2020 is officially over, and I imagine most of us have a collective “Whew!” on it. While 2020 was a challenging year for everyone, I’m proud to see our industry rise to the occasion. During this time, we have all pulled together and provided the essential services to our communities required in a time of great need. We’ve all experienced the increases in waste generation rates over the last 10 months and the financial and logistical burdens that came with it. And yet, as an industry, we were there to help. I’ve seen so many instances of people celebrating collection professionals as they come down the street. Never has there been a time of such appreciation for the services we provide. We should all be proud of what we have accomplished in 2020! As a Chapter, we’ve adapted to the times and found ways to still bring value to the members. We changed the Annual 2020 Conference into a host of virtual sessions in order for everyone to continue their professional improvement and worked hard to keep everyone up to date on industry changes. We had our first ever virtual tour for the Chapter (free to the membership) with great success! If you haven’t seen it, check out the link below in this newsletter.

Going into 2021, I see this as the year of “hope”. With the roll out of vaccines, the possibilities of coming back together face-to-face are encouraging. I know we’re all missing getting together and the benefits of in person interaction, and we’ll get there. The Chapter is planning for the Region 6 Conference this August in Roanoke, Virginia in addition to our annual Regulatory Session. In the meantime, the Board is working hard to provide you with virtual content until then. You can take advantage of what is currently available, by going to our training page on the website to access past trainings.  I wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for everything you are doing for our communities!