When Rubicon® created the company’s annual George Washington Carver Award, we did so under the premise that at Rubicon, we not only encourage innovation and creative thinking in all of its forms, but we also challenge team members to set the bar for their performance, and their personal goals, high.
Last year, we added two new employee awards: The Thomas Edison Award and The Clara Barton Award. This year, we added a fourth, The Theodore Roosevelt Award, so we can celebrate more employees than ever.
At Rubicon, our employees are at the center of all that we do. Much like our customers, we could not end waste without you, and I am so proud to publicly announce this year’s winners.
The George Washington Carver Award
George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was an agricultural chemist, experimenter, and inventor whose development of new products derived from peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans helped revolutionize the agricultural economy of the South. For much of his career, Mr. Carver taught and conducted research at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2022 winner of the George Washington Carver Award is Damla Meral.
Damla joined Rubicon in 2017 and is a Key Accounts Manager. Nominated for this award by Rubicon’s Chief Commerical Officer, Tom Owston, he said of Damla: “Newly made a Key Account Manager, Damla has led digital integration while simultaneously working to help elevate the talent and performance of the team. Most impressively, she always has a smile on her face and is doing this while raising twin two-year-old boys at home!”
The Thomas Edison Award
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) was an American inventor and businessman who has been described as our country’s greatest inventor. He developed innovations in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures, including electric lights, the phonograph, and the fluoroscopy.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2022 winner of the Thomas Edison Award is Atta Hassan.
Atta joined Rubicon in 2021 and is a Commercial Operations Manager focusing on Commercial Finance. Nominated for this award by last year’s winner of the George Washington Carver Award, Jordan Pilsch, and Sustainability Analyst Carolyn Burch, Jordan said of Atta: “Atta is very down to earth and transparent, she always keeps her spirits high and is positive. She is willing to help anyone, and even if she can’t provide a solution herself, she will enthusiastically guide the person to someone who can. There’s never a ‘not my job’ comment from Atta, and she truly embodies the spirit of Rubicon.”
The Clara Barton Award
Clara Barton (1821-1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then truly formalized and she did not attend nursing school, she taught herself the necessary skills and techniques.
We are thrilled to announce that the 2022 winner of the Clara Barton Award is Makeda Guillory.
Makeda joined Rubicon in 2019 and is a Circular Economy Specialist. Nominated for this award by the 2019 winner of the George Washington Carver Award, Ryan Cooper, he said of Makeda: “Similar to Clara Burton’s drive to innovate and serve, during Makeda’s years of service to Rubicon she has diligently and consistently worked to improve processes within and across teams. One example is when she has gone the extra mile and participated in Rubicon’s Green Team activities, such as waste audits and staffing waste and recycling stations to help colleagues sort their materials correctly. Another is her avid participation in many of the affinity groups at Rubicon. Those that work with her know that Makeda can be relied upon as a steady, earnest, and positive contributor to the task at hand as well as supporting the culture of Rubicon as a whole.”
The Theodore Roosevelt Award
The 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the youngest President in the Nation’s history, at just 42 years and 322 days at the start of his presidency in 1901. Among many, some of President Theodore Roosevelt’s most effective achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects.
We are thrilled to announce that the very first winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Award is Keith Brooks.
Keith joined Rubicon in 2015 and is an Operations Manager on the Innovation and Hauler Management team. He was nominated for this award by Rubicon’s Chairman and CEO, Nate Morris.
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Congratulations Damla, Atta, Makeda, and Keith. On behalf of the entire team at Rubicon, it is an honor and a privilege to be working alongside you all in our mission to end waste.
Stacie Moore is Vice President of Human Resources at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
