SWANA Announces WASTECON 2018 Keynote Speaker Line-Up

by MatrixGroup Admin Jun 20, 2018, 08:18 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2018

Sara Swanson
Marketing Coordinator
240-494-2238
sswanson@swana.org

SWANA Announces WASTECON® 2018 Keynote Speaker Line-Up
Exclusive Group of Industry Leaders, Designers and Creative Thinkers

Silver Spring, MD – The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) announced the keynote speakers for WASTECON, SWANA’s largest conference helping solid waste leaders plan a sustainable future for their communities.

WASTECON’s line-up of keynote speakers will offer insight on future policy, innovation trends, and technology, in addition to new perspectives on adapting to industry change and creating efficient work-flow processes.

“I am very excited that WASTECON will be offering a range of inspiring and informative keynote speakers, including industry leaders such as Ron Mittelstaedt, legal giants such as Michael Cahill, and several interactive sessions that will help participants enhance their leadership skills and critical thinking,” said David Biderman, SWANA’s Executive Director and CEO.

WASTECON 2018 Keynote Speakers:

Ron Mittelstaedt, CEO and Director, Waste Connections

Mittelstaedt will discuss his thoughts on the waste industry and its relationship with the public sector, how Waste Connections is responding to current challenges, the company’s successful safety initiatives, and the outlook of the industry.

David Biderman, Executive Director and CEO, SWANA and Robin Wiener, President, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.

The China waste ban’s restriction of the flow of materials has created new challenges throughout the supply chain of scrap — residents, solid waste departments, material recovery facilities, processors, end users and beyond. Biderman and Wiener will discuss the current issues surrounding the ban and investigate next steps for the industry.

Parker Gates and Anna Love-Mickelson, Founders, Stoked

Founders of Nashville-area design firm, Stoked, will offer high energy, highly interactive activities that will help attendees gain confidence to solve the most complex problems and grow deeper connections with colleagues and customers.

Michael Cahill, Partner, Germano & Cahill, PC

Having been involved in the flow control case at the U.S. Supreme Court as well as representing a municipality in the famous garbage barge fiasco, Cahill will provide unique and humorous insight into the shaping of modern history involving the solid waste and recycling industry.

Tom Morrison, CEO, Florida Automotive Industry Association

Over the last five years, disruption has transformed many industries, putting companies at risk. Morrison will provide the keys in researching and determining what future disruption the solid waste industry can expect and what you can do about it now.

Natalie Nixon, Design Strategist, Author and Lecturer

The concepts behind systems thinking are present in designing and operating solid waste programs. Through these approaches, attendees will learn how to use intuition, pattern recognition, and improvisation for insights to help create order from the daily chaos.

“I am honored to address the top professionals in solid waste and recycling at WASTECON,” said Ron Mittelstaedt, Chief Executive Officer at Waste Connections, Inc. “With a changing industry comes new challenges surrounding policy, relationships between the public and private sector and worker safety. During my interview panel, I will give insight into how Waste Connections is facing these challenges head-on and how companies can position themselves for growth during this time of industry transition.”

Keynote speakers will offer a mix of presentation, interview-style, panel discussion and interactive sessions that will speak to “Sound Ideas” in waste management by exploring challenges and solutions for navigating the solid waste and recycling industry today.

To learn more about WASTECON, taking place August 20-23, in Nashville, Tenn., and the keynote speakers, click here.

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About SWANA:

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is an organization of more than 10,000 public and private sector professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management through their shared emphasis on education, advocacy and research. For more than 50 years, SWANA has been the leading association in the solid waste management field. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical conferences, certifications, publications, and a large offering of technical training courses. For more information, visit swana.org.