The 2019 Portable Sanitation Association International awards were recently announced at the PSAI Annual Convention in Mobile, Alabama. The awards recognize some of the most dedicated and hardworking individuals in the portable sanitation industry.

• Ron Inman of Northwest Cascade received the M.Z. “Andy” Gump Award. Inman is vice president of Northwest Cascade and general manager of the Honey Bucket Division. Inman received nominations from several individuals who cited his leadership and mentorship skills, friendliness, honesty and integrity among his qualifications.

Inman is a past president of the PSAI board and has had a decadeslong career in portable sanitation that includes projects such as organizing the portable sanitation division of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

“At every turn, Ron made sure that we operated with the highest level of honesty and integrity,” reads one letter of recommendation specifically calling out Inman’s work on the Winter Olympics. “Whether he was dealing with one of the owners of the five companies or the principals of Bechtel Corp., the event manager, Ron was the epitome of calmness and composure. He was the perfect person for the tremendous responsibility thrust upon him.”

In honor of Inman’s achievement, the PSAI has assembled a video featuring nominators, co-workers and acquaintances explaining why they feel Inman was deserving of the award. To view the video, visit https://youtu.be/lImHOf9gugo.

The Andy Gump Award is the most prestigious of the PSAI awards and was founded in 1993 by 2018 winner Barry Gump to honor his father, a longtime innovator in the world of portable restrooms.

• Jake Groen, PolyJohn Canada general manager, was named the Flay and Glenda Anthony Volunteer of the Year award winner. A 30-year veteran of the portable sanitation industry, Groen has served on the PSAI board for more than seven years and taken on various other leadership roles. He continues to serve on several PSAI committees and subcommittees including the PSAI Executive Committee and International Advisory Council. Now a PSAI trainer, Groen helped inaugurate the HOLLway sessions at the 2019 conference.

Groen received several nominations for Volunteer of the Year, and many nominators pointed to his work ethic and positive attitude as reasons why.

“[Groen] has always impressed me with his willingness to step up and volunteer for any task that the PSAI needed done,” states one nominator. “He never once said he didn’t have time — even though he probably didn’t have enough time. Any and all material that was given to the board to review was read in its entirety by Jake. And believe me, it’s been a lot of material. Jake really took the time and energy to delve into all facets of the PSAI and understand them. He has been an extremely valuable team members for the board and especially for me. I can think of no one more deserving than Jake.”

The Flay and Glenda Anthony Volunteer of the Year award was first given out in 2015 and is meant to honor PSAI member volunteers who contribute to the portable sanitation industry.

• Alberto Guerrero, lead service technician for JW Craft Portable Restrooms in Naples, Florida, was named Service Technician of the Year. Guerrero has spent four years in the portable sanitation industry and is PSAI certified. A bilingual asset to his team, Guerrero is responsible for training new recruits for special event services and route positions, as well as field-testing new products for the company.

Guerrero was singled out for the award based on his commitment to the job, the care with which he treats both people and equipment, and his attention to detail — from the restrooms he services to mandatory Department of Transportation paperwork. Hired as JW Craft Portable Restrooms’ first service technician, Guerrero has passed on several offers for a promotion, instead preferring to remain working with customers in the field.

• Recipient of the Service Technician of the Year Runner-Up award is Jeremy Johnston of On Site Cos. in St. Paul, Minnesota. Johnston joined On Site eight years ago and has become a standout technician for his dedication to safety both behind the wheel of a truck and on a job site. Johnston has won the company’s safety award for the past four years. He is also known for his excellent attendance record and even had perfect attendance in 2017.

Johnston’s duties at On Site beyond normal service include pickup and delivery of luxury restroom trailers, training and mentoring new recruits, and acting as a sales representative on job sites. Nominators specifically called out Johnston’s conscientiousness, reliability and willingness to adopt and uphold high company standards.

PSAI established the Service Technician of the Year and Runner-Up awards in 2001 to single out the industry’s top service technicians. Nominations can be made by anyone on behalf of a service tech and are generally accepted between November and January each year.