The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced its 2020 Drivers of the Year and Operator of the Year winners on Sept. 21. According to the association, the awards recognize drivers and operators from member companies who put safety as their top priority.
The 2020 Drivers of the Year awards are for drivers who operate their trucks in a safe and responsible manner, have outstanding performance records and whose contributions have enhanced the overall safety and image of the solid waste industry.
The 2020 Operator of the Year award is for an employee working in post-collection for a materials recovery facility, landfill or transfer station who safely operates heavy equipment, including bulldozers, front-end loaders and compactors.
The finalists were determined by a computerized scoring system. Independent judges selected the winners based on letters of recommendation and, for drivers, the difficulty of the route. During judging, operators were also judged on the difficulty of their equipment to operate.
2020 Drivers of the Year:
National Commercial: Thomas Garcia, Republic Services Inc.
National Residential: Edwin Vega, WCA Waste Corp.
National Industrial: Timothy Fields, Republic Services Inc.
Regional Industrial: Duane Sandlin, Rumpke Waste & Recycling
Regional Residential: George Humlie, Recology
Local Member: Paul Merry, All Waste Inc.
Public: Juan Esparza, city of Denver
2020 Operator of the Year:
Ronald Dunn, Republic Services Inc.
“Our members and their employees are dedicated to keeping our communities clean and safe on a daily basis. It is important that we recognize the drivers and operators who make safety a priority. I congratulate them on their achievement,” NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith says.