132. Amy Lestition Burke, CEO of SWANA, on Prioritizing Safety, Rebuilding Trust, and Launching a New Event

What happens to your trash and recycling after it leaves the curb? How can associations rebuild trust with members, sponsors, and stakeholders? And what does it take to launch a brand-new conference?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Amy Lestition Burke, CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Amy discusses:SWANA’s mission to advance from waste management to resource management and how the organization represents municipalities, private haulers, engineers, and industry professionals across North America, the Caribbean, and Guam.The complex logistics of waste and recycling management, including collection, sorting, composting, anaerobic digestion, and waste-to-energy solutions.Her transition to the CEO role as the first woman and first leader not from the waste industry, and how she immersed herself in the field through 30+ site visits and chapter meetings.How SWANA updated its strategic goals to prioritize safety, improve industry-wide collaboration, and position itself as a leader in resource management.The critical role SWANA plays in educating the public and government officials on hazardous waste, lithium-ion battery disposal, and the impact of improperly discarded materials.SWANA’s membership growth and efforts to better support and engage its 47 chapters.How Amy and her team have worked to rebuild trust with members, sponsors, and exhibitors through active listening, consistent communication, and results-driven changes.The decision to sunset SWANA’s existing conferences, SOAR and WasteCon, and replace them with a brand-new, rebranded event: RCon.The process of renaming and redesigning RCon, including crowdsourcing the name and focusing on an experience-driven event model that reflects SWANA’s mission.How she is helping staff, leadership, and members embrace change and view it as an opportunity for growth and innovation.References:SWANA WebsiteRCon™ 2025