Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: How to Thrive in ReMA’s WIR Mentorship Program

Nina Grimes, vice chair of ReMA’s Women in Recycling Council, strongly believes in the Council’s annual Mentorship Program. But she wishes there was a better term to describe the participants.

“I don’t necessarily like the word ‘mentee’,” she explained. “Both the mentor and mentee are learning from each other. It’s really a partnership.”

Since it launched in 2019, the WIR mentorship program taps into existing knowledge, skills, and experiences of high-performing individuals and connects them with other ReMA members who want to expand their knowledge and develop their skills to advance their career. WIR leadership match participants together thorough evaluation and a review of questionnaires answered by mentors and mentees. Partnered together for one year, mentors and mentees meet once per month to discuss important issues for them and their business.

Grimes first participated as a mentee when Sandy Pierce, who currently oversees the program along with Grimes, recommended that she send an application.

“I’ll always be grateful that Sandy brought me on board,” Grimes said. “I’ve now participated as both a mentee and a mentor, and I can say that she helped me just as much as I helped her. That’s why I wish there was a better word than mentee. My mentee and I still chat, and we still check in with each other, so these partnerships can often turn into friendship.”

This will be the second year Grimes and Pierce have worked together as co-leads on the mentorship program. According to Pierce, each year the two have added new ideas to the program, noting that a healthy program requires constant change and innovation.

One of those changes was to introduce Enliven sessions— one-hour virtual gathering designed to encourage cohort-wide connection and shared learning. The two upcoming sessions focus on mental health in the recycled materials industry and the opportunities surrounding AI (artificial intelligence).

“We wanted to make sure the mentorship program is a networking experience,” Pierce said. “Every year, some pairings get along well while others fizzle out for one reason or another. The Enliven sessions bring participants back together and all ReMA members are welcome to attend.”

One of the things that’s remained the same from year to year has been the successful matching process. When filling out an application, participants are asked what they are looking for from a partnership, any specific requests, and their personal strengths and areas of knowledge. Both mentors and mentees receive the same questions, so when Grimes and Pierce get into the depths of matching process, they can review everyone’s goals and easily determine which mentor fits the needs of which mentee.

“We want every participant to meet their goals through this program,” Grimes said. “Sometimes a pair clicks well and it’s great, but anything can happen. We try to catch any issues or problems before the end of the program, so no one is left behind.”

Pierce agrees, adding that when she hears that a group is experiencing differences, she tries to encourage them to work through those differences as an opportunity for personal growth.

“Recognizing and understanding our differences is an art,” she said. “I had someone tell me that they wanted to be a mentor, but they were scared because they didn’t know how to teach. You may be good at something, but you aren’t good at explaining it to others. That’s why we have come up with a list of topics for the participants. They don’t need to stick to them, but it’s a good jumping off point to start conversations and hopefully they can become comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

During ReMA 2025, the 2024-2025 mentors and mentees who completed the program were acknowledged at the WIR-hosted session “Sustainable Workforce: Build, Hire, Retain, Promote.” These participants received a certificate of completion as well as graduation gifts— a leather portfolio and a bestseller about mentorship. The Metals Agency and SWEED Machinery were instrumental in contributing to those gifts.

“The more we acknowledge people and encourage them to finish the process, the better outcomes we have,” Pierce said. “Even though these members had finished the program, we wanted to show them that their journey of continuous growth and education doesn’t end here.”

Grimes has her certificate hanging proudly outside her office door.

“It’s important to know that even if you’ve already participated in the program as a mentee, you can always apply to be a mentee again,” she said. “Growth in this industry is ongoing. And then, one day, you may feel confident enough to turn around a be a mentor. Ultimately, we want everyone to be strong leaders in this industry.”

The WIR Mentorship Program is open to all current ReMA members and will run from Monday, September 1, 2025, through Monday, March 30, 2026.Mentor/mentee pairs are expected to meet at least five times throughout the program, either virtually or in person. Participants will also join at least one Enliven Session. At the end of the program, all participants are asked to complete a short feedback survey to help strengthen future offerings.

Applications are due by Friday, August 15, 2025. Mentor and mentee pairings will be announced by August 29, 2025.