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PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mary Ann Remolador, maryann@nerc.org
Date: November 29, 2021

First Two Trainings of NERC's DE&I Series Scheduled - Dec 9 & Feb 2

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is offering a national, four-part Training Series about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) for the recycling and solid waste industries.  The first two Trainings will be held on  December 9 and February 2, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. eastern.  The Trainings are free-of-charge for all. 

The December 9 Training—Making the Case for DE&Iis about building the foundation for DE&I in the workplace. For many, gaining the approval of senior management to support DE&I, is a major battle.  Tamara Lundgren, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Stef Murray, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Vice President, Human Resources of  Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. will present the evolution of DE&I at Schnitzer Steel.  Their talk will include the barriers faced, the data and resources used to support the DE&I transition process, the positive impacts it has had on employee morale and retention, and the competitive advantage it has created for the company. 

Cheryl Coleman, Vice President of Sustainability for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), will also present.  Ms. Coleman will focus on how to make diversity, equity and inclusion part of sustainability goals and workplace culture by prioritizing it in everyday practices. She will discuss some examples of what these practices may include.  

Registration Link https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2YHBEkerRGGo2MLb-6Wj9w 
Thank you to West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum for hosting the Training.

The February 2 Training—Recognizing & Addressing Unconscious Biasoffers a practical approach to identifying and addressing our unconscious biases and the negative impact they have in the workplace; as well as providing strategies for inclusion.  

The Training will feature two speakers—Nidhi Turakhia Executive Vice President of Allied Alloys and Willie Johnson, CEO of Willie Johnson Communications.  The presenters will lay the groundwork for the Training by defining unconscious bias,  helping us to recognize our personal identity and its influence on our biases, raising our awareness about the impact our biases have on our and our co-workers' work performances, and developing strategies for inclusion and implementing a DE&I program in the workplace and in our personal lives.  

Registration Link
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsceispjspGdAtlwmdVQqpUqjy--9oOtrL

More details about the Training presenters may be found at https://nerc.org/conferences-and-workshops/de-and-i-training-series

Two Additional Trainings will be offered in the series.  The topics to be featured include: 

  • Building Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Government Workers 
  • Engaging with Diverse Communities

NERC would like to recognize and thank its partners for their commitment and passion in developing the Training Series content.  They include:

  • Dan Schoonmaker & Isabel Soberal, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
  • Cherish Miller, Revolution
  • Steve Changaris, National Waste & Recycling Association
  • Stef Murray, Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.
  • Nidhi Turakhia, Allied Alloys
  • Renee Panetta, City of Troy & NYSAR3’s DEI Committee
  • Willie Johnson, Willie Johnson Communications

NERC also thanks the sponsors of the DE&I Training and NERC’s work on DE&I:

  • Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries
  • National Waste & Recycling Association
  • Revolution