Alexa Kircher Fang

Alexa Kircher Fang is President of Aspen Waste Systems. Alexa joined Aspen Waste Systems in 2015, serving as Vice President until 2022. Prior to Aspen, Alexa worked as an associate in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb, a leading international law firm with offices in 16 major financial centers around the world. At Cleary, Alexa’s practice focused on complex commercial and securities litigation and regulatory investigations. Alexa received her Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. Prior to law school, Alexa attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, one of the country’s top music conservatories, and earned both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance.

Thor Nelson

Thor Nelson is Chief Financial Officer of Aspen Waste Systems. He is responsible for all financial functions of the company, as well as all real estate matters. Thor joined the company in 2009 and previously served as chief operating officer until 2022, overseeing Aspen’s expansion in Iowa and the development of major satellite facilities in the Twin Cities and St. Louis metro areas. Prior to joining Aspen, Thor was an executive at Allina Health, a large integrated healthcare system based in Minneapolis. Thor has a master’s degree from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College.

Dave Pfuhl

David Pfuhl is Chief Operating Officer of Aspen Waste Systems. He is responsible for all operating divisions of the company. David joined Aspen as Director of Sales in 2017 and served in that role until 2022. David was attracted to Aspen – and vice versa – because of a mutual commitment to providing superior customer service. David is a life-long resident of the Twin Cities who first learned the value of customer service on his Star Tribune paper route when he was 10 years old. After earning a business degree at Anoka Ramsey Community College, he honed his customer-first attitude and performance during thirty years in sales and management in the luxury automotive industry. In those positions he enjoyed the highest levels of manufacturer certification and customer satisfaction ratings. He is committed to sustaining that standard of performance and customer care at Aspen both personally and as a contributor to Aspen’s leadership team.

John Emmons

John Emmons is the General Manager of Aspen Waste Systems of Iowa and is a member of Aspen’s Executive Committee. John joined Aspen in 1997 as a driver in Minneapolis and then spent many years in supervisory positions before assuming his position as general manager of Iowa in 2023. As one of the most tenured members of the operations team at Aspen, John is widely respected by his colleagues for his knowledge of both the industry and Aspen’s standards of customer service.

Marni Franzeen

Marni Franzeen is the General Manager of Aspen’s Service Center in Des Moines, IA, where many of Aspen’s administrative services are performed on behalf of the entire company, including billing, payment processing and data entry. Marni began her career at Aspen in 2012 as an administrative professional with duties that included dispatching, customer service and other general office responsibilities. She has progressively expanded her responsibilities during her time at Aspen and was promoted to her current position in 2019. Marni has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from Iowa State University, where she was also captain and most valuable swimmer of the ISU swimming and diving team. Marni is a native of Winona, Minnesota, and a member of Winona High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tom Heuer

Tom Heuer is Aspen Waste System’s Director of Business Development and General Manager of the Aspen Leasing Group. After eight years’ experience with other haulers in the Twin Cities, Tom joined Aspen in 1993 as sales manager. He assumed his current positions with the company in 2001, playing an integral role in the growth of Aspen’s commercial division.

Tom is a 1983 graduate of the University of St. Thomas. He has served on the board of directors of the Minnesota Shopping Center Association (MSCA), and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Minneapolis. He was named the Friend of IREM Member of the Year in 2011 by the Minnesota Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Managers (IREM), Member of the Year by MSCA in 2014, and Service Partner of the Year by BOMA Minneapolis in 2016.

Megan Mayer

Megan Mayer is the Controller for Aspen Waste Systems, Inc., and is responsible for the accounting operations for all of Aspen’s business units. Megan joined Aspen in 2012 as a senior accountant and has progressively expanded her responsibilities during her tenure. She was named Accounting Manager in 2020, and was promoted again in 2022 to the position of Controller. Prior to joining Aspen, Megan held accounting positions in Denver, Colorado, where she also earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Colorado Denver. Megan also has two bachelor’s degrees from St. Cloud State University.

Stacey Sanders

Stacey Sanders is the Office Operations Manager for Aspen Waste Systems of Minnesota, Aspen’s largest operating division, and a member of Aspen’s Executive Committee. In these roles, she is responsible for all customer service and office administrative functions in MN and for ensuring company-wide compliance with Aspen’s customer service policies and procedures. Stacey’s entire career has been in the waste industry, and she has progressively expanded her responsibilities since joining Aspen in 2011. A native of the Twin Cities and waste industry veteran, Stacey is recognized by both customers and colleagues for her work ethic, positivity, and high standards of performance.

Laura Whipple

Laura Whipple is Human Resources Manager and is responsible for all human resource functions across the company. Laura joined Aspen in 2018 as an HR generalist and was promoted to her current position in 2021. Prior to Aspen, Laura had 20 years of experience at Goodwill Industries in the human resources and human services divisions, garnering a broad range of experiences in her field. Laura has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and an MBA from Drake University.

Jeff Wilhelmus

Jeff Wilhelmus is the Maintenance Manager for Aspen Waste Systems of Missouri and a member of Aspen’s Executive Committee. In these roles, he is responsible for managing Aspen’s two maintenance shops in the St. Louis metro area and for ensuring company-wide compliance with Aspen’s maintenance policies and procedures. Prior to joining Aspen, he spent more than twenty-seven years in management positions at some of the largest companies in the industry.

Andy Barnaal

Andy Barnaal is the Sales Manager for Aspen Waste Systems. He is responsible for managing the sales teams at all of Aspen’s offices, across all markets. Andy joined Aspen in 2024 after more than ten years in the waste industry, primarily in the rendering business where he managed sales teams at multiple sites and also managed the company’s organic recycling program. In addition to the rendering business, Andy also worked for an environmental consulting and management company. Through his many years of experience, Andy has developed a reputation in the waste industry as a highly respected sales leader and business partner.