Image courtesy of SWANA
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Young Professionals Steering Committee is recognizing three members for its inaugural YP of the Year Award.
Sonia Samir of Parkhill, Frisco, Texas, has been named the West Region’s Solid Waste Young Professional (YP) of the Year; Emily Tucker of HDR, Charlotte, North Carolina, is the East Region’s Solid Waste YP of the Year; and Haley Kunert of Irvine, California-based HF&H Consultants is the Discretionary Solid Waste YP of the Year.
SWANA, Silver Spring, Maryland, says Samir, Tucker and Kunert are being recognized for their outstanding dedication to the solid waste industry and for building its YP Group’s visibility and encouraging YP participation. The organization says their leadership exemplifies the four categories used to judge the nominations—advocacy, innovation, improvement and impact.
SWANA says it defines a YP as an individual in the resource management industry who is 35 years old or younger and includes everyone working in the industry, from field and operations staff to office workers in the public or private sector, collections, processing, disposal, legal, marketing and more.
The YP Group’s aim is to develop a pool of well-rounded leaders for the future of the industry and provide a platform to elevate new ideas and initiatives from the youngest members of the industry, SWANA says.
The award winners will be recognized at WasteCon in San Diego on Dec. 6 at 11:45 a.m. In addition, each will receive a one-year SWANA membership voucher, their choice of a WasteCon or SOAR conference attendance voucher, an invitation to speak or present at the annual YP meeting or YP session at WasteCon and can request to be a mentor within the SWANA YP Leadership Academy.