How Did You Get Your Start in the Waste and Recycling Industry? 

I am a second-generation waste industry member, so I’ve grown up in and around the waste industry since the age of 5. My official start was in the spring of 2020. I began my career with Atomic Transport as a loader operator for a Waste Connections transfer station in Greer, South Carolina. We were in the process of changing our management team there and had decided to support that with an “all hands on deck” approach.  It was a great opportunity to learn our operations from the ground up.

What Are You Most Focused on Right Now in Your Work?

Right now, I am focused on Atomic Transport’s westward expansion.  Last year, Atomic acquired Modern Transport, a regional waste hauler operating in Arizona and Colorado.  I recently moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area where I am overseeing Atomic’s operations in Arizona, Colorado, and California.

What’s One Lesson You’ve Learned in Your Career?  

People are the most valuable asset that we have.  Cutting edge technology and effective business plans will set a company up for success, but the people on the front lines, the everyday decision makers, that’s what makes an organization great.  Never undervalue the people that drive success.

What NWRA Program, Event, or Resource Has Been Most Valuable to You?

FILA, the Future Industry Leaders Alliance, has definitely been the most valuable to me.  It’s a great organization where new and up-and-coming members of the NWRA can connect, learn about the industry, and support each other in their own pursuits.  I became a member in 2022 and now serve on the board.  I would recommend it to anyone under the 45 age limit to consider applying.  

What Keeps You Motivated?

My family and my team members at Atomic are a sense of encouragement each day.  Atomic Transport has built a culture of excellence and support.  We collaborate and rely on each other regardless of the miles between us when we need an idea, or laugh, or sometimes just an ear that understands the challenges we face each day. 

What’s Something People Might Be Surprised to Learn About You? 

The waste industry is my second career.  Before joining Atomic Transport, I was a ski instructor in Wyoming.  I still am an avid skier.  I grew up in Alabama, and my little mountain town had a ski hill.  Yes, they had to make snow each year,  and it was a single tow rope for just a 300 yard hill, but it got me started.