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Born: I was born in Chicago in 1973. Later, I raised my family in the western suburbs of Chicago before moving to Ohio more than five years ago for my current role at Rumpke Waste & Recycling. Today, I live halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus.
Education: I earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Purdue University in 1995.
Family: I’ve been married for more than 30 fun-filled years to my husband Pat. We have two daughters—Natalie, who is an elementary school teacher in Illinois, and Dana, who is just wrapping up six years in the U.S. Navy onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. She will work for a naval contractor upon completion of her contract.
When and how did you start working in the recycling industry? After graduating from Purdue, I began giving tours for the DuPage County Intermediate Processing Facility—or IPF—in Carol Stream, Illinois. (That’s what a MRF was called back in the 1990s!) We gave tours and educated the public on how to reduce, reuse and recycle. Eventually, WM took over the plant and I began learning more about the waste industry and the company’s hauling operation in Batavia, Illinois. In time I made my transition from waste operations into the wonderful world of recycling. Before joining Rumpke, I spent eight years at Pratt Industries just as they were opening their Valparaiso, Indiana, and Wapakoneta, Ohio, paper mills. I had spent most of my career in more of a sales role, so when this position at Rumpke came along, it complemented my past experiences and became the perfect job for me.
What was it about the industry that inspired you to build a career in it? No two days are the same, even after more than 30 years. That’s what keeps me coming into work each day, waiting to see what challenge I’ll have to solve that day. Aside from that, it’s also the people—good old-school personal relationships. This is an industry that still has many people who like to have real conversations on the phone or over lunch.
What have been your most rewarding professional achievements? Personal achievements? Professionally, I’ve been proud to be a small part of the building of the Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center in Columbus, Ohio, which received the 2025 Recycling Facility of the Year honor from the National Waste & Recycling Association.
As for personal achievements, that’s a no-brainer. I’m proudest of raising two independent, strong-minded women who kick butt every day in this world—Natalie in her role as a teacher and Dana in the Navy. We think we have struggles and challenges in recycling, but they all become relative when I think of Dana and all the men and women out there serving to keep us free and safe.
What are you passionate about? The USA. I come from a family with many veterans, and we are as patriotic as you can get.
If you could improve anything about yourself, what would it be? Lately it’s technology. My husband and I have started calling our daughters for IT or cellphone help. We call them our “IT Department.”
You’re now PSI’s Safety Committee Chair. How and when did that involvement come about? And what motivated you to become a PSI volunteer leader? I got involved through my connection to several current PSI Chapter board members who are old friends from the industry. I just came onboard this past spring, so I’m still learning about the PSI members and the reach of PSI and ReMA.
What benefits have you received from your PSI involvement—either as a leader or in general? The connection to other leaders in the industry. Again, I’m still just scratching the surface because I’m such a new member of the chapter’s leadership ranks.
What are the major challenges facing your company and the overall recycling industry today? Extended producer responsibility, or EPR, is something we are keeping a close eye on. We are monitoring potential impacts to our industry. We also continue to face the challenge of educating the public about all things recycling, especially the fire hazards posed by batteries in the recycling stream. Sorting through new technology and then investing in the right innovation is key. As markets shift, continuing to identifying the right long-term end users is a must. We are always working to make recycling easy, affordable and accessible for all. It's a challenge we strive to overcome every day and everywhere
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