The Serious Business of Positive Emotions- Easy & Proven Tools to Achieve Personal and Professional Success

Get a blast of personal and corporate well-being in this inspirational introduction to the science of positive psychology. Learn about the research results that prove happiness leads to greater success. Come away with simple, applicable skills that will fuel your personal happiness and create positive contagion amongst the people you influence.

The field of positive psychology research has massively expanded our understanding of human potential. Most of this discovery has happened in the last 15 years. We now know that happiness is not a lucky outcome resulting from a fortunate upbringing. Rather, happiness generally results from skills we can all learn.

If your company knows “what to do”, but too often falls short, you will discover new insights about how to powerfully engage employees and change corporate culture.

Track A: Paul Krismer Breakout Session 1

Leaders as Role Models— Stepping Beyond the Limitations of Management: How Leaders Can Win the Hearts and Minds of Staff and Customers

Traditional employee engagement programs often buy the loyalty of employees’ bodies (workers show up) but do not win their hearts and minds. In this talk, learn direct interventions that change the way employees FEEL about their work and their workmates. Leverage positive psychology to bring creativity, productivity, and joy into your workplace!

Transformative organizational change occurs when bosses are coaches who lead with emotional intelligence and profound personal integrity.

Track B: Disaster Debris Management: Planning & Execution, Christine Collier and Jennifer Jordan

Wind, tornadoes, floods and other disasters are an increasing part of our reality. Is your landfill ready? This panel session will include perspectives from entities which can provide resources for planning and operations. They will help you think through planning for disaster debris, what resources are available, and how to keep your staff safe.

Planning:  What does a Disaster Debris Management Plan look like?  What do you need to include?  Who can help you prepare it? Do you need to have one separate from the County Plan or is your facility included in the County Plan? Who else needs to know about it? What resources are you missing? Do you have access to more space for trash or tree debris?  What equipment might you need?  Do you have access to extra help? Does it make sense for your agency to train on the National Incident Management System (NIMS)?

During: What's the process and communication chain for getting help from EMA?  What does outreach and direction to public look like?  How can you support your staff?  What do you need to track for potential reimbursement?

After:  Will there be any reimbursement available?  Did your preparations help?  Is it time to update your plan? Who's involve in the debrief?

Track A: Paul Krismer Breakout Session 2

Stopping the Great Resignation - Retaining and Recruiting Talent is All About Psychological Capital

Record-breaking volumes of resignations are happening in every industry. More than 40% of the workforce is actively contemplating leaving their employment within the next 12 months! The crisis in recruiting and retaining talented employees is only going to get worse — far worse — unless your business becomes the exception.

Employers must recognize that a new class of workers has emerged from the pandemic, with a drastic shift in the workplace-worker dynamic. Therefore, it is critical to invest in psychological capital to enrich the employee experience.

Learn to ride the wave of the Great Resignation, without wiping out!

Track B: PFAS Update, Gina Wilming and Kristyn Oldendort

In progress. Provide an update on regulations and the ISOSWO PFAS Receivers Group. NOTE: potential to co-present with Kristyn Oldendorf (SWANA rep). I'm working with Garrett to see if she's interested (she is attending) and what topics she would focus on. I'll update my presentation information once we have this

Track A: Education Roundtable

There have never been more ways to communicate and communicating has never been more difficult! If you know, you know; and if you don’t know, this session may be for you too! Join Education and Communication Coordinator Bev Wagner, of Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency, as she moderates a round table about all things related to trying to help people learn and care about solid waste and recycling.

Track B: Stakeholder Panel on Batteries

Hear from industry stakeholders who will share ideas about managing batteries in Iowa and recommendations for supporting legislation that promotes responsible battery management. Panelist will include Environmental Engineer Garrett Prestegard, Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste and ISOSWO President, Area Director of Government Affairs Julie Ketchum, WM; Chief Executive Officer Michael McCoy, Metro Waste Authority; Portable Rechargeable Battery Association Representative.

Track A: Compost Roundtable

If you are passionate about compost, want to learn more, or get help with your operations, this session is for you! Moderated by Iowa Composting Council Board Vice Chair Jeff Phillips, SCS Engineers, topics from operations to lessons learned and anything in between are on the table.

Track B: AI in the Waste Industry - A Non-Technical Talk, Joe Bolick

This presentation will take a broad look at what AI is and how it is currently being used in the waste and recycling industry. It will also focus on how attendees can leverage existing AI tools and technologies to benefit this industry as a whole and what the future of AI in the waste industry may look like.

This Food Waste Prevention & Management Study was prepared on behalf of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The goals of this study were to:

  *   Identify opportunities to reduce food waste in the state of Iowa.

  *   Review existing food donation and food waste processing infrastructure (for example, composting, processing at water resource recovery facilities, and anaerobic digestion).

  *   Consider options to increase food waste management for productive uses in Iowa.

An update from Emily Sisk (HDR) will include an overview of the process of the Food Waste Prevention & Management Study, key findings, and study outcomes.

Share, listen, and learn about operations for landfills, transfer stations, and material recovery facilities as well as unique safety challenges during this round table moderated by Field Project Coordinator Todd Courtney, SCS Engineers; and Environmental Health and Safety Manager Nolan Moore, Waste Commission of Scott County and ISOSWO Safety Ambassador.