SWANA - WI Badger Chapter
Board of Directors 2026 Elections
We have 5 board member seats open for election. Please take a moment to review the candidates below and then click the "VOTE NOW" button at the bottom of this page to make your selection via the online ballot. You will have to enter your email to make the ballot valid. Please use your email that is associated with your SWANA membership.
Online voting is open through September 9th. Mail-in ballots are accepted and must be RECEIVED by September 9th. Scroll down to vote.
The following individuals are interested in serving on the SWANA Badger Chapter Board of Directors
-
Lee Daigle
-
Ben Hintz
-
BreAnne Kahnk
-
John Peralta
-
Abby Sauer
-
Madison Thompson
-
John Welch
Write-ins are also accepted.
Voting via mail-in ballot? Please note: the ballot must be received by September 9th, 2026
SWANA BOD Nominees
Lee Daigle
Tetra Tech
Lee Daigle is the current President of the SWANA Wisconsin Badger Chapter. Lee started in the solid waste industry as an intern at a local landfill in upstate New York in 2002. His primary responsibility was the maintenance and operation of the landfill gas collection system. He has always said that once you are in this industry, you never seem to leave. That has certainly been true for Lee. Since graduating in 2006 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Environmental Engineering, he has traveled across the United States working on challenging landfill gas design, engineering, and construction projects – often being called into the project when others faced difficulties they could not overcome.
After moving to Wisconsin in 2016, Lee expanded his skillset from being a landfill gas expert into a broader range of topics, including municipal solid waste permitting, cell/closure design and construction, and operational aspects of waste placement. Lee is a client manager for Tetra Tech’s largest municipal solid waste client in their Central Region and has a select group of other clients who he manages from a technical and business direction. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Texas.
Lee has been heavily involved in SWANA over the years, including being the SWANA Wisconsin Badger Chapter’s Vice President of the Board of Directors since 2022, presenting at numerous national and local conferences, serving as Chair of the Landfill Gas and Biogas Technical Division Extraction and Control Committee (since 2018), serving as a trainer for the SWANA Young Professional Leadership Academy, and as a trainer for the Landfill Gas O&M Training at SOAR 2022. Additionally, he is an instructor for the University of Wisconsin Solid Waste Design Short Course, focusing primarily on landfill liquid management and landfill gas.
Lee looks forward to lending his experience, expertise and involvement with SWANA National to the SWANA WI Badger Chapter Board of Directors.
Ben Hintz
Waste Management
Benjamin Hintz has 15 years of experience in the solid waste industry and is currently the Gas Operations Supervisor for the Wisconsin Northern Region at Waste Management. Mr. Hintz’s work history consists of four years as landfill manager for Brown County South Landfill, three years as a landfill technician for Brown County, nine years as a project scientist with Cornerstone Environmental Group (now Tetra Tech), and an internship with Brown County. He received his bachelor’s degree for Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. His solid waste experience includes: landfill operation and management, environmental and regulatory compliance monitoring and reporting, landfill cell and gas system construction design and oversite, landfill gas sampling including Tier II sampling, landfill gas system operation and troubleshooting, landfill plan of operation development, landfill phase and fill planning, and landfill gas pipe purging under NFPA 56.
BreAnne Kahnk
TRC Environmental Corporation
BreAnne currently works as a Senior Engineer and Project Manager at TRC Environmental Corporation where she assists her clients with solid waste permitting, compliance, and general assistance. In addition, she assists in various aspects of permitting and construction of renewable energy projects and combines her solid waste and renewable energy experience in solar on landfill projects. She has been a member of the SWANA Badger Chapter for over the last five years and been involved with the YP group and a regular attendee of WIRMC.
John Peralta
Marathon County Solid Waste Department
John Peralta serves as the EHS and Regulatory Compliance Specialist for the Marathon County Solid Waste Department, where he supports landfill operations and the Household Hazardous Waste Program for the county. After transitioning out of the production industry in 2013, John pursued natural resources to make a positive difference in public and environmental safety. He earned his degree in Natural Resource Management ( Solid Waste) from UW–Stevens Point in 2019.
John has been an active member of the SWANA Badger Chapter since 2017, contributing to Chapter committees, YP activities, and the Safety Resource Center at WIRMC. He previously served as SWANA’s Student Representative, has been the Chapter Safety Ambassador since 2021, and currently chairs the SWANA Badger Chapter Safety Committee.
Beyond SWANA, John serves as Chair of the AROW Hazardous & Special Waste Committee and the Marathon County Local Emergency Planning Committee. He holds experience in landfill construction and CQA, site safety program development, hazardous waste management, regulatory inspections, organizational safety training, and public education. He has presented at WIRMC and the Wisconsin Asbestos Conference, and he has earned his ASP certification.
John is a relationship‑builder who approaches safety with enthusiasm and a commitment to practical solutions. He values working collaboratively, mentoring young professionals, and helping facilities strengthen their safety culture. If re‑elected to the SWANA Badger Chapter Board of Directors, John aims to continue expanding safety initiatives, growing training and award programs, encouraging statewide collaboration, and supporting modern safety practices across Wisconsin’s solid waste industry.
Abby Sauer
Portage County Solid Waste Department
Abby Sauer works for Portage County Solid Waste as the Site Coordinator. Her job duties consist of long-term care at their closed landfill, managing special programs such as electronics recycling and household hazardous waste disposal, and working with customers to make sure operations run smoothly. Abby has been an active SWANA member since 2017. Current titles include Board Member, Treasurer, and Member of the Young Professionals, Safety and WIRMC Planning committees. She is passionate about planning educational tours and creating networking opportunities to keep WI solid waste professionals connected. Abby’s enthusiasm and experience add value to the board.
Madison Thompson
SCS Engineers
Madison Thompson has over 8 years of experience in the solid waste industry and currently works with SCS Engineers in the Madison, WI office. Madison has a B.S. degree in environmental engineering from Oregon State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Her experience includes landfill gas collection and control system design, solid waste facility permitting, environmental compliance, civil site design, stormwater management, and construction quality assurance. Madison works closely with private and municipal clients on permitting, design, and construction support. She is an active member of SWANA's Badger Chapter, participating in YELP committee meetings, and is passionate about mentoring young professionals and expanding her contributions to the Chapter and industry. As someone who works across a wide range of solid waste and environmental projects, she hopes to help bring a unique perspective, support Chapter initiatives, and help promote the long-term growth and success of the solid waste industry.
John Welch
Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables
John Welch is the Director of the Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables, with over 20 years in the waste and recycling industry. He has a BS from UW Madison in Civil & Environmental Engineering and is a registered PE in Wisconsin. John oversees operations of: a landfill; a C&D MRF; a year-round HHW facility; and a landfill gas RNG facility. He and his team recently broke ground on a greenfield landfill and they are actively planning and working toward additional waste diversion programs. John has served on the SWANA Badger Chapter Board since 2010 (President from 2016-2024) and he has been our represented our Chapter on the SWANA International Board/Advisory Board since 2011. John is the current Treasurer of the SWANA Board of Directors at the international level. John has been involved in numerous chapter-level and national SWANA committees and efforts to advance SWANA’s mission and our industry.
If re-elected to serve on the Chapter Board, John writes, “My goal is to help develop and support new leaders in our Chapter, and to provide our members with the educational and social opportunities they seek from the Badger Chapter.”