CONFERENCE PROGRAM ¹

SWANA-GEORGIA CHAPTER

2026 FALL CONFERENCE

JEKYLL ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER

September 9-11, 2026

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Chapter Board Meeting (Meeting Rooms 2&3)

Exhibitor Setup (Ballroom A)

10:30 AM

Registration Open (Oceanside Registration Desk)

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Opening Lunch & Keynote Address (Ballroom B)

Welcome Note – Monte Jones, President SWANA-GA Chapter

Awards - Jeff Smith, Awards Committee Chair, SWANA-GA Chapter 

Keynote Address – When the World Comes to Town: The City of Atlanta’s Public Works Playbook for FIFA 2026 - City of Atlanta Public Works Commissioner Cyril Turner, Director Moses Tejuoso, and Director Tracie Chambers

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Exhibitor Break (Ballroom A)

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

(Ballroom B)

Getting Smart with Drop off Recycling – Andrew Talkish, Greenville County 

Planning for Integrated Solid Waste Management: Strategies for Building Resilient Systems – Anna Stechschulte & Anna Schnittker, Geosyntec Consultants

Mapping Escaped Trash Risk: A National Tool for Prioritizing Cleanup and Prevention  – Kathryn Youngblood, University of Georgia 

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Exhibitor Break (Ballroom A)

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

(Ballroom B)

Operator Safety and Confined Space Entry – Chris Jones, Meriwether Site Solutions 

Landfill Operations Panel - Compaction Trends  – Michael Snipes, Brad Rickard, Susan Harrison, Charlie Cleveland, Konstantin Kugar

Buried Treasure: Excavation, Processing, Reclamation, and Recovery! – Curtis Reynolds & David Henry, Harbin Engineering

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Low Country Boil Opening Reception w/ Outdoor Equipment Exhibitors, Cornhole Tournament: Cash Bar, Door Prizes, Live Music (Great Dunes Pavilion)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

6:30 AM – 7:30 AM

5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk (Meet at Convention Center entrance)^2,3

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast with Exhibitors (Ballroom A)

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

(Ballroom B)

What to Expect When We're Inspecting – Stephen Wurtz, Georgia EPD

Georgia EPD`s Solid Waste Characterization Study and Post-consumer Materials Management Plan – Sarah W. Knapp, Georgia EPD 

Economics of a Landfill – Raymond Hoffman, Quad R Materials

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Exhibitor Break (Ballroom A)

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

(Ballroom B)

CQA - Managing Risk Between Design and Construction – Vinuta Sheshappanavar and Daniel Kim, SCS Engineers

Trying to Save Money on GCCS Expansion Projects: The Most Expensive Decision You Can Make – Ryan Gould, Integrity Environmental Solutions

Survey QA at Landfills – Spencer Johnson, Surveying and Mapping, LLC (SAM)

12:00 PM

Golf Tournament at Pine Lakes Jekyll Island Golf Club ^2,4 

12:00 PM 

Community Service Project with Keep Georgia Beautiful ^2,3,4

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Young Professional Pickleball Event ²

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Casino Night (Dinner Buffet / Cash Bar / Door Prizes / Raffle / Awards!) (Ballroom A)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast with Exhibitors (Ballroom A)

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

(Ballroom B)

Don’t Let Your AI Talk Trash: The AI Strike Workshop – EMILY Revolutionary Marketing Group 

Landfill Settlement 101: Considerations to "Resist the Squish" – Larry Simonson, Bunnell-Lammons Engineering (BLE)

Planning for the Future of Solid Waste: Updating South Carolina`s Solid Waste Management Plan – Phillip Westmoreland & Rachel Musetti, HDR; Sallie Williams, South Carolina Department of Environmental Services

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Exhibitor Break (Ballroom A)

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

(Ballroom B)

A Goo Review: EREF, Hinkley Center and Progressive Environmental Research and Experience Update – Steven Carl, Progressive Environmental 

Preparing for PFAS Regulations in Landfill Leachate: Practical Strategies for Transitioning from Removal to Destruction – Ronit Erlitzki, Aquatech

EPD Solid Waste Management Program Updates – William Cook, EPD

11:30 AM

Final Door Prizes / Exhibitor Break-Down / Adjourn

¹ Details subject to change

² Pre-registration required

³ All participants will be required to sign a waiver onsite prior to the event

⁴ Box lunch provided

Conference Attendees may earn up to 10 professional development hours (PDHs) towards their Georgia Landfill Operator Certification Renewal by attending the conference in its entirety.