-members. Price includes tax and gratuity. Parking is free. Registration is available online.

Western Regional Symposium
April 30th through May 3rd

It is not too late to RSVP for the 36th Annual SWANA Western Regional Symposium in San Luis Obispo, on April 30-May 3. The Symposium, hosted by the Central California Sierra Chapter, will provide a great opportunity to exchange ideas with other solid waste professionals, gain knowledge, meet vendors, and make new acquaintances. The technical sessions cover several topics important to quality integrated waste management: collection, landfills, recycling, and regulatory issues. The keynote speaker is Will Randolph, Executive Director of the County Administrative Officers Association of California. For more information, please contact Symposium Chairman Steve Strait of SECOR International Inc. in Fresno at (559) 271-2650.

Vendor Directory

Get to know your fellow SWANA members and the services they provide in our on-line vendor directory. Our members represent the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the solid waste business in Southern California. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Russell at the SWANA Association Office (714) 866-9988.

Post Your Employment Opportunities

Are you seeking skilled, experienced professionals to fill positions at your organization? You can post job openings online at our website to take advantage of SWANA’s extensive network. Please send a brief job description with a website or e-mail link for further information. Your post will be available online for 30 days.