WASTECON and Your Waste Board

Check out the recent MSW Editor's Blog, where MSW Management Editor John Trotti wrote the following about WASTECON:

Those of you who have been to WASTECON know how valuable an industry resource the annual event is. More than just a trade expo and program of speakers and classes, WASTECON offers unparalleled opportunities for attendees to meet informally with peers, renew old acquaintances, and match ideas with solid waste professionals from all around the world.

WASTECON 2009 takes place September 22–24 at Long Beach, CA, and, if you are a solid waste manager, what better opportunity could you possibly find for involving your board members, many of whom came to their positions with little or no formal experience in the field? Ready or not, they’re responsible for overseeing the budget and operations of a highly complex, costly, and politically sensitive activity, so what could be more appropriate than WASTECON for allowing them to rub elbows with the most experienced group of people in the industry?

Having served several years as a member of our local transit district board—a post I took up with high regard for my qualifications, only to find I didn’t know diddly squat—I can promise you that the most valuable several days of my tenure were spent at the annual conference put on by SWANA’s counterpart in the transit industry, the American Public Transit Association (APTA). There I became acquainted with APTA members from around the nation and learned firsthand how they approached their responsibilities.

How about suggesting to your waste board that its members go to at least one WASTECON during their tenure to get an overview of the entire field? And along those lines, what could be a better place to start than Long Beach?