Tim Ginn, General Manager at Republic Services, shares his unique journey from politics to waste management. Tim always had an interest in how communities work and what allows them to thrive. Much of this passion came from an early age and watching his grandfather's involvement in all the small town happenings and politics. From his first job of working for a small Texas town, to helping shape policy in the Governor’s office, he learned the ins and outs of keeping a community running. Helping create, shape and execute policy is no easy task, but an important one. Tim believes that folks should be involved in their communities, because after all, it is a community's direct input that ultimately shapes policy. After spending the beginning of his career in public service, Tim decided he wanted to take a more private sector approach to his passion and took a chance on waste management. Not the normal job one would get after earning an MBA, but Tim says this was one of the best decisions he has ever made. He talks about the incredible people that he gets to work with and how the tenures in this industry can be decades long, because people know they are directly making their communities better. Running a waste management operation is an enormous endeavor, that requires a balance of process and grit. Tim dives into the nuances of trash, misunderstandings about recycling and the intricacies of running a landfill. What you may not know is how waste management sites are able to gather and replenish water, as well as harvest gas for reuse. Running this operation is more like running a mini-city. Tim is excited about he future of waste management and their focus on sustainability and environmental impacts. Without the hard work of everyday folks who keep their communities clean, our world would be a very different place.
