TERRA hires industry veteran as chief industry advisor

TERRA

The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance (TERRA), Nashville, Tennessee, has appointed Bob Akers to serve as its chief industry advisor. In the new position, Akers will help to promote and educate about the importance of certification.

Steven Napoli, president and CEO of TERRA, describes Akers as “an industry veteran” who is “well respected in the industry. He says Akers will be “an integral part of helping TERRA achieve its goals.”

Akers formerly served for four years as the e-Stewards enterprise director. While with e-Stewards, Akers worked with corporations, organizations and the government to create opportunities for certified recyclers. Prior to joining e-Stewards, Akers worked in the electronics recycling industry for 16 years. During that time, he served part of it as the executive director for the nonprofit Surplus Exchange, Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked with the city to develop its ConnectHomeKC program, which provided refurbished  computers and internet access to underserved residents in public housing.

“Bob’s enthusiasm for promoting the importance and value of certified electronics reuse and recycling is well-known throughout the industry,” Napoli says. “He’s the ideal person for this role, and it’s impossible to estimate the positive impact his involvement will have on the long-term fortunes of our members and the entire industry.”

“What is appealing about joining TERRA is the organization's focus on marketing and creating opportunities for their certified recycler members,” Akers says. “I know firsthand that this industry is tough, and the organizations that commit to being certified deserve support. Margins can be thin, and the cost of doing business is high. Certified recyclers deserve and should expect a return for every dime they spend.”

Akers is officially part of TERRA’s team and will join TERRA at its virtual trade show booth at the 2020 E-Scrap Conference Oct. 28-29.

TERRA is a network of certified recyclers in North America that allows only e-Stewards or Responsible Recycling- (R2-) certified electronics recyclers and IT asset disposition service providers in good standing to join. Napoli says the network has grown to 70 recyclers since it started about 18 months ago.