The ReMA Gulf Coast Region (GCR) will recognize Charles Johnson, president and COO of M. Lipsitz & Co. Ltd. (Waco, Texas), with the 2025 Israel Proler Award on Thursday, June 19, at the GCR summer convention in San Antonio, Texas. The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the recycled materials industry.
Johnson, a native of Central Texas, began his career in the recycling industry in 1988 when he started working for M. Lipsitz & Co. In addition to his current duties as president and CEO, he oversees the company’s ferrous marketing, safety program, environmental efforts, and strategic planning.
Throughout his career, Johnson has been active in the recycled materials industry’s trade association, serving on numerous committees in the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)—now ReMA—and several leadership roles in ISRI’s Gulf Coast Chapter (now Gulf Coast Region), including seats on the chapter’s board of directors and executive committee as well as a term as the chapter’s president from 2017-2019.
Johnson also is a leader in his community, including being part of the Leadership Waco class of 1994 and serving on the board of The Arc of McLennan County (Texas), a disability rights organization.
On a more global scale, Johnson is a board president of Upright Africa, a nonprofit humanitarian organization working predominately in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In his personal life, Johnson—a graduate of Baylor University—has been married to his wife Olivia for 48 years, and they have two adult children, Leia (33) and Adria (30).
The Proler Award is named in memory of Israel Proler of Proler International Corp. (Houston), who served as Gulf Coast Chapter President of the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel (a ReMA predecessor) from 1955-1956. Among his professional achievements, “Izzie” Proler helped develop the forerunner of today’s modern automobile shredder along with his brothers Sammy, Jackie, and Herman “Hymie” Proler.
