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Professional Achievement Award Recipients

The Professional Achievement Awards are SWANA’s highest individual awards.

 

2026

Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

Leonard, Michelle
Michelle Leonard

Senior Vice President
SCS Engineers


Professional Achievement Award - Public Sector

Tracey Thurman
Tracey Thurman

Director, Nashville Department of Waste Services
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee


2025

Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

MarcRogoff
Marc Rogoff

Senior Consultant
Geosyntec Consultants


Professional Achievement Award - Public Sector

James (Mike) Thornton
James "Mike" Thornton

Director
Coffee County Environmental Services


Professional Achievement Award - Private Sector

Michelle Langdon
Michelle Langdon

Project Director
SCS Engineers


2024

Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

Robert Gardner
Robert Gardner

Senior Vice President
SCS Engineers


Professional Achievement Award - Public Sector

Chuck Magee

Public Works Manager
Kern County Public Works


Professional Achievement Award - Private Sector

Colleen Foster

Senior Associate
HF&H Consultants


John Trotti
John Trotti

Retired Editor
MSW Management Magazine


Life Member Award

Murray Griffin

Murray Griffin

Past President/CEO
Atlantic Coast Consulting, Inc.


Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

Kathy Morris

Kathy Morris
 
Executive Director
Waste Commission of Scott County, Iowa


Professional Achievement Award

Jim Miller

James (Jim) R. Miller, SE, PE

Founder & CEO
J.R. Miller & Associates


Life Member Award

Marcia Papin

Solid Waste Manager
Greenville County, South Carolina


Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

Tom Conrad

Tom Conrad

Founder and Executive Vice President (and Director Emeritus)
SCS Engineers


Robert L. Lawrence Lecture Award

DavidMcCary

David McCary

Assistant City Manager
City of San Antonio, Texas


Life Member Award

Harvey Levitt

Harvey Levitt

Retired
Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Dalton, Georgia


Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award

EnriqueZaldivar

Enrique C. Zaldivar

Director and General Manager
LA Sanitation & Environment, Los Angeles, California


Robert L. Lawrence Lecture Award

HeidiSanborn

Heidi Sanborn

Executive Director
National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC)


2019

MarcRogoff

Marc Rogoff

Senior Consultant
Geosyntec Consultants