Date: November 26, 2008
Source: Cherokee Nation Businesses
Cherokee Nation Businesses develops new waste management company
Cherokee Nation Businesses has launched Cherokee Nation Waste Management, a new company to explore recycling and green technologies, and provide northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas with an environmentally friendly solution to waste disposal. One function of the company will be investigating trash to energy technologies.
"We want to become the leader in the waste management industry in Oklahoma, and are examining cutting edge technologies to help us get there," said Brad Carson, chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Businesses. "We recently selected a leadership team with the experience to take this company to a level of business excellence while keeping our commitments to the community and environment."
Cherokee Nation Businesses recently named Tom Elkins of Tahlequah chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Waste Management. Elkins has more than 12 years of experience with environmental programs for the Cherokee Nation. Supporting his extensive experience, Elkins holds a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern State University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in environmental science from Oklahoma State University.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to continue growing Cherokee Nation's mission of being a good community partner and providing the community with waste disposal solutions," said Elkins. "I hope to utilize my regulatory environmental experience to develop an array of environmentally sound disposal solutions, ranging from recycling programs at the customer level to technologies for recycling collected waste."
In addition to pursuing recycling technologies, Cherokee Nation Waste Management will oversee operations of the Cherokee Nation Sanitary Landfill in Adair County. A new disposal cell is currently under construction at the landfill and is slated for completion early next year. This new cell, and future expansions, will provide the area with environmentally friendly waste disposal for the region for nearly 20 years.
Cherokee Nation Businesses is a wholly owned corporation of the Cherokee Nation and serves as the holding company for all of the Cherokee Nation's for-profit entities, including Cherokee Nation Enterprises and Cherokee Nation Industries. Cherokee Nation Waste Management will also fall under this structure. Cherokee Nation Businesses is the diversified business builder of the Cherokee Nation that is focused on growing the economy of the Cherokee Nation and creating jobs in northeast Oklahoma.
For more information, contact:
Mike Miller
Cherokee Nation Businesses
(918) 384-7861
or visit: www.cherokeenationbusinesses.com.
Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin