WSRA 2016 Conference & Trade Show Keynote Addresses to Feature a Generational Expert and a Stand Up Comedian
Hannah Ubl with Bridgeworks and Yoram Bauman, PhD to Present
The Washington State Recycling Association’s (WSRA) 36th Annual Conference & Trade Show will be held at the Wenatchee Convention Center in Wenatchee WA, May 15-18. The conference is a prime opportunity for those in the solid waste industry to connect with colleagues, clients, and friends as well as delve into a strong agenda of breakout sessions and tours focused on the pivotal issues and innovative work being done in the industry.
WSRA is especially excited about the unique opening and closing keynote addresses that this year’s schedule has to offer. Kicking off the conference on Monday, May 16, the opening address will be from Hannah Ubl, a principal speaker with the Bridgeworks organization, who describe themselves as “The Generation People”. Attendees will dive into the background of how and why different generations communicate and work the way they do. The presentation will be catered to the recycling industry and the specific environmental influencers that shaped each generation. A mix or entertainment and education, Hannah’s presentation will apply to every attendee, no matter what generation they are. With the changing workforce of the recycling industry, the tools and knowledge that wait in this session can be applied throughout the conference and more importantly in the workplaces of attendees. WSRA Board Member Lisa Sepanski of King County Solid Waste Division shared, “My organization will have 50% of our workforce retiring in five years. We will need to hire new employees from many different generational groups. The next few years will be a transitional period when the institutional knowledge from boomers gets passed on to these new employees. I believe this presentation would help our organization to learn the best ways to build new productive relationships right from the get go.”
Closing out the conference on Wednesday, May 18 is the “the world’s first and only Stand-Up Economist”, Yoram Bauman PhD. Yoram will bring his knowledge and humor to attendees before they head back to their workplaces. Yoram performs regularly at colleges and corporate events, sharing the stage with everyone from the late Robin Williams to Paul Krugman. He has appeared in TIME Magazine and on PBS and NPR, and is the co-author of the Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change and the two-volume Cartoon Introduction to Economics, which is now available in Chinese, German, Italian, etc. Speaking of foreign languages, he is also the organizer of the humor session at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association.