Emerging Leaders Can Gain Impactful Guidance and Form Lasting Connections at ReMA’s Annual Leadership Summit

This year ReMA is introducing a new approach to its annual leadership development programming. For the first time the leadership event will be held in conjunction with the 2026 Recycling Market Roundtables, which runs from Wednesday, September 16 to Friday, September 18 in Chicago. Participants receiving Roundtables registration as part of their enrollment.

The Leadership Summit is designed for emerging and aspiring leaders who are ready to strengthen their skills, expand their network, and prepare for the next stage of their careers. Over the course of one and a half days, participants engage in interactive sessions focused on practical leadership development.

"The leadership summit is a great way to get a personalized introduction into the recycled materials industry," said Bianca Cappelluzzi, Director of Marketing at ReSpark. She attended the ReMA leadership summit in 2022 when it was held at ReMA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"I didn't know what to expect at the time or who else would be attending," she said. "By attending the program, I got to meet and network with a lot of other young leaders who were also just getting started in the industry."

Cappelluzzi compared the leadership the program to ReMA's Young Executives Councilopens in a new tab (YEC) annual Best Young and Brightestopens in a new tab (BYAB), an event that provides a space for young leaders to form connections with peers, discuss issues, and bring back skills to improve their businesses and leadership.

"After attending the leadership development event it felt very natural to start going to BYAB," Cappelluzzi said. "And there were plenty of other people who did the same, so it was a great way to see familiar faces and build on the connections I had made at the leadership summit."

Nick Bohac, a pick lead with Rochester, Ind.-based Rochester Iron and Metal participated in the leadership program that same year. He felt the experience broadened his horizons. "Getting to know people who are from Boston or California or New York, it helps you get to understand a little bit about the world [from] new perspectives."

According to Bohac, takeaways from the two-day program include how to ease out of his comfort zone into unfamiliar areas and to be more expressive in positive ways. "My goal was to create the biggest 'butterfly effect' of positivity ever," he said. "It can be the smallest of things because remember, the ocean is made of [an enormous number of] drops of water."

The program is built around real-world challenges and actionable strategies, providing tools and techniques that can be applied immediately in the workplace. Topics will include communication, team leadership, problem-solving, decision-making, and personal leadership effectiveness.