Personnel

Lee Zeldin sworn in as new EPA administrator

Lee Zeldin has been sworn in as the 17th administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

In the role, Zeldin will work closely with career EPA officials to fulfill the agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

“It is my honor to serve [as] the 17th Environmental Protection Agency administrator,” Zeldin says in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will take great strides to defend every American’s access to clean air, clean water and clean land. We will maintain and expand the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump [outlined] in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity. ... It’s time to get to work.”

Zeldin, 44, said during his Senate confirmation hearing that he has a moral responsibility to be a good steward of the environment and pledged to support career staff who have dedicated themselves to the agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment, the Associated Press reports. 

Zeldin declined to commit to specific policies, however, promising instead not to prejudge outcomes before arriving at the EPA.

Zeldin is in his 22nd year in the United States military and continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. He served in the New York State Senate from 2011-2014 and represented New York’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015-2023. He unsuccessfully ran for governor of New York in 2022.

Former WM executive joins Amp board

David Steiner, former CEO of WM, has been elected to the board of directors at Amp, a Denver-based provider of artificial intelligence-powered sorting for the waste and recycling industry.

Steiner was CEO at WM from 2004 to 2016. He joined Houston-based WM in 2000 and ascended the ranks to become general counsel, chief financial officer and, eventually, CEO. According to Amp, Steiner is credited with delivering strong financial results and repositioning the $85 billion public company as a “leader in the recycling sector.”

“David brings a wealth of leadership experience and an impressive record of execution at the largest environmental solutions provider in North America, and we’re pleased to welcome him to Amp’s board of directors,” Amp CEO Tim Stuart says. “David’s perspective will amplify our efforts to embed our solutions into the waste industry and build on the company’s momentum following a new round of funding and a significant deal with Waste Connections.”

Earlier in his career, Steiner was a partner at the Phelps Dunbar LLP law firm. He currently is the lead independent director of FedEx, where he also chairs the board’s nominating and governance committee, and is a director at Vulcan Materials Co., a Birmingham, Alabama-based producer of construction aggregates.

Steiner has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a juris doctor from UCLA.

“Amp’s solutions are driving strategic change in waste and recycling,” Steiner says in the news release about his appointment to the Amp board.

“I’m eager for the opportunity to join Tim and team and contribute to the expansion of technology that’s enhancing the economics of transfer stations, preserving airspace in areas where landfill expansion is limited and lowering the cost of recycling, all enabling a new model for the processing of municipal solid waste.”

Liebherr appoints managing director of Liebherr USA Co.

The Liebherr Group, a Switzerland-based heavy equipment manufacturer with a regional corporate headquarters in Newport News, Virginia, has announced Hirohito Imakoji as managing director of Liebherr USA Co., a mixed sales organization supporting 10 product segments throughout the United States.

Imakoji joins the Liebherr USA executive management team, where he will work with Kai Friedrich, managing director and divisional director of earthmoving and material handling technology.

In his role, Imakoji will oversee the strategic planning and execution of growth strategies for all corporate, finance and administrative functions integrated in the shared services at Liebherr USA Co.

“The United States is one of Liebherr’s most important markets, and we are committed to strengthening our operations nationwide to better support our partners and provide the best solutions to our customers,” Imakoji says.

Imakoji brings more than 17 years of experience working within the Liebherr Group. He began as an intern with Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH in 2004 and transitioned to a full-time employee in 2007. He later moved to Liebherr-Hong Kong in 2010 and Liebherr-Sunderland Works in 2011. Imakoji most recently supported Liebherr- Electronics and Drives GmbH as managing director of finance and administration.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Imakoji was raised in Salzburg, Austria, where he earned a degree in business and economics.