SWANA Announces 2026 Award Recipients

by Kathryn Deen Aug 19, 2026, 13:31 PM

August 19, 2026 — Silver Spring, MD

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) congratulates the recipients of the 2026 SWANA Awards in the categories of: Professional Achievement; Young Professionals; Collection & Transfer; Communication, Education & Marketing; Landfill Gas & Biogas; Landfill Management; Safety; Sustainable Materials Management; and Waste Conversion & Energy Recovery.  

Recognized among the industry’s most prestigious awards, SWANA’s awards honor innovation, dedication, and leadership in the waste and resource management industry.  

“Congratulations to all the award recipients,” said Lynsey Baer, President of SWANA. “The accomplishments of these individuals and organizations are admirable, and I hope they serve as an inspiration for others. We look forward to celebrating all the award recipients during a special awards ceremony at RCon® in St. Louis.” 

The awardees will be recognized during SWANA’s annual event, RCon 2026, taking place September 29-October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri. SWANA’s Award Ceremony, sponsored by New Way®, Raftelis, and Redtail Renewables, will be held at the historic 18Rails to celebrate the recipients for fostering solutions to propel their work and their communities forward.  

Congratulations to the 2026 SWANA Award Recipients:

Professional Achievement Awards 
SWANA recognizes individuals for going above and beyond in serving the waste and resource management industry as well as their outstanding contributions to SWANA. 

The Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award is the highest accolade from SWANA in recognition of service to the industry, employer, and general public.

  • Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award: Michelle Leonard, Senior Vice President, SCS Engineers 
  • Professional Achievement Award for a Public Sector Member: Tracey Thurman, Director, Nashville Department of Waste Services
Young Professional of the Year Awards  

This award is presented to exemplary Young Professional members annually for their excellent performance and dedication to the industry. 

  • Young Professional of the Year: Dr. Ashpreet Kaur, Environmental Consultant, ICUC Consultants
  • Young Professional of the Year: Ashley Ramsey, Senior Geologist, Geosyntec Consultants
  • Young Professional of the Year: Samarjeet Kadam, CEC Inc. 
Collection & Transfer Technical Division Awards 
  • Distinguished Individual Achievement Award: Tyler Bandemer, Solid Waste Management Superintendent, City of Loveland 
Communication, Education, & Marketing Technical Division Awards 
  • Game Changing Tools: Delaware Solid Waste Authority 
  • Outstanding Awareness Campaign: Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
  • Outstanding Social Media Campaign: Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District, Utah
  • Community Engagement Campaign: OC Waste & Recycling, County of Orange, California
Landfill Management Technical Division Awards
  • Distinguished Individual Achievement Award: Steve Lippy, Retired from Baltimore County DPW, Bureau of Solid Waste Management 
Landfill Gas & Biogas Technical Division Awards
  • Distinguished Individual Achievement: Eric Peterson, Vice President, SCS Engineers
  • Hall of Flame Award: Pete Carrico, Senior Vice President, SCS Engineers
Waste Conversion & Energy Recovery Technical Division Awards
  • Facility Excellence Award: ecomaine
Sustainable Materials Management Technical Division Awards
  • Organizational Award: Seminole County Government, Seminole County, Florida
  • Young Professional Impact: Adeemir Dacenay, Recycle Program Coordinator, Seminole County Solid Waste Division
Safety Awards 

The SWANA Safety Awards recognize safety excellence and are sponsored by Paradigm Software®. 

  • Individual Safety Award: Luke Procter, Driver Safety Trainer, Miller Waste Systems 
  • Best Safety Training Program: OC Waste & Recycling, County of Orange, California
  • Biggest Safety Improvement: City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, California
  • Workplace Wellness: City of Greenville, South Carolina

For more information on the award recipients, visit the  SWANA Awards webpage.