Photo courtesy of the Recycled Materials Association
Nidhi Turakhia has been named the second recipient of the Robin K. Wiener LAKES (Leadership, Achievement, Knowledge, Excellence and Service) Award by the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) Great Lakes Regional affiliated chapters. Turakhia will be presented with the award Tuesday, Aug. 5, in Erie, Pennsylvania, during the ReMA Great Lakes Regional Conference.
Named in honor of ReMA President Robin Wiener, the recipient of the inaugural LAKES Award, the annual award was created to recognize a ReMA leader who is a role model in his or her professional and personal communities.
"We're pleased to present the LAKES award to Nidhi Turakhia, who truly embodies the principles of leadership, achievement, knowledge, excellence and service professionally and personally,” says Jen May, ReMA Northern Ohio Chapter first vice president.
The ReMA Northern Ohio Chapter is an affiliate chapter of ReMA Great Lakes Regional, which also includes the Michigan, Pittsburgh, Ohio Valley and Empire chapters.
Turakhia is CEO and partner at Houston-based Allied Alloys, a ReMA member company, and a second-generation leader in the metal recycled materials industry. She has more than 20 years of experience and her responsibilities span human resources; operations; trading; information technology; finance; environmental, health and safety; and more.
Turakhia was exposed to the industry as a child and, after receiving her bachelor’s degree in economics and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin, she gave her father a one-year commitment to help him launch his recycling company. That one-year commitment turned into a lifelong passion, she says.
She has been an active volunteer leader at ReMA, serving as president of the Gulf Coast Region and in national leadership roles that include co-chair of the ReMA Women in Recycling Council and the Education & Training Committee.
“Throughout my ReMA journey, I’ve learned that lifting others up, sharing knowledge and giving back—whether it’s mentoring a colleague, advocating for our industry, or serving in volunteer roles—is key to elevating the essential role we play on a global scale and for future generations,” Turakhia says.
“Receiving the Robin K. Wiener LAKES Award from ReMA is truly humbling,” she adds. “This award not only recognizes leadership, advocacy and impact within both professional and personal communities, it also honors something I deeply believe in—the power of community.”
Turakhia is involved in various community engagement efforts. She serves on the boards of Akshaya Patra USA and Veerayatan International and is working to expand STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and recycling education in schools. Turakhia also was pivotal in launching a formal mentorship program for women in the industry.
“I’m proud to be part of an industry I love—one that leads with heart, purpose and collaboration. Because progress isn’t made alone, it’s built together,” Turakhia says.