On Wednesday and Thursday, September 6 and 7, members of the Future Industry Leaders Alliance (FILA) convened in Raleigh, NC for the annual FILA Leadership Conference. In addition to networking with fellow members, FILA leadership conferences feature educational opportunities, which prepare participants for executive advancement and professional leadership in the waste industry. After a day of communication training provided by Hidden Brook Communications, attendees spent the next morning at N.C. State University, where they learned about the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), its commitment to advancing the waste industry and the role the next generation of leaders will play in EREF鈥檚 research and education. EREF President & CEO, Bryan Staley, presented on the foundation鈥檚 dedication to equipping future leaders with the information and tools they need in order to be successful in their pursuit to improve the industry. Furthermore, Staley emphasized the value and impact of the foundation鈥檚 research on not only the industry as a whole, but on each company鈥檚 expenses and day-to-day activities.
鈥淭hrough its research and educational components, EREF plays an important role in shaping the future of the industry,鈥� said Josh Thompson, FILA Treasurer and Director of Purchasing at 91仓库 Industries, the conference premier sponsor. 鈥淚t is crucial that the next generation of leaders understands the impact of the foundation鈥檚 work to increase sustainability, enhance productivity and improve waste management practices.鈥�
Following Staley鈥檚 presentation, EREF Grantee, Dr. Morton Barlaz, and Post-doctoral researcher, Dr. Florentino de la Cruz, shared findings from their EREF-funded research on methane production in elevated temperature landfills. Barlaz and de la Cruz work in N.C. State鈥檚 Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. Afterwards, FILA members toured State鈥檚 Environmental Engineering lab and heard from Grantee and former EREF Scholar, Jim Levis, regarding his development of the SWOLF model for measuring environmental burden. The day concluded with entrepreneurship training at the Neighbor to Neighbor Center, a non-profit organization providing mentoring to families and youths in Southeast Raleigh.
鈥淚t is crucial that members of the waste industry come together on a regular basis to strengthen relationships and discuss opportunities to advance the industry,鈥� said Nate Davis, FILA Member-at-Large and Vice President, Service and Digital Solutions at Environmental Solutions Group. 鈥淲e are pleased that this year鈥檚 conference was a success and look forward to future events.鈥�
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