Preston Named Oakleaf President

Oakleaf, East Hartford, Conn., has announced the appointment of Steve Preston as its president. Prior CEO Jim Barnes has transitioned to a new role as the company’s chairman of the board, focusing his efforts on large clients, major vendors and strategic acquisitions.

Preston assumed the presidential post at Oakleaf, a provider of waste and recycling services and logistics, in June of 2009.

His prior experience includes served under President George W. Bush in the cabinet as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2008 to 2009.

Prior to that presidential appointment, Preston was administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2006 to 2008. Under Preston’s leadership, the SBA was rated “Most Improved” among large federal agencies in the “2008 Best Places to Work” survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy.

In the private sector, Preston worked nine years with The ServiceMaster Company, where he was chief financial officer and then executive vice president of strategic services. ServiceMaster brands include Terminix, TruGreen, Merry Maids and American Home Shield.

“Having developed and led Oakleaf over the past fourteen years, I am delighted to have someone of Steve’s extraordinary talent join our organization to help guide it to the next level,” says Barnes.

Oakleaf, founded in 1995, provides waste and recycling logistics and management services for a range of multi-location retail, restaurant, hotel, manufacturing, property management and mall clients, including Sears/Kmart, General Electric, United Technologies, Camden Property Trust, CVS, P.F. Chang’s and others.

More information on Oakleaf can be found at www.oakleafwaste.com.