Liberty Tire Recycling | 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report 23 All of these high performing women credit much of their success to their mentors who believed in them and wanted them to succeed – many of whom are colleagues at Liberty Tire. These mentors challenged them, taught them the dynamics of working in plant operations, and provided both formal and informal training. Thank you to these incredible women for the impact they have at Liberty Tire Recycling and the inspiration they give to others. Debbie Housden has been with the company for 30 years and held various roles including assistant to the controller, controller, director of transportation, and GM roles on both the West Coast and the East Coast. She has been the GM at Lakin East in Connecticut for three years. Juvelina Salgado came to Liberty Tire Recycling after a 33-year career as an operations manager for a large national retail corporation. She began at Liberty as a warehouse manager in 2017 and became the GM at Lakin West in California in 2022. Pam Boling worked in retail, banking, human resources, and accounting before starting her career at our facility in Calhoun, GA in 2010 as an accounts payable team member. As part of a succession planning effort, she mentored under the out-going general manager (GM) for almost three years to broaden her knowledge of the day to day site operations and to be well-equipped to take over the position. She became the GM in Calhoun in October 2023. ENGAGING PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES Female Plant Managers These three female plant general managers (GM) have charted independent courses to their current positions and are a testament to the growing role of women in the recycling industry: Boling challenges new employees to be curious and step outside of their role to learn what is happening around them in the plant. She believes in the benefit of cross-training and provides opportunities to her teammates. Housden encourages new teammates to keep their eyes and ears open and learn as much as they can about everything happening around them, not just their role. Salgado is an example of showing employees how much you care about them as individuals to earn their trust and respect. She also has demonstrated that one’s past professional experiences can successfully translate into different industries and situations. None of these women will tell you it is always easy in their roles. The women admit they face challenges as plant managers - some because they are a woman in a male dominated industry, and some are typical challenges that all leaders face. At times, they struggle with balancing the management aspects of running the plant while creating strong relationships with the team on the floor. They have faced pushback from male colleagues who challenged their expertise. One area that the company will focus on in 2024 is helping these women connect more with each other – facilitating opportunities to share ideas and discuss challenges. Don’t invite me to that table just because I’m a woman; invite me because you believe I add value. At the same time, don’t keep me away from the table just because I’m a woman either. – PAM BOLING
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