The Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the Solid Waste District Association of North America (SWANA) has named two local sustainability managers 2014 executives of the year.

SWANA Ohio Executives of the Year 2014

Diane Bickett, Executive Director , Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District: 2014 Professional of the Year

A member of the Solid Waste District since its formation in 1995, Deputy Director of the Solid Waste District 1998–2009, and Executive Director since 2009, Diane Bickett numbers among her accomplishments:

• Her role in the formation of the Cuyahoga County Paper Marketing Cooperative.
• Her leadership in establishing the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection, now Ohio’s largest HHW collection.
• Opening of the District’s Special Waste Convenience Center, in 2011, providing Cuyahoga County communities a 5 days/week drop-off for HHW, and earning recognition for the District in 2012 as Solid Waste Operator of the Year.

The full text of Diane’s award recognition can be found on the SWANA Ohio Buckeye Chapter website.

Nancy Hughes, Cleveland Metroparks Sustainability Manager: Solid Waste Operator of the Year

As Sustainability Manager of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Nancy Hughes is responsible for:

• Management of the zoo’s on-site composting program, which processes the facility’s annual production of 4,000 cubic yards of manure from elephants and other large herbivores and incorporates other vegetative material to produce sweet-smelling compost used throughout the zoo’s many gardens.
• Management of recycling programs used for zoo operations and supporting vendors, including computer equipment, aluminum cans, pallets, paper and cardboard, florescent bulbs, inkjet cartridges, cell phones, etc.
• Development and management of the zoo’s comprehensive education and awareness program for schools, businesses, organizations, and other zoos.

Through Nancy’s influence, the zoo’s Master Plan includes a sustainability goal, and, as a founding member of ZeroWaste NEO, she continues to promote the principles of Zero Waste throughout the community.

The full text of Nancy’s award recognition can be found on the SWANA Ohio Buckeye Chapter website.

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