SWANA Announces Professional Achievement Award Winners

Mr. Zaldivar has been at the helm of the City of Los Angeles LA Sanitation & Environment Department (LASAN) as Director and General Manager since 2007. Through his leadership, LASAN oversees the City’s Clean Water program, the Solid Resources program, and the Watershed Protection program. LASAN’s achievements in solid waste under Mr. Zaldivar’s direction include the recently implemented recycLA Franchise Initiative with the adoption of the Solid Waste Private Hauler Exclusive Franchise Initiative. Ongoing programs and initiatives include work to improve recycling markets via the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA); a commitment to electrification of the refuse collection truck fleet to move toward Zero Emission goals; and implementation of a long-term Zero Waste Plan for the period through 2030.

Mr. Harvey Levitt joined SWANA and the Georgia Chapter in 1995 and is still an active member 20 years later. As a long-time member, he served on the Chapter Board of Directors for 20 years, helped develop Georgia’s landfill operator training and certification, and then served as an instructor for about 13 years. Mr. Levitt won SWANA’s Professional Achievement Award for Public Sector Members in 2013. He is retired from the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.

Upon being notified of his recognition, Mr. Levitt said, “SWANA is all about training and bonding and sharing training with your peers.”

Ms. Sanborn is an internationally recognized advocate for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and a circular economy. She is a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker who uses solid information, real-world stories and humor to share her message. NSAC is both an advocate and lobbyist on behalf of EPR and product stewardship at all levels of government. NSAC is known for its support of California’s landmark 2018 medicine and sharps take-back legislation, the first law in the United States to address both medicines and needles through EPR at the state level, among other bills.