Covanta appoints chief sustainability officer

Covanta, a sustainable materials management and environmental solutions provider based in Morristown, New Jersey, has appointed Tequila Smith as the company’s chief sustainability officer. Smith succeeds Paul Gilman, who retired from Covanta in April after 14 years with the company. She will report to President and CEO Azeez Mohammed.  

“We are very pleased to welcome Tequila to the Covanta team,” Mohammed says. “She is a dynamic leader whose expertise will be invaluable as we seek to advance our sustainability performance initiatives within our expanding suite of services. Tequila will serve as a guiding light for the company as we look to further anchor our strategies around innovation and social impact.” 

According to a news release from Covanta, Smith joins the company after more than two decades of working in various roles with progressive scope and responsibility at Southern Co., Alabama Power Co. and Georgia Power Co. She has hands-on senior leadership experience in helping industrial companies engage on issues of sustainability at both a corporate and community level.   

Most recently, she served as vice president of sustainability for Georgia Power Co., the largest subsidiary of Southern Co. There, she led the implementation of Southern Co.’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. Before that, Smith was vice president of charitable giving and president of the Alabama Power Foundation and director of energy services for Alabama Power Co. She was also the general manager for renewable energy operations at Southern Power.  

As Covanta’s new chief sustainability officer, Smith will be responsible for the repositioning and execution of its sustainability strategy in accordance with the company’s recent acquisition by EQT. Smith will be focused on amplifying the company’s sustainability achievements through the strategic coordination of programs and initiatives through the lens of ESG impacts.  

“I am proud to bring my experience to Covanta at such a pivotal time in the company’s history,” Smith says. “I look forward to working with its talented and dedicated team to provide sustainable, socially responsible and environmentally innovative materials management solutions to businesses and communities."  

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she sits on the board at the School of Engineering. She also holds board seats on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Stonehenge Capital Community Development and HudsonAlpha Foundation. She holds a Master of Arts in communication studies, specifically focused on organizational leadership from the University of Alabama.