​Terri Graham

Baldwin County, Solid Waste Director
Terri is currently the Director of The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County,
Alabama. Previously, Terri served as the Development Environmental Director for the
Solid Waste Department of the Baldwin County Commission since 2013. She has been
employed with the Department since 2007. Terri led all aspects of the Solid Waste
Department, including the new innovative Material Recovery Facility that will be
opening in 2024. She serves on many different boards, including SWANA (Solid Waste
Association of North America). Terri received her BSBA in Finance from Auburn
University. She is the wife of John Graham, and the mom to three beautiful daughters:
Taylor, Maddie and Jordyn.

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​​​​ Lauren Grace Johnson

Alabama Department of Environmental Management 

Lauren Grace Johnson is an Environmental Scientist in the Materials Management Section at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Lauren Grace attended Huntingdon College and graduated with a BS in Biochemistry. She has worked as a project manager in the State's Brownfield Redevelopment Program and Voluntary Cleanup Program. She has recently transitioned from the Scrap Tire Compliance Program to Recycling Compliance and Grants Program.

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​Stephanie Baker
KW Plastics Recycling Division Troy, AL

As the Director of Advocacy for KW Plastics, Stephanie advocates for not only pro-recycling policies but for healthy plastics recycling initiatives within the recycling system and supply chain.
Her role includes overseeing government relations, community engagement, marketing and public relations. A hometown girl from KW Plastics’ headquarter operations in Troy, Alabama, Stephanie previously served as the Director of Market Development and led Polypropylene Procurement for
KW. Stephanie represents the world’s largest plastics recycler of HDPE and PP in projects surrounding sustainability, packaging design and increasing quality supply throughout North America. Stephanie’s experience includes establishing closed loop recycling programs, beyond bottle expansion initiatives, policy, communications, economic development, strategic planning and community affairs.

Professionally, Stephanie serves on Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Communications and
Public Affairs Committee, is a Board Member for the Alabama Recycling Coalition, is a member
of ReMA (Recycled Materials Association of Alabama) and active with the Scrap Recycling
Association of Alabama.
Previously, she served as Chairman of the Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC)
Board of Directors and SERDC 120: a voluntary initiative to explore public-private partnerships
and strategic investments to boost recovery in the Southeast, which resulted in The Recycling
Partnership. In 2020, Plastics News recognized Stephanie as a “Woman Breaking the Mold.”
She is a member of the Alabama Leadership Initiative Class II and was named a “Mover and
Shaper” by Business Alabama magazine.
Stephanie and her husband, Matt, have two daughters. She is serving in her second term on the
Troy City Council and is the current President Pro Tempore.

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Byron Geiger, Head of Operations
Indorama Ventures Sustainable Solutions
Byron Geiger has been in the PET recycling/processing industry for more than 37 years. Throughout Byron’s career, he has worked closely with industry groups to advance the recycling industry and has been a leader in advocating for recycling as a whole. Byron is currently Head of Operations with Indorama Ventures Sustainable Solutions and is responsible for the recycling operations in the Americas. He is based in Athens, Alabama and has been with the company for 5 years. In his current role, Byron oversees and is responsible for Indorama’s 3 recycling plants in the US, 1 in Mexico, as well as 1 in Brazil.

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Haywood Dozier

Waste Recycling Inc.
Haywood Dozier started with Mount Scrap Material in 1988.  Since then, Mount Scrap Material merged with Waste Recycling Inc. and now has 4 plants in Alabama, Montgomery, Opelika, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston.

Haywood’s primary duties have been to develop business with Municipalities, manufacturing plants, retail businesses and anybody that wanted to recycle (and even those that didn’t).

Haywood has been a member of the Alabama Recycling Coalition since it began in 1992 and has served as President and Vice President multiple times. He presently serves as Vice President and chairman of the membership committee.

Haywood has been married to his high school sweetheart, Cindy, for 49 years and has two sons and five grandchildren. He enjoys hunting, fishing, the beach and working on his farm.

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Charmayne N. Watson, Account Manager, ARC Treasurer
Greif
Charmayne N. Watson is the current treasurer of the Alabama Recycling Coalition and a 1993 graduate of Troy State University with a degree in Business Administration / Marketing. With over 30 years’ experience in the recycling industry; she is employed with Greif - Recycling, as an account manager in Mobile Alabama. Her territory includes all areas of the United States with a primary focus in the Southern Region. Charmayne is very active in her community and volunteers within Greif. She currently serves as treasurer of Keep Mobile Beautiful, and Secretary of BEE @ Greif a Colleague Resource Group. She is an active member with Mobile Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, where she has a lifetime commitment to serve in the community.

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​Virginia Bear Bannister, ARC President
President, Alabama Beverage Association
Virginia currently serves as President of The Alabama Beverage Association, working on her 14th year in this role. She leads the association’s governmental and public affairs efforts, serving as the association’s chief lobbyist as well as the primary contact with the media and other external governmental and non-governmental entities. The Alabama Beverage
Association is the trade association for Alabama’s non-alcoholic beverage industry whose membership includes all of the Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper Keurig bottlers in the state of Alabama.

Virginia has 30 years of public affairs experience. She started her public policy career in Washington, D.C. where she worked for three years and then moved back to Alabama in 1997 as a reporter and producer covering politics and business for Alabama Public Television. Virginia went on to work for the Business Council of Alabama as manager of governmental affairs and later served as vice-president for governmental affairs at AmSouth Bank and then
Regions Financial Corporation (following a merger). Virginia has also worked as a consultant for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society.  A native of Montgomery, Virginia earned a B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and a M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in Washington, D.C.

Virginia currently serves as a board member and officer for the Alabama Council of Association Executives (ACAE) and as the current chair of the Alabama Recycling Coalition. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Class XXII. She previously served on the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery. She is a former member of the Junior League of Montgomery and formerly served on the board of directors for Montgomery Landmarks Foundation. Virginia has also served on the board of directors for the Montgomery chapter of Kid One and continues to serve as a volunteer for MACOA’s meals on wheels program. Virginia and her husband Porter live in Montgomery with their doodle dog, Bonnie.

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Scott Story, Operations & Compliance Manager
City of Huntsville Solid Waste Disposal Authority
Scott Story is the Operations & Compliance Manager for the City of Huntsville Solid Waste Disposal Authority (SWDA).  In this role, he manages the day-to-day activities associated with solid waste landfill and the household hazardous waste (HHW) facility.  Scott joined SWDA in 2022 after 26 years of service at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).  While at ADEM, he worked in various areas of the Department, including the Industrial Hazardous Waste Branch, the Industrial Water (NPDES) Branch, and lastly the Solid Waste Branch.  The last several years at the Department, Scott was the Solid Waste Branch Chief where he managed the permitting, compliance and enforcement of solid waste and coal combustion residual (CCR) facilities along with the State’s recycling, beneficial use and scrap tire programs.  Scott is a registered Professional Engineer with bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Auburn University in Montgomery.  He and his wife Courtney have two children (Matthew-21 and Claudia-15), and currently reside in Millbrook, Alabama.

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Catrina Cook, Environmental Services Director

City of Auburn

Catrina holds both master and bachelor degrees from Auburn University in Public
Administration. Catrina received executive education certificates of completion from Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Virginia’s Leading,
Education, and Developing Program (LEAD) through the Weldon Cooper Center for Public
Service.
Catrina is the Environmental Services Director for the City of Auburn. A lifelong Auburn resident,
Catrina began her career as an intern in the City’s Environmental Services Department.
Catrina’s interest in serving her hometown was sparked during a class at Auburn University. As
she began Auburn’s graduate program in public administration, she took the first step in her now
26-year stint with the City by signing up to educate Auburn City Schools students about the
City’s recycling and sustainability program. A year later, she was promoted to the department’s
administrative assistant and realized the breadth of impact Environmental Services has. During
her tenure with the City of Auburn, she has served as Environmental Services Assistant
Director, Division Manager Right of Way Maintenance and as the Environmental Services
Assistant. Cook’s leadership within City of Auburn has ushered many changes most recently
she is acknowledged for implementing a new fleet management solution that allows the
department to track City vehicles, monitor engine diagnostics and help optimize collection
routes all to increase efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars.
Catrina is married to Royrickers and has two adult children, Olivia and Preston.

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Blake Pruitt, Chief of Materials Management Section 

Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Blake Pruitt began her career at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in 2004 in Land Division in the scrap tire program. In 2009 she transferred to the recycling group where she handled registrations, along with the Alabama Recycling Fund grant program. In 2014 she transferred to waste approvals, handling approvals for special waste and hazardous waste disposal. In 2019 she was promoted to Chief of the Special Services Unit in ADEM’s water division, handling NPDES permits and compliance for small sand and gravel borrow pits and the pesticide permit, along with managing complaints for the Water Division. In 2024 she was named Chief of the Materials Management Sections, where she now oversees the scrap tire, recycling, and beneficial use programs.

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Mickey Haddock, Keynote Speaker
Mickey Haddock served 34 years in the Alabama Army National Guard, retiring in 2004. During his distinguished military career, he also spent a decade as an instructor at the Alabama Military Academy, shaping and mentoring future leaders.

Beyond his military service, Haddock built a respected career as a college football official. He officiated for 25 years, including 15 years in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). His leadership and expertise were recognized when he was elected President of the SEC Football Officials Association.

Today, Haddock is known for his lifelong commitment to service, discipline, and leadership, carrying forward the values he honed both on the field and in uniform.

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Michael D. Beedie, P.E., Senior Manager of Government Affairs

Waste Management Gulf Coast

Michael Beedie serves in the role of Senior Manager of Government Affairs for WM’s Gulf Coast Area, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Northwest Florida. In addition to his responsibility for managing legislative affairs, Michael was responsible for the construction of WM’s new $30 million Recycling Facility in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which serves the entire Gulf Coast region from Biloxi, MS to Tallahassee, FL and as far north as Jackson, MS and central Alabama.

 

Michael previously served as the City Manager with the City of Fort Walton Beach responsible for a $57 million budget over seven department and more than 300 employees. Oversight included operation of a $4 million solid waste and recycling division for the City that included the reinstatement of the City’s curbside recycling program through a phased approach.

 

Michael is a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Florida and the State of Alabama focusing on Civil Engineering in the field of public works, including water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste and recycling. He has over 25 years of professional experience with much of that experience in a supervisory role. He is a native of Northwest Florida and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of South Alabama.

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Dr. Shenghua Wu

University of South Alabama

Dr. Shenghua Wu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Coastal, and
Environmental Engineering at the University of South Alabama. His research interests include
construction materials, sustainable pavements, repurposing, recycling, reusing and reducing
waste, plastic circularity, STEM education, and interdisciplinary approaches to addressing
complex challenges. He has successfully received over $11 million in research funding from
federal and state agencies, as well as industry partners. Dr. Wu holds several leadership roles,
serving as the Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Sustainable Engineering (ICSE),
Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Environmental Engagement Center (GCEEC), Director of
the Solid Waste Sustainability Hub, Director of the Gulf Coast Center for Addressing
Microplastics Pollution (GC-CAMP), and Director of the Sustainable Materials Laboratory. He
is also the founding faculty advisor for the Society of Sustainable Engineering (SSE), where he
connects students with sustainability professionals. He has published 85 journal articles, 11
technical reports, and delivered over 120 presentations. He serves as an editorial member for
journals such as Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering and Journal of Testing and Evaluation.
He has received several awards, including the Recognizing Academic Research Excellence
(RARE) Award (2024), Mobile Area Engineering Educator of the Year (2025), Tau Beta Pi
Professor of the Year (2023), Mortar Board Top Prof (2023), and Excellence in Teaching Award
(2021). He is also registered Professional Engineers (PE) in Alabama, and Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional (AP).

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Sara Nichols, Senior Consultant

Resource Recycling Systems

Sara is a senior consultant at RRS, bringing more than 10 years of nonprofit leadership and materials management experience to the company. She has worked on state and federal solid waste contracts, has a background in community organizing and stakeholder engagement, and brings a solutions-oriented attitude to projects. Sara serves on SWANA’s Sustainable Material Management Technical Division’s Executive Committee and is actively involved in the Texas Chapter of SWANA.

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Joaquin Mariel, Chief Commercial Officer 

Circular Services

​Joaquin Mariel is the Chief Commercial Officer at Circular Services where he leads the company's business development team in expanding recycling programs and services into new and growing markets. Through expansion in Circular Services' existing core markets in North and Central Texas, and strategic acquisitions along the Southeastern part of the country, Joaquin and Circular Services are on a mission to bring their expertise and commitment to recycling to more communities.

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Andrew Chorney Sr.

Essity 

Safety conscious and results orientated leadership personality that is dedicated to sustainable manufacturing with a circular economic approach. Striving to ensure that future generations have opportunities to learn, grow and seek employment in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry.

31 years of paper industry experience starting with Champion International Corporation in Courtland, AL, which later became International Paper. Currently employed with Essity Professional Hygiene in the capacity of Technical Services Manager at Essity’s Cherokee, AL facility.

Have been involved in green field and brown field mill projects from design, construction, startup, and operations. Active in talent acquisition and training of entry level engineers into the paper industry and enjoy building a future for the next generation of paper professionals.

TAPPI member since 1991 and involved with the Gulf Coast TAPPI Local Section serving on the executive committee and held officer positions for repeat tenures. Member of the TAPPI Yankee Dryer Safety Committee.

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Edward F. Poolos

Director, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)

Edward F. Poolos, a lifelong Jasper resident, was appointed Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) in August 2025. With more than 30 years of experience in environmental management and conservation, Poolos brings a deep knowledge of Alabama’s environmental challenges and a proven record of leadership in both state government and field operations.

Poolos previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (2017–2025), where he oversaw major initiatives to enhance the state’s natural resources, recreational opportunities, and conservation efforts. Before that, he spent 25 years with ADEM, including 17 years as manager of the North Alabama Field Office in Decatur, where he supervised programs related to air and water quality, solid waste, stormwater management, underground storage tanks, and environmental emergency response.

In addition to his state leadership roles, Poolos chaired the Restitution Fund Oversight Committee following the 2019 River Valley Ingredients spill. Under his leadership, the committee directed a $3 million settlement toward community restoration projects, including new recreational facilities and environmental enhancements in the Black Warrior River watershed.

A graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, Poolos is also a Certified Public Manager. He is known for his hands-on approach, working directly with communities on projects such as renovations at Walker County Lake and improvements at the Forks of the River in Sipsey.

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