The environmental consulting and contracting firm SCS Engineers, headquartered in Long Beach, California, has announced that two of its staff members -- Tracie Onstad Bills and Leslie Lukacs -- were recently honored with the California Resource Recovery Association’s (CRRA) Service Awards. The two received the awards during the CRRA’s annual Conference Awards Ceremony, held Aug. 9, in Sacramento, California.
According to John Dane, CRRA’s executive director, the award recognizes “exceptional individual service to the organization and a contribution of time or resources beyond expectations.”
Bills, SCS’s sustainable materials management director for Northern California, has been on CRRA’s board of directors for ten years and has served in several leadership positions within the organization, including its president for three years. Her expertise revolves around commercial recycling technical assistance, environmental purchasing, large venue and event zero waste programs, research and sustainability planning, garbage hauler franchise compliance and review, construction and demolition program/ordinance analysis and writing, climate inventory compilation, research and feasibility studies to help SCS clients with comprehensive waste prevention and zero waste programs.
Lukacs, SCS’s sustainable materials management specialist, has been on CRRA’s board for 12 years and has served in a variety of leadership positions. Lukacs founded CRRA’s Green Initiatives for Venues and Events technical council and was an instructor for CRRA’s Resource Management Certification Program for five years. She specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable materials management and zero waste programs and is a pioneer in the greening of venues and events throughout the nation. Lukacs has extensive expertise in the logistics of zero waste, recycling and composting programs, such as outreach management, business assistance, master planning, waste audits and characterization studies, extended producer responsibility ordinance preparation and implementation, compliance, grant writing, and administration are all key to successful long-term programs.
Other winners announced during the CRRA’s annual meeting are the following: Susan Collins, Recycler of the Year; Scott Smithline, Rick Best Environmental Advocacy Award; Marin Carbon Project, Dave Hardy Leadership in Organics Award; 4Rs Student Action Program, Next Generation Recycler Award; Goodwill Industries of San Diego, Outstanding “Closing the Loop” Commitment Award; Mary Williams, San Francisco Department of the Environment, Outstanding C&D; Recycling Award; City of Lancaster Recycling, Outstanding HHW/Universal/Electronic Recycling Award; Moscone Center, Outstanding Practices in Venue/Event Resource Recovery Award; and County of Santa Cruz, Outstanding Recycling Program Award.
