Rutland, Vt., USA - October 20, 2015, Rutland, Vt., USA - Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company, appointed James E. O'Connor to serve as lead independent director of Casella's board of directors.
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Mr. O'Connor, a waste management industry veteran, joined the Casella Board in July 2015. Mr.
O'Connor is the former Chairman of the Board and CEO of Republic Services, Inc., the second largest provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, recycling and disposal services in the United States.
From 1998 to 2011, Mr. O'Connor was CEO of Republic Services, Inc. and served as Chairman of the Board from 2003 to 2011. He has served as CEO of Republic Services for 13 years. Among Mr. O'Connor's many achievements at Republic Services was its transformative acquisition of Allied Waste in December 2008.
Prior to joining Republic Services, Mr. O'Connor spent close to 30 years at Waste Management, Inc. where he held various senior management positions. Mr. O'Connor entered the waste management industry over 40 years ago as a young entrepreneur by acquiring a small waste management company in Indiana, selling it and then going to work for Waste Management.
In 2001, Mr. O'Connor was the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) which rewards Americans who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage.
He was named to the list of America's Best CEOs each year, between 2005 and 2010. In 2011, Mr. O'Connor was named to the Institutional Investors' All American Executive Team.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America, where he serves on the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Canadian National Railway Company where he Chairs the Board's Strategic Planning Committee and also serves on the Audit, Environment, Safety & Security and Finance Committees. ■