Beginning a New Year

When the new year starts, many look forward to how the next 12 months will unfold. New beginnings and a year ahead to work toward accomplishing goals. Because SWANA begins its new fiscal year on July 1, I am wishing all of you a “Happy New Year.”

As of July 1, we welcomed new members to the Board of Directors, and we recognize this year’s officers led by Art Mercer who will serve as President. We have new members on the Advisory Board and on our committees. On behalf of the staff and myself, I want to welcome all who are in leadership. Please know how many of us are appreciative of the time, effort, and commitment you will be devoting to the association in the coming year.

The conclusion of a fiscal year also means that we say “thank you for serving” to several outstanding volunteer leaders. In addition to Brenda Haney, who completed her term as Immediate Past President, many others at the board, committee, regional, and chapter level are to be congratulated for a job well done and for representing their entities with distinction.

I am also excited that the Board of Directors, in their final meeting of the last fiscal year, approved a budget that will support the association’s strategic goals, as well as make investments in our Young Professionals and our very important chapters.

Regarding the chapters, the Board of Directors approved a budget that changes how chapters receive their allocation of member dues. Rather than continue to share a set dollar amount per member, the chapters will now realize 12.5 percent of dues collected for its members. In this way, when dues increase in the future, chapters will also receive an equal percentage of the increase.

This is also a time of great change on the staff side of SWANA. As you know, the Board has hired an executive search consultant (Vetted Solutions) to assist the association in finding a new permanent executive director. The position profile will be distributed widely so that a very broad group of candidates can be considered.

I have reiterated to the leadership my interest in doing what I can to ensure that your new executive director has a smooth onboarding as they begin their tenure with the organization. I know that one thing I will be sharing is how I continue to be impressed with several of our SWANA staff who are doing good work to support our members and the profession.

I am at the “mid-point” of my assignment as your Interim Executive Director and continue to be impressed and in awe of what you and your colleagues do to help communities throughout Canada and the US. SWANA’s work also has an impact on what is going on globally. As more countries look at waste management, greenhouse gas emissions, the circular economy, and things like plastic pollution, I know that SWANA and its members will be asked to share thoughts and advice.

So, keep up the amazingly good work you are doing for your communities and the planet. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for me, please email me at: ryep@swana.org.

Happy “New” Year and be well.