The hard work and dedication of Ariel Arredondo has been known to his Newton County coworkers for the 17 years he has been a member of the Solid Waste department. Now that same dedication and passion for his job is known throughout the state of Georgia.

Arredondo was named the 2023 Solid Waste Worker of the Year for Landfill Operations by the Georgia Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) recently.

The Georgia Chapter of SWANA is made up of more than 400 solid waste operations throughout the entire state. During the organization’s fall conference in November, employees from all over Georgia were recognized, with Arredondo taking home one of the conference’s top honors.

Arredondo was awarded the Solid Waste Worker of the Year for his level of professionalism, passion and ability to do whatever it takes to keep Newton County’s landfill operating at a high level.

“I am so proud of Ariel and all the work he has done for Newton County over his almost two-decade career,” said Marcello Banes, Newton County Chairman and Solid Waste Authority board member. “Not only is he an extremely hard worker but he also is a friend to his coworkers, a great role model to everyone on the team and a huge asset to Newton County.”

Arredondo started with Newton County in 2006 as a Heavy Equipment Operator, helping to manage the construction and demolition landfill on site. He quickly demonstrated his ability to operate equipment and conduct his job at a high level and was promoted to the position of operating the compactor on the municipal solid waste working face.

After Arredondo obtained his landfill operator certification, he started to notice items on the landfill that needed attention and quickly started accomplishing tasks around the landfill. This drew the attention of then Landfill Manager, Kevin Walter, who promoted Arredondo to his current position of Assistant Landfill Manager.

As Assistant Landfill Manager, Arredondo, fills any role current Solid Waste Director Matt Dolan requires. He also is passionate about mentoring others and passes his knowledge down to other employees.

“To say that Ariel is a hard worker is an understatement,” Dolan said. “He is a prime example of what everyone in the industry should strive to be as a professional. He is trustworthy, dedicated,hardworking, skilled and professional every single day he walks in the landfill.”