Commitment to Quality Begins Here

Walter “Wally” Hall, Jr. started his solid waste career with Browning Ferris Industries (“BFI”) in 1990 and learned the business as a true garbage man: Supervisor, Operations Manager, Manager-Trainee, General Manager, Region Operations Manager and Area President. Within his first 6 years at BFI, he oversaw 400 employees with annual revenue of $50 million. After transitioning to Republic Services in a General Manager position, he was asked to assume the role of Area President for the Southland Waste division of Republic Services. In 2001, Mr. Hall was one of three founders of Advanced Disposal Services, Inc., which became the fourth largest solid waste company in the U.S. before being acquired by Waste Management in 2020. Starting with three trucks, Mr. Hall grew Advanced Disposal’s operations to over $1.4 billion in annual revenue, 5,300 employees, 91 collection/hauling facilities, 45 MSW and C&D Landfills, 71 transfer stations and 21 recycling facilities. After completing the 2012 integration of the Advanced Disposal – Interstate Waste – Veolia Environmental acquisitions by the company, Mr. Hall left Advanced Disposal in 2014 to pursue other interests.  In 2018 he became the CEO of Meridian Waste Acquisitions, LLC with the goal of once again growing a solid waste company to fill the industry need for a well-funded, nimble, and both customer and employee-focused independent company for the Southeast marketplace. He is a graduate of Mississippi College and a former College Baseball Coach at The University of Mississippi.

Dave Lavender has more than 29 years of solid waste industry experience and serves as COO for Meridian Waste and is responsible for all operating aspects of the company including collection, transfer, landfill and recycling services, budgeting, capital expenditures, safety, training, acquisitions, and strategic planning. He has held many operations positions with several of the largest waste companies in the U.S. including Browning Ferris Industries and Waste Management. Prior to joining Meridian Waste, Mr. Lavender spent 13 years at Advanced Disposal where he was regional vice president and oversaw 27 hauling companies, 14 landfills, 18 transfer stations, 3 recycling facilities and over 1,400 employees. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s in business administration.

Mary O’Brien serves as CMO for Meridian Waste and oversees marketing, government affairs and communications for the company. Her responsibilities include existing and new market area expansion via municipal contracts and acquisition integration; company communications, website, digital strategies; public relations and government and legislative affairs. Additional duties include the conversion to cloud-based technologies company-wide for multiple communication, web, development and information storage systems, upgraded online web and app services as well as implementing and auditing efficiency and automation standards and systems utilizing information technology. Ms. O’Brien’s career in the waste industry spans 21 years, and she spent the majority of her tenure with Advanced Disposal serving as CMO where she oversaw all marketing efforts with locations across seventeen states and the Bahamas with annual revenues of $1.4 billion. Ms. O’Brien holds a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing with a minor in English from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Ryan Perry joined the Meridian Waste team in 2019 and currently serves as the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Perry is responsible for all of the company’s financial functions, including accounting, audit, treasury, corporate finance, financial reporting, budgeting and acquisition integration.  Prior to joining the Meridian Waste team, Mr. Perry served in roles with increasing responsibilities in the industries of Nuclear Construction & Maintenance, Nuclear Decommissioning and Decontamination, retail, and public accounting.  Mr. Perry earned two Bachelor of Business Administration degrees from James Madison University in Accounting and Marketing Information Systems.

Charlie Gray has been an impressive leader in the solid waste industry for over 30 years. He joined the Meridian Waste corporate team in 2023 as the Vice President - Operations. In this role Mr. Gray plans, directs and oversees strategic operational activities at Meridian Waste, ensuring development and implementation of efficient and cost-effective collection, transportation, and disposal systems to meet the current and future needs of the organization. His career in the waste management space began in 1994 at Browning Ferris Industries, the second largest waste industries in the U.S. at the time. He then joined Republic Services, Inc. as a General Manager in 1997 and continued at Advanced Disposal Services as the Regional Vice President for 9 years. Advanced Disposal Services had 2000+ employees and $600 million in annual revenue.  Before Mr. Gray joined Meridian Waste, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Attaway Hauling, LLC., a company that transported approximately 10,000 tons per day to various landfills In Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Charlie is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello and formerly served as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Gentry Shows came on board with Meridian Waste in September of 2024 as Area President for Alabama. He is responsible for all aspects of the business including collection, transfer, and disposal operations. Mr. Shows oversees budgetary goals and accountability, capital needs and allocation, safety risk, and revenue growth for the Alabama assets. He was previously the Alabama Marketing Manager at Arrow Disposal for 5 years and was the Region Municipal Marketing and Governmental Affairs Manager at Advanced Disposal for 6 years.

Dave Shepler is a 30-year industry veteran serving as the Area President of Florida and is responsible for all aspects of the Florida solid waste collection operations, which include over 100,000 residential customers and 1,500 commercial/ industrial customers.  He oversees budgetary goals and accountability, capital needs and allocation, safety, risk, and revenue growth for the Florida assets. He has held regional manager and district manager positions with several of the largest waste companies in the U.S. including Browning-Ferris Industries, Advanced Disposal, Waste Connections and Waste Management. Mr. Shepler spent eight years with Advanced Disposal where he was Regional Manager for the state of Florida and southern Georgia. Prior to joining Meridian Waste, he founded and operated his own hauling company Partner Disposal for four years which was acquired by Meridian Waste in 2018. Shepler earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of South Florida.

Gregg Asciutto brings over 40 years of management and equity ownership within the environmental services industry. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University while gaining experience in the family run waste collection business. Mr. Asciutto subsequently worked with some of the biggest names in the business including SCA Services, Waste Management, Veolia Environmental Services, IESI, Progressive Waste, MBI and Advanced Disposal. He brings entrepreneurial and corporate expertise with business acquisition, hauling operations, transfer stations, and landfills, recycling facilities and medical waste incinerators throughout the Midwest, Mid Atlantic and Northeast sectors of the United States.

Patrick Messinger joined the waste industry in 2019 as a Senior Corporate Analyst for Meridian Waste. Before assuming the role of Area President – North Carolina, he had an instrumental role positively impacting overall company growth of hauling operations, instituting routing efficiencies in each market, and improved day-to-day operations. As Area President - South Carolina, he was responsible for all aspects of the business including collection, transfer, and disposal operations with $18.5 million in annual revenue, 24,116 residential customers, and 1,028 commercial/industrial customers. He oversaw budgetary goals and accountability, capital needs and allocation, safety, risk, and revenue growth for the South Carolina assets including two hauling facilities and one transfer station.  Messinger was appointed Area President - North Carolina in July 2023 and oversees all operational and fiscal responsibilities for the collection and disposal assets in the state. This includes the Shotwell Environmental Park (C & D landfill), Tri-Corners Landfill (C&D landfill), three transfer stations (Morrisville, Capitol Waste, and Triad Transfer Station) and two separate hauling stations (Raleigh and Goldston, NC).  Messinger earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Finance/Accounting and Economics from Maryville College (Tennessee). 

Matthew Lavender joined Meridian Waste as a Manager Trainee in June of 2020. After completion of the program, Mr. Lavender became the Transfer Station Operations Manager in Raleigh, NC. In this role, he quickly impressed the leadership team and his fellow team members which led to his promotion to General Manager in Tennessee in September of 2023. He managed two landfills and a hauling company, a team of four employees, and was responsible for 19 roll off routes. He was instrumental in the Patterson acquisition in Knoxville, adding twelve drivers to the fleet of trucks. He focused on streamlining processes, measuring efficiency, establishing, and monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and driving growth and revenue. Today he is the Area President in Tennessee. Matt Lavender is now responsible for all management decisions within the marketplace including budgeting, financial performance, and revenue growth. Tennessee has $17.5 million in annual revenue, 48 employees and 20 routes for trucks. Mr. Lavender is a graduate of the University of Tennessee where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies.

Brian Hopkins is a seasoned veteran in the waste industry with over 30 years of experience. Hopkins currently serves as the Virginia Area President for Meridian Waste and oversees the financial and day to day operations for the hauling, transfer station, landfills, and DuPont processing facilities. Hopkins joined Meridian Waste in February of 2023. He began his duties with Meridian Waste as a General Manager in Petersburg, VA. In just 4 months, he had collaborated with the Area Presidents to implement tactical initiatives to drive functional excellence and budget achievement. Furthermore, he partnered with the maintenance department to ensure all equipment remains in working order and in compliance with safety standards. Mr. Hopkins was then promoted to District Manager in March of 2023, and ultimately promoted to Area President in May of 2023. His responsibilities increased to include two hauling operations, two landfills, one transfer station and one processing facility. Mr. Hopkins oversees a team of one hundred employees, and he manages a $36M annual revenue. He was employed by Waste Management, Advanced Disposal Services, Veolia Environmental Services and Allied Waste previously. He is the recipient of many awards, such as, the Veolia Environmental Services Division of the Year Award in 2008, and most recently the IMAA-Aggregate/Asphalt Safety Award – 20 Years Injury Free.

John Prochak joined the waste industry in 2019 as a Territory Sales Representative for ECO Waste Services in South Carolina. He then assumed the position of Sales Manager to help build the multiple lines of business serviced by ECO Waste, A Meridian Waste Company, including collection, portable restrooms, temporary fencing, temporary storage and temporary office rentals for construction sites.  In 2022, Prochak was promoted to Assistant General Manager where he had an influential role in overall company growth of hauling operations, site service, permanent waste sales, and day-to-day operations.  Prochak was appointed District Manager - Greenville, SC in July 2023 and is responsible for all aspects including collection and disposal operations with $6.7 million in annual revenues, over 25,000 residential customers, and over 1,000 commercial/industrial customers. He is responsible for budgetary responsibilities, capital allocation, safety, risk, and revenue growth for the current South Carolina assets including two hauling facilities with multiple lines of business.  Prochak graduated in 2012 from Southern Wesleyan University (SWU) in South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice studies.  While at SWU, Prochak also served as the Men’s Soccer Team Captain.

Cole Crozier joined Meridian Waste as a Manager Trainee in June of 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Crozier then transitioned to the Raleigh location. He quickly impressed the leadership team and his fellow team members in Raleigh. When Cole joined us, Meridian Waste had already acquired McConnell Waste Systems and Dumpstars Waste Services which provided portable restroom service along with roll off collections. We needed a capable and energetic person to assume responsibility for this new line of business for the company and Cole was just the right man to do the job. He assumed the role of Director - Auxiliary Services. With little portable restroom company history to follow in North Carolina, he began creating his own for Meridian Waste’s Auxiliary Services. Mr. Crozier met one on one with all the customers and focused on adding more. He managed the financial and capital requests. Recently, through his efforts and well-written operations plan, Meridian Waste was awarded its first-ever exclusive governmental contract with the City of Fayetteville, NC for portable toilets. He was then promoted to General Manager - Greer, SC in August of 2023 which was a natural step in Cole’s career. He immediately landed and secured a portable toilet bid for Clemson University. Mr. Crozier managed the Greer residential contract while in South Carolina. His most recent promotion was to District Manager of Mississippi. In this role, he manages the day-to-day operations of 6 hauling sites with multiple lines of business, establishes, and maintains performance and productivity metrics and cost management processes. Mr. Crozier earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi.

Murray Long joined the Meridian Waste team as a General Manager in December of 2020 in Knoxville, TN, and oversaw two landfills. After only one year, Mr. Long was promoted to General Manager – Landfill and Transfer Station in NC. In this role he oversaw one C & D landfill and three transfer stations. He became Corporate Director – Landfills in November 2022. He now oversees eight landfills. Throughout his career with Meridian Waste, he played a major role in ensuring a safe and productive work environment for all employees and implementing accident prevention programs. Mr. Long engages employees in active participation to instill a culture of safety. He also provides coaching for employees for advancement at Meridian Waste and identifies leaders and team builders. Previously, Mr. Long worked at Advanced Disposal. Mr. Long is a Certified Landfill Operator in four states: Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama and Georgia. He is also Manager of Landfill Operations (MOLO) Certified through the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA).

Zach Messinger has been on the Meridian Waste team since 2020 and was promoted three times in a span of 2 years. He is currently the Director – Risk and Safety and oversees the company’s overall safety program and culture at all Meridian Waste facilities in the 6-state footprint. He conducts quarterly health and safety audits at each site to ensure the company’s safety program, policies and procedures are effectively implemented and compliant with regulatory requirements. He also monitors the company’s fleet needs regarding licensing and registration as well as DOT and FMCSA guidelines. Mr. Messinger began his career in the waste management industry as a Manager Trainee. He assisted in the transition of the billing and collection responsibilities from the local to the corporate level. Mr. Messinger was instrumental in training and assisting the Accounts Receivable team to build the foundation of the department that successfully transitioned all locations in house, and now consists of 8 employees and 1 manager. He then transitioned to a Corporate Analyst role, and developed a tier pricing matrix for local management to ensure company driven margins were meeting expectations.

As the Director – Corporate Maintenance at Meridian Waste, Adam brings a wealth of experience and expertise in overseeing all aspects of vehicle maintenance for our expansive fleet. With a strong background in commercial vehicle maintenance and repair, Adam plays a critical role in ensuring optimal operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and cost-effective management of fleet maintenance operations. In this senior leadership role, Adam is responsible for developing and implementing strategic maintenance plans that enhance fleet performance and minimize downtime. He leads a team of highly skilled technicians and supervisors, ensuring that maintenance tasks are executed efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance with all DOT and state regulations. Adam works closely with the fleet management team to optimize vehicle utilization, improve fuel efficiency, and ensure the timely procurement and disposal of vehicles. Additionally, Adam manages vendor relationships, negotiating contracts for external maintenance services, parts, and repairs, and ensuring that services provided meet or exceed quality standards. A highly analytical leader, Adam leverages data to identify trends, address potential issues proactively, and continuously improve maintenance operations. He consistently delivers comprehensive reports on key performance indicators, including vehicle uptime, repair costs, and safety compliance metrics. With strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, Adam is dedicated to ensuring the reliability and performance of the fleet, driving the overall success of the company’s operations.