(UNDATED ) – Governor Eric Holcomb recently made appointments to the Recycling Market Development Board (RMDB). The RMDB, as established by IC 4-23-5.5, approves grants for business, non-profit, solid waste district, and school projects involving the creation of new products or markets for products made from recycled materials. Their mission is to promote innovative projects to make Indiana a leader in recycling and waste reduction. The RMDB consists of nine voting members, who are appointed by the Governor’s Office, as well as seven non-voting ex-officio members.
The governor made four new appointments to the board who will serve until July 31, 2024:
- Debbie Hackman (Brownstown), executive director of the Jackson County Recycling District. Previously, she worked as the recycling manager for Rumpke Recycling in Louisville, KY. Hackman is passionate about helping all communities, regardless of their size, by finding solutions to recycling dilemmas.
- Craig Lutz (Indianapolis), manager of municipal services for Republic Services. Lutz started his career with Republic Services in 2002. Lutz’s responsibilities include earning and maintaining contracts with municipal partners in Central Indiana, Kokomo, Lafayette, Wabash, and Fort Wayne.
- Andrew Nunan (Crawfordsville), senior operations manager for ERI, Inc. Nunan has been with ERI, Inc. for more than seven years and oversees the company’s Plainfield plant.
- Sandy Whitehead (Aurora), director of the Dearborn County Solid Waste Management District. Whitehead has worked in the environmental field for 16 years in a variety of areas including conducting environmental site assessments, asbestos sampling, waste and recycling account management, and education. In 2017, Whitehead helped the City of Greendale develop its own curbside recycling program and was an integral part of the City winning a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in 2019.
The governor also made four reappointments to the board who will serve until July 31, 2024:
- Bruce Burrow (Columbus), assistant sales manager with Rumpke Waste & Recycling Services.
- Matt Gratz (Fort Wayne), solid waste/recycling manager with the City of Fort Wayne.
- Terry Guerin (Anderson), government affairs professional with Southside Landfill.
- Kelly Weger (Fishers), lead service manager of sustainability with the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Tara Wessler-Henry (Connersville) with the Indiana Department of Agriculture will continue to represent the Lt. Governor’s Office as a district support specialist.
The Recycling Market Development Program offers grants to the public and since 2008, the RMDB has awarded $7.8 million toward 100 projects, creating up to 847 jobs. In 2021, IDEM anticipates funding for projects that facilitate the development and implementation of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling in Indiana. Projects should result in one or more of the following:
- An increase in recyclable material collection or consumption
- A reduction in municipal solid waste shipped for final disposal
- Improved partnerships with communities, including not only economic impacts, but increased public awareness of recycling opportunities through tangible outreach and education efforts
By fostering the recycling markets in Indiana through these grants, IDEM supports the growth of the state’s recycling sector infrastructure. Additional results include higher value end products, local economic growth, and insulation of both public programs and private businesses from global market changes.
For information, please visit https://www.in.gov/idem/recycle/2358.htm.
