Industry News

Personnel, Associations

CDRA names new executive director

The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA), headquartered in Chicago, has appointed Andrea “Andi” Johnson its new executive director.

Johnson previously served as CDRA’s director of operations and has more than 25 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She also has a deep, personal commitment to sustainable waste management and materials recovery, CDRA says.

Johnson previously served as CEO of van der Linde Recycling and Container Rentals, Troy, Virginia, where she led the company’s mission to care for people, communities and the planet through innovative recovery and recycling efforts.

Under her leadership, the company grew into a regional pioneer in diverting materials ranging from construction and demolition debris to hard-to-recycle items such as mattresses, polyvinyl chloride and fluorescent bulbs from landfills.

“Andi’s passion for recycling and waste recovery is unmatched, and her operational expertise is exactly what CDRA needs as we continue to grow and adapt to an evolving regulatory and environmental landscape,” says John Thomas, president of the CDRA board of directors and managing partner at Waste & Recycling Solutions in Berlin, New Jersey. “She understands this industry from every angle—operationally, legislatively and environmentally—and we are confident she will lead the association with both vision and heart.”

Johnson’s career includes extensive experience in administrative leadership, including 13 years in nonprofit roles with organizations such as the American Red Cross and Army Emergency Relief, followed by executive roles in global energy firms.

From 2012 through 2024, she played a central role at van der Linde Recycling, where she progressed from sales manager to CEO.

Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus and is a licensed Virginia Waste Facility Operator.

In her new role, she will guide the CDRA’s strategic initiatives, expand member services, strengthen advocacy and regulatory engagement and amplify the organization’s mission to promote environmentally responsible construction and demolition recycling.

“For the past 30 years, the CDRA has helped to grow and unite the construction and demolition recycling industry,” Johnson says. “I am proud and honored to be selected as the next leader of this amazing association and will work diligently to continue its forward momentum.”

The CDRA represents the C&D recycling industry to regulators and legislators, engages in market development for recycled building materials and facilitates education and networking within the industry.

Legislation & Regulations

EPA says new procedures can expedite site cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making changes to streamline cleaning up and decontaminating Superfund sites.

The polluted sites often contain buildings that require remediation, demolition and dismantling work.

An email from the EPA points to a recent Bloomberg report based on an interview with EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi in which he says the agency is looking at tools such as initiating presumptive remedies to extending the use of removal actions being created to ensure Superfund sites are “rapidly attended to” so communities are healthy and safe from contamination.

In a segment of the report EPA excerpted, Fotouhi decries the notion that some Superfund sites entail “a yearslong effort before we even dig a shovel into the dirt.”

According to Fotouhi, one approach the EPA is working on involves deploying more presumptive remedies—cleanup plans at sites with well-known characteristics, such as former dry cleaners, since the EPA has enough experience concerning the typical problems at such sites that it can take action quickly. 

Fotouhi also tells Bloomberg the EPA will release a comprehensive plan this fall that is designed to address programmatic and technical evaluation issues related to Superfund sites.

Personnel, Mixed C&D

Michael Brothers announces leadership promotions

Pittsburgh-based Michael Brothers Cos., a provider of materials diversion and recycling services in western Pennsylvania, has promoted four key team members to director-level posts in a strategic leadership realignment that illustrates the company’s commitment to growth, operational excellence and long-term sustainability:

Charles Hutchison has been promoted to director of operations, overseeing daily operations, fleet logistics, performance and maintenance.

Jeremy Stark has been named director of site operations and sales, leading companywide sales efforts and managing customer experience and on-site coordination across all Michael Brothers locations.

Jarrett Froelich is now director of environmental compliance, safety and human resources, responsible for regulatory compliance, advancing workplace safety and driving employee development initiatives.

Boyd Jones has been promoted to director of business development and public relations, leading growth initiatives, community engagement and external communications for the firm.

Michael Brothers is a family-owned recycling and debris diversion business with more than 50 years of service in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The company operates strategically located construction and demolition material recovery facilities and offers scrap metal recycling and container rentals for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its headquarters in Baldwin Township, in the South Hills area of Greater Pittsburgh, includes a C&D material recovery facility (MRF) and recycling center processing ferrous and nonferrous scrap, Nos. 1-7 plastic, glass, green waste, clean-fill concrete and more. In Reserve Township, in the North Hills area of Greater Pittsburgh, the company operates a C&D MRF and recycling center. In Adamsburg, Michael Brothers runs a C&D MRF and scrapyard, while in Mount Pleasant, the company recently opened a scrapyard.

Michael Brothers says its leadership expansion reinforces the company’s dedication to service excellence, innovation and sustainability. With clearly defined roles across key operational and strategic areas, Michael Brothers says it is well-positioned to meet increasing demand, deepen stakeholder relationships and broaden its service capabilities across Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania.

“We’re investing in our people because they’re the foundation of our success,” says Michael Brothers CEO Tom Milani. “Each of these individuals brings unique expertise and a strong commitment to our mission. Their leadership will help us grow responsibly while continuing to deliver exceptional service to our customers and communities.”

The company says the leadership realignment further strengthens its impact across western Pennsylvania.