This article was written by Kent Kiser.
ISRI’s Gulf Coast Region (GCR) has selected ISRI President Robin K. Wiener as the recipient of its 2022 Israel Proler Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the recycling industry. GCR will honor Wiener with the award on Thursday, June 23, at its 2022 summer convention and expo in New Orleans, which runs June 21-24.
“I am thrilled Robin Wiener is this year’s Proler Award recipient,” says GCR President Nidhi Turakhia, executive vice president of Houston-based Allied Alloys. “She has paved a path for us women in recycling and has been so instrumental to the tremendous transformation of ISRI’s Women in Recycling Council. She continues to educate, inspire, and lead by example for all of us. Personally, I am so grateful to have her as a mentor who has inspired me through her dedication.”
Wiener joined ISRI in 1989, initially serving as the association’s environmental compliance coordinator, then as assistant counsel and director of environmental compliance. She became ISRI’s executive director in June 1997. In March 2000, ISRI’s board conferred on her the title of president.
In addition to her ISRI leadership role, Wiener serves as a board member for Keep America Beautiful, The Recycling Partnership, and JASON Learning. Previously, she was a board member for Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), the National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Recycling Council (NRC). She also served for more than 10 years as an appointee on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC-12), among other posts.
Among her distinctions, Wiener holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a chemical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science.
“Robin Wiener exemplifies service, professionalism, and resilience,” says GCR First Vice President Becky Proler, co-founder and CEO of Houston-based Southern Core Recycling (SCR). “Through her leadership of ISRI for the past 25 years, she has navigated the association—and our industry—through many obstacles and has fostered many leaders along the way. In short, Robin has earned this honor.”
Past GCR President and 2020 Proler Award recipient Mel Wright, president of Wright’s Scrap Metals in Beaumont, Texas adds: “During my time as a chapter president, I had the privilege of working closely with Robin, and I can tell you that she outworks most of us. If you send her an email late at night, boom, she responds immediately. The schedule she keeps is crazy between ISRI and her family responsibilities. She is, in short, a rock star and a great leader of our trade association.”
The Proler Award is named in memory of Israel Proler, founder of Proler International Corp. in Houston, who served as Gulf Coast Chapter President of the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (an ISRI predecessor) from 1955-1956. Among his professional achievements, “Izzie” Proler helped develop the forerunner of today’s modern automobile shredder along with his brothers Sam and Herman “Hymie” Proler.
Photo courtesy of ISRI.
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