Credit: International Solid Waste Association; https://www.iswa.org/women-of-waste/
"Dreams are lovely, but they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change." - Shonda Rhimes
At the RCSWD, we are grateful for the women that work hard every day to lead the organization and keep operations going smoothly. We have highlighted each of them below:
Dawn Remes
Office Manager
Dawn has worked in her position for over 24 years! She takes care of the day-to-day tracking and paperwork from the transfer station and office, and even weighs trucks dropping off and picking up recycling at the Material Recovery Facility. Dawn always has a bright smile and cheery tone to help everyone out.
Vanessa Cable
Transfer Station Attendant
Vanessa is the only woman working as a regular attendant at the Gleason Road Transfer Station. She helps customers dispose of items at the recycling center and hazardous waste depot. Since the fall of 2018, she also collects hazardous waste from residents at surrounding town transfer stations during our rural collection runs.
Jenna Robles
Waste Reduction Program Coordinator
Jenna started her position in December of 2019, and has taken up the reigns with determination. She oversees the transfer station program operations to ensure compliance with regulations and optimal waste diversion. In addition, she tracks and reports at least monthly for most other transfer stations in our district
Women in the Materials Management Industry
The Solid Waste Association of North America has posted several great articles highlighting women working in our industry. We encourage you to read them.
We can't thank Dawn, Vanessa and Jenna enough for their hard work in an industry that the number of women employees has remained steady for years. Some might say it's a "male-dominated" industry, but there is also recognition of the need for diverse perspectives in materials management. Many groups are confident that more women will gain positions of leadership and share in the benefits of the industry as time goes on.
Following are some groups working to promote the success of women in materials management:
- Women in Solid Waste & Recycling (WISR)
- National Waste & Recycling Association- Women's Council
- Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries- Committee on Women in Recycling
- International Solid Waste Association- Women of Waste (WOW!)
We also recommend checking out this revolutionary study released on March 26 by FP Analytics: "Women as Levers of Change: How Women are Changing Male-Dominated Industries".
The report examines women's inclusion and impact across 14 legacy industries including the waste sector and could be interesting for your Women’s History Month activities.
Read findings and download the report at WomenAsLeversOfChange.com