The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) awarded Harvey Gershman, GBB Founder Owner Associate and Co-Founder, the prestigious 2019 Lawrence Lecture Award at WASTECON 2019, in Phoenix, AZ. The award is presented annually to an individual recognized as a leader and expert with a substantial, significant, and sustained contribution to the field of solid waste management / environmental protection.
With a passion for the environment that stems from the first Earth Day, in 1970, Harvey has dedicated his whole career to the field of solid waste management as an adviser to government and industry, specializing in strategic guidance and infrastructure/services development assistance to solid waste service/system managers and owners.
More importantly, as a thought leader, he has always made it a priority to share ideas and lessons learned with his peers in the industry to advance the cause he is passionate about: innovative, sustainable solutions for solid waste management. He also put a premium on mentoring and empowering young professionals in the industry, instilling in them his work ethic and passion.
As the 2019 Lawrence Lecture Award winner, Harvey was part of the line-up of keynote speakers at WASTECON as part of the Pathway to Innovation conference theme. In an insightful and inspiring presentation, he provided his firsthand take into the evolution of solid waste management since the ‘70s; lessons learned along the way; insight into key projects that have resulted in sustainable, efficient integrated waste management systems and accepted by their communities and leadership; and words of wisdom along with some interesting anecdotes based on his extensive industry experience!
- SWANA’s press release announcing the award
- PowerPoint of the Lawrence Lecture presentation (PDF file)
See his complete keynote presentation in this 42-minute video:
In this 3-minute video, Harvey talks about his career, SWANA, and the Lawrence Lecture Award:
