Waste Pro VP added to university advisory board

Waste Pro USA Vice President of Postcollections Mike Fernandez has accepted an appointment to the advisory board of the University of Florida’s Bill Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management in Gainesville, Florida.

Fernandez has been with Waste Pro since 2023 and joined the company after leading the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management for more than 15 years. He will serve a two-year term that runs through October 2026.

Waste Pro says Miami-Dade County runs the largest government-owned and operated collection, recycling, transfer and postcollection operation in the southeastern United States.

“Mike led the operations, budget and oversight for this large government-owned, vertically integrated solid waste system, managing over 1,100 employees, facility management and equipment maintenance,” according to the company.

As Waste Pro’s vice president of postcollections, Fernandez manages the development and operation of 28 landfills, 16 transfer stations and material recovery facilities (MRFs) throughout the company’s 11-state footprint.

Fernandez also serves on the board of directors of Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). As a member of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber, last year Fernandez and Waste Pro were recognized for their sustainability efforts with a Green Visionary Award.

The William W. “Bill” Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management sponsors research projects at accredited public and private universities in Florida designed to address the state’s critical solid and hazardous waste management issues.