Passion for Problem Solving: Keren Shatesky

Service comes second nature to Lebanon Farms, PA Customer Care Representative Keren Shatesky. Her passion for keeping the planet clean and her desire to serve the community where she both lives and works has established her as a go-to resource for local customers. From helping to resolve service issues to educating customers on what does or does not belong in their recycling bins, Shatesky’s commitment to five-star service is unwavering.

In your role, how do you serve our customers?

For me, I think of serving our customers as being there when they need you. When they are frustrated, you are there to listen and to help. Also, to educate. I get to pass on all the knowledge I am learning to our customers. They will call in when they have things they don’t understand, and I get to help them. And that is the best part. You are there to support people, and most times, they just want to be heard. If you can get one thing off someone else’s plate, it makes all the difference.

Where does your passion for helping others stem from?

It comes from a hard place in my past. I left home when I was young. Because I grew up like that, I never wanted anyone else to feel that way. I think that is where my desire to help comes from. I have a server’s heart. I just want to help everyone. These people are my neighbors, and it’s nice to feel like I am not only a part of my community but also helping to make a positive impact.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The environment. It’s close to home. It’s my community. That’s my favorite part, just coming in, seeing the beautiful area, helping my neighbors, seeing our trucks drive by my window every day, knowing we are making a difference. And the people that I work with. It is nice to come in and feel like a family and feel supported. My supervisors care about my growth, not only in my work but as a person. It’s nice to have people that empower you.

How do our Casella Core Values guide the work you do?

The fact that we focus on core values and have something meaningful to guide us is really cool. Even before our team got the core values signs for the office, I wrote them down and taped them above my desk because they inspired me. And when you have a goal or value that you live by, when things go astray, you have something to bring focus back to.

Why does being in the waste management industry interest you?

I love recycling, and I love protecting our planet. I am that person who goes out hiking, and I come back with a bag of trash that I found. Working here ties that all together, and I finally found something that fits me. I actually scheduled a tour outside of work with the local landfill just to see how things work and how they use trash to make energy and do things like power lights in town.

When I started, I had no clue about the waste industry. I didn’t know much besides if it has the little triangle, we recycle it, which is ironically not even exactly the case. The more I started to work here, the more I learned about the industry and better understood the impact we can all have on this planet. It’s been a great learning opportunity and a wealth of knowledge, and I thrive off that. If we aren’t correctly disposing of our waste, it affects us all. We have some of the best farmland across the entire country; let’s take care of it.

Want to join our team? Explore our various career path options and apply today at casella.com/careers.