Solid Waste Operator of the Year: Award Criteria
This annual award is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America. The recipient is to be selected by the Chapter Awards Committee from nominations submitted to the Chapter in response to notification published in the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Newsletter and/or in other notifications distributed to the active membership at large. Nominations may be made by regular (public) members and sustaining (private) members of the Chapter, in good standing at the time of closing of the awards nomination period. The nomination period shall be open for a minimum of sixty (60) days, and shall be closed not later than thirty (30) days prior to the Chapter Annual Business Meeting.
The “Operator/Manager of the Year Award” may be given annually to the operator or manager of a solid waste acceptance, processing, recycling, and/or disposal facility located and operating within the geographic boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. The selection of the individual shall be based on outstanding performance by the nominee based on the following evaluation criteria:
1. Commitment to and achievement of regulatory compliance at the nominee’s facility;
2. Recognized excellence in operation and maintenance of the nominee’s facility;
3. Commitment to staff training and encouragement of staff professionalism;
4. Participation in SWANA and other technical organizations;
5. Education of and interaction with the public and citizen organizations regarding solid waste
management;
6. Projection of a positive image and responsiveness of solid waste management professionals;
7. Indications of civic and educational achievements which enhance the image of solid waste
management professionals.
Name of the Award:
Solid Waste Operator/Manager of the Year.
Nature of the Award:
A suitably engraved plaque designating the name of the award, the individual’s name and title, name of the facility or facilities operated or managed, and the date of award.
Minimum Qualifications:
The individual must be an operator or manager of a solid waste management facility or facilities operating within the geographic boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. The facility(ies) must hold valid permits from Federal, State, and local jurisdictions, as applicable, as an acceptance, processing, recycling, and/or disposal facility for solid waste. The individual shall have at least three years experience at any level of responsible charge of a solid waste management facility, or portion thereof. The individual shall be a current member in good standing of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of SWANA.
Nominations:
All nominations shall be in writing and shall be directed to the attention of the Chapter Awards Committee. The nominating letter shall indicate the candidate’s qualifications in the solid waste management field and may include other civic and educational achievements, which enhance the image of solid waste professionals. Nominations must be made by a member in good standing of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. The nomination submittal may include co-sponsors and/or endorsers. Letters of recommendation from public officials, citizen organizations, and solid waste supervisors may be included as part of the nomination package. Non-recipients of the award may be nominated in consecutive years. Recipients shall not receive the award two years in a row.
Award Committee:
The Award Committee shall consist of at least five (5) members in good standing of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, with not more than one (1) member of the Chapter Board of Directors and at least four (4) members appointed at large. All Committee members shall be appointed by the Chapter President in accordance with Section 3.3 of the Chapter Bylaws, with a vote of concurrence by the Chapter Board of Directors.
Section Procedure:
The Board of Directors shall establish a nominations and selection schedule at the time of appointing the Award Committee. The Award Committee will develop an application form to be used for nominating applicants. The Committee will review all properly submitted nominations within the time frame established for that year. The Committee will establish a selection procedure to select the individual that meets minimum qualifications and demonstrates the most outstanding performance of the evaluation criteria. Only one award will be made annually and then only if an outstanding individual is nominated
Presentation:
The Award shall be presented by the Chapter President during the Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s annual business meeting.
