Waste Pro appoints new vice president of postcollections

Waste Pro, Longwood, Florida, has appointed Mike Fernandez as vice president of postcollections. In this role, Fernandez will manage landfill, transfer station and recycling processing throughout the company’s 10-state footprint, Waste Pro says. 

Fernandez previously served as solid waste commissioner for Miami-Dade County but resigned in July after 15 years in the role. While working for the county, Fernandez led operations, budget and oversight for its vertically integrated solid waste system, managing equipment maintenance and more than 1,100 employees. He brings approximately 25 years of experience in the waste and recycling industry to the position.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike to the Waste Pro family,” Waste Pro President and CEO Sean Jennings says. “Mike’s reputation as an industry leader and impressive career in solid waste management will foster growth and drive operational excellence within the postcollections umbrella at Waste Pro.” 

Fernadez’s resignation from Miami-Dade County came months after a fire partially destroyed its waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in February. As previously reported by Waste Today, several initiatives proposed by Fernandez’s department had not been approved by the county at the time of his departure, as outlined in his resignation letter. The county released plans last month to build a new facility eight miles north of the original site.  

According to Waste Pro, Fernandez was inducted into the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor for Essential Workers, awarded five National Achievement Awards by the National Association of Counties (NaCo), recognized as a Waste360 40 Under 40 and is an MSW Management 2023 Leadership Award recipient. 

Fernadez received his undergraduate degree and Master of Business Administration from Florida International University.