Five candidates are running for four seats as ISRI directors-at-large. Those elected will serve two-year terms. Scrap News asked the candidates the same series of questions and here are their answers, listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Sunil Bagaria, CEO, GDB International Inc.
What should people know about your journey in the recycling industry?
My recycling journey has been the most rewarding journey of my life. Our company, GDB International, is a living example of the American Dream, which holds true even today, whereby the equality of opportunity is accorded to everyone. The recycling industry has trained and taught me to find and seek value in everything that is “scrap,” which sometimes may not be very apparent at first sight. This journey offered us the opportunity to become an ISRI member wherein new life-long friendships were forged, and new business partnerships and opportunities were developed. I can safely say our industry enables us to do something good for our mother Earth while making a good living.
What ISRI experiences have best prepared you to be a director-at-large?
ISRI has personally taught me to be fearless in expressing an opinion and never be afraid to ask a question when in doubt. This was only possible because ISRI’s leadership has always encouraged bonhomie and comradery amongst its members. OneISRI, which is the most important initiative of ISRI within the organization, makes all the commodities equal while re-cementing the importance of “Together we are stronger.” This same concept can be extended to one’s family and I have always preached this to my two sons. I could have never dreamt that one day, because of ISRI, I would have the opportunity to give testimonies in front of lawmakers to put forward our industry’s needs and viewpoints so that industry-friendly legislation could be enacted.
What are your goals for ISRI for the next two years?
I want to see ISRI continue to make an impact before proposed legislations that are detrimental to our industry become laws. Secondly, it will be my endeavor to work diligently toward increasing ISRI’s membership, especially in the Plastics Division. In my view, ISRI’s biggest strength lies in its dedicated staff members who are so knowledgeable and experienced and certainly go beyond to see our industry continue to address challenges. However, my biggest goal in ISRI will be to work toward a better understanding and appreciation of different businesses of its members.
Each recycling commodity has its unique set of challenges and sometimes the solutions are not one-size-fits-all. I think better understanding and knowledge will help us appreciate each other’s efforts better.
Brandi Harleaux, CEO, South Post Oak Recycling Center
What should people know about your journey in the recycling industry?
Prior to recycling, I spent 13 years in industries such as aerospace, retail, and entertainment in the Los Angeles area focused on strategy, change management, organizational development, and mergers/acquisitions. I entered the recycling industry over nine years ago and brought those experiences into South Post Oak Recycling Center (SPORC) along with a powerful desire to learn everything about the industry, the great people in it, and a fervor to have an impact in our business and the industry as whole.
Soon after joining the business, I plugged into the Gulf Coast Chapter (and was asked to join the board) as well as our state legislative/advocacy organization (The Recycling Council of Texas). Within three months of joining SPORC & ISRI, I attended my first National Convention in Orlando, Fla., and three months after that was in Washington, D.C., for my first fly-in.
Immediately I saw the value and need to be on the “frontline” of local regulation/legislation knowing that if we didn’t have a voice and seat at the table we would be in a defensive position as opposed to offensive. Within a year of being in the industry I was asked to serve on the Houston Metals Air Pollution Task Force, which was a five-year commitment. This was a private-public task force that included city of Houston officials/departments, environmental interest groups, community groups, and metals recyclers. I worked side-by-side with my industry peers as well as the community and political/environmental stakeholders to influence perceptions about the industry and walk away from the project with new legislative advocates.
What was necessary was a unified fight and the ability to be a leader in the community and in business. This is an example of one experience that enabled me to share lesson learned about the process, challenges, and overall results/impact. Of course, these efforts occurred in conjunction with running the business! It became clear that being involved in the community, having ongoing conversations with legislatures, and having ongoing conversations about the impact of the recycling industry would just be part of doing business!
What ISRI experiences have best prepared you to be a director-at-large?
First, would be managing the realities of running a business daily. From ensuring we are operating the most efficiently and effectively, ensuring financial soundness, ensuring customers and consumers needs are met with the goal of positioning ourselves for profitable sustainable growth with a great team as the backbone—and at the same time managing the curve balls of legislation/regulation and markets that fluctuate. I would call this a “boots on the ground” form of preparedness.
Being involved in the Gulf Coast Chapter in various capacities since 2013 as well as currently serving as the Communications Chair, which is hyper-focused on providing information and value to our members, have been one avenue toward preparedness. Managing member surveys and analyzing feedback resulting in offering solutions that drive financial decisions that influence value we bring to members as well as how they want to receive information have aided in knowing the “voice” of our members. Being part of a chapter that invites “others to play” and get involved regardless of geography has opened the doors to conversations about challenges and opportunities across regions. I would call this the “bottoms up” form of preparedness.
Actively serving on the Executive Committee the past two years has been a great platform to listen, learn, strategize, advise, implement, and evaluate impact. It has enabled me to see, influence, and make decisions about the trade association that are ideally in the best interest of our members to include value and benefit from a “top-down perspective.” As a member and part of the leadership, I can see first-hand the resources available to members as well as the strengths and opportunities in deploying them. I’ve seen the increasing need to focus on encroachment issues (which vary by state) with our businesses, community perceptions, and legislative policy that all impact how we do business today but most importantly how we will need to do business effectively in the future.
What are your goals for ISRI for the next two years?
Looking toward the future and where our industry and society are headed, I’d like to see us continue to bring more value to our members by focusing on resources and tools that will help members in the areas of organized state legislative resources/tools; continue to raise the profile of our industry by “meeting people where they are” to effectively connect-the-dots on our value as a recycling industry; and agree to an overall strategy and operational direction with metrics we as industry leaders are held accountable to. I want to equip members with access to necessary tools and resources that will enable them to grow their businesses (first priority) while staying involved in the evolution of the community and legislatures view and the recycling industry’s integral part in sustainability. One example would be continuing to increase momentum, efforts, and resources to support members at the state level.
I’ve been active for almost 10 years, and along the way have had some great mentors from diverse backgrounds and experience levels. I’ve also led and rolled up my sleeves at a chapter level and national level. These experiences allowed me to work alongside some great people and industry leaders with a breadth of knowledge as well as build some phenomenal relationships.
I’m here to be a leader that provides value. I’m walking in similar shoes to many people reading this. I’ve worked in other environments and industries, yet I come to work every day realizing we are all in this together! I love this industry.
Aaron Plitt, Vice President, AMG Resources Corp.
What should people know about your journey in the recycling industry?
I always tell people, “I’m just a simple scrap guy from the Midwest just trying to eke out a living in the big city.” From torching at Shapiro Brothers in St. Louis, testifying before the Surface Transportation Board (STB), serving as a chapter president, to running a division at AMG Resources in Pittsburgh, it has been an amazing ride with a lot more to come.
What ISRI experiences have best prepared you to be a director-at-large?
Being a chapter president, my advocacy with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), and service on boards for other associations.
What are your goals for ISRI for the next two years?
Reduce the deficit. Continue our advocacy with the STB and other Environmental Justice initiatives. OneISRI.
Andrew Wahl, President, TAV Holdings Inc.
What should people know about your journey in the recycling industry?
I started over 30 years ago on the nonferrous side but always viewed the use of all recyclable commodities as being important for the future of our planet to reduce CO2 emissions. The most interesting things are the technical developments since the start of my journey and recognizing that you never stop learning new things. More than ever I strongly support that “Recycling is Essential.”
What ISRI experiences have best prepared you to be a director-at-large?
Chairing many committees and task forces along with attending all the board meetings over the past 20-plus years have given me a lot of insight to our industry’s daily challenges and meeting so many key members of our industry that share the same passion trying to find and work on solutions.
What are your goals for ISRI for the next two years?
To help take our industry to the next level to face oncoming challenges and work actively on our rebranding as commenced during my leadership of the Communications Committee in the last two years.
Leonard Zeid, Manager of Paper Trading, Midland Davis Corp.
What should people know about your journey in the recycling industry?
Like many of our members who were not born into a scrap family, I never would have guessed this is where my life experience would take me and that I would develop a passion for the paper brokerage business and the scrap business in a broader sense. After college in 1978, I began my career in public accounting and one of my very first client visits was to a scrap paper processing plant. My initial client work was in the finance segment of scrap recycling. Learning about that company opened my eyes to a business I knew nothing about. Ironically on Earth Day years later, the owner of that business offered me a position at his company as a broker. I eagerly accepted and have never regretted my decision. My involvement in Paper Stock Industries (PSI) began soon after that, as did my decision to also become involved in ISRI. Rapidly I participated in various ISRI committees and attended ISRI board of directors’ meetings for several years prior to joining the ISRI board as a PSI chapter representative and Paper Division representative. Through this involvement, I also learned more about the metals and plastics recycling industries. Today, I trade in those commodity groups, as well as paper. Many of my friends are in the scrap industry, not just paper but in other commodities as well. I find through our conversations that we are all dealing with similar opportunities and challenges in our businesses.
What ISRI experiences have best prepared you to be a director-at-large?
I have been participating in ISRI board meetings for more than 20 years. Through my role as president of the PSI Chapter, I became involved in the ISRI board, as well as the Committee of Chapter Presidents. Prior to that, I was on the board as Paper Division chair. Throughout those roles, I was active in various ISRI committees including Leadership, Membership, Challenges and Opportunities, Finance, Communication, and Trade. I also have had the privilege and honor of representing ISRI, joining ISRI President Robin Wiener on a trip to Indonesia to lobby and negotiate with its government on Indonesia’s potential ban on mixed paper. Currently, I am the chair of the Recyclability Protocol Committee.
What are your goals for ISRI for the next two years?
My goals are to strengthen ISRI’s position within and outside of our industry as the voice of the recycling industry. We realize that the conversation is no longer simply between industry players. Today, we must communicate with the community, as well as local, state, and federal officials, and in some cases foreign governments. We must fortify our lobbying efforts to protect our members and our industry. Long-term development of future leadership at the chapter and national levels is also essential.
Election Schedule
The ISRI Board of Directors election will be during ISRI2022 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 24, at the Mandalay Bay Ballroom I-J in Las Vegas.
Photo of Sunil Bagaria courtesy of GBD International. Photo of Brandi Harleaux courtesy of South Post Oak Recycling Center. Remaining photos courtesy of ISRI.
Additional Resources
