APRA is happy to introduce Molly Fyten, who has been named as the Interim Executive Director while our current Executive Director, Tammy Schwass is away on a maternity leave. Molly’s home base is near Lac La Biche where she resides on a farm. Ms. Fyten has several professional qualifications to share with our organization including:
- A Bachelor of Science (BSc) with a Specialization in Environmental Sciences
- National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration – Level 1 & 2
- Certificate in Municipal Management and Leadership Program
- Solid Waste Association of North America certifications including Manager of Recycling Systems, Manager of Transfer Station Systems, and Manager of Landfill Operations
In addition to these certifications, Ms. Fyten has formal training in municipal law, municipal finance, human resources, information access and protection of privacy, organizational behavior and leadership, planning and program evaluation and organizational development and design. This combination of education and skills development led Ms. Fyten, while working for the County of Lac La Biche, to receive the Alberta Recycling Management Authority Collection Site of Excellence Award in 2022 on behalf of the municipality.
Ms. Fyten has been strongly connected with the waste and recycling management industry for 15 years and has seen the work of APRA in action for several of those. Plastics recycling is a topic that Ms. Fyten is both knowledgeable and passionate about and she looks forward to contributing to the success of the industry. Fyten describes her vast experience with municipalities, boards, existing networks, experience in the industry and overall environmental passion as the greatest assets she will bring to this position.
On a more personal note, Molly has travelled to many international locations. She enjoys outdoor activities – quadding, boating, gardening/preserving – and you may find her playing the bagpipes in her spare time as well. Much of her time is spent engaging in community work as she works with a variety of local boards and in various volunteer roles. Ms. Fyten describes her favorite food as spaghetti and would be lost if she left home without her cell phone – a fact many of us can relate to! When asked the question “if you had unlimited financial resources and no obligations, where would you be and what would you be doing?” Ms. Fyten answered that she would “be in South Africa as that’s my favorite place I’ve travelled” and “I would need to force myself to relax on a beach somewhere as I can never bring myself to sit still and strongly believe in giving back to my community.”
Ms. Fyten is looking forward to making new connections in the exciting and dynamic plastics recycling industry. Please take your next opportunity to welcome Molly to our team – we look forward to all she will accomplish within our organization.