By Kim Dung Ho — Nevada Leadership Through Portraiture

Leadership is often romanticized as something that happens on the front stage of public life. But every city, every region, and every thriving economy depends on leaders whose work is less visible yet profoundly essential, leaders who build systems, support workers, strengthen communities, and ensure that daily operations run with discipline and care.

One of those leaders in Southern Nevada is Bryant Thornton, the Area President of Republic Services. Photographing him offered a window into a career built on persistence, service, operational mastery, and a genuine commitment to people. Listening to his conversation on the Workforce Connections Podcast revealed a deeper truth: Bryant’s leadership is the product of decades of lived experience, strategic adaptability, and an abiding belief in service.

Bryant’s story begins in Orlando, Florida, a city whose rhythm mirrors the energy of Las Vegas in many ways. He grew up on the west side of Orlando, where hard work was not optional but expected. At fourteen, he began bussing tables and washing dishes at a local restaurant called Brian’s. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught him the fundamentals that would guide the rest of his life: show up, work hard, respect every job, and learn from each experience.

He attended Columbia College and later completed his degree at the University of Phoenix, working while studying, carrying the responsibilities of school and early adulthood simultaneously. Like many first-generation professionals, he didn’t have a roadmap for leadership, he built one, step by step, through grit and curiosity.

His entry into the environmental services industry, the industry that would ultimately define his career, was almost accidental. In the mid-1990s, he was managing a Curtis Mathes store, a retail shop selling electronics and furniture. The job was stable, the pay was steady, and he assumed retail would be his long-term path. Then a high school friend walked into the store to buy a television.

The friend was working as a driver for Waste Management. The idea of driving a waste truck seemed unappealing at first. Bryant laughed it off. But the friend returned two weeks later, and this time he brought his paycheck with him. Bryant took one look, realized the earnings far exceeded what he was making in retail, and his perspective shifted.

He went straight to get his permit, and soon after, he was behind the wheel of a waste truck, beginning what would later become a multi-decade leadership career in one of the most critical industries in the country.

For three years, he worked as a frontline driver, learning the routes, the equipment, the customers, the safety standards, and the operational heartbeat of the business. From there he moved into supervision, operations management, and eventually into higher-level operations roles. He spent 13 years with Waste Management before being recruited to join Republic Services in 2009.

In Atlanta, he stepped into division and general management roles, overseeing operations across multiple regions. He eventually became the Director of Operations for Florida, Puerto Rico, and South Alabama, a role that required constant movement, intense decision-making, and oversight of large teams. His track record was undeniable: he consistently delivered safer operations, stronger financial results, more efficient systems, and better employee retention.

When Republic Services presented him with the opportunity to relocate to Southern Nevada as the Area President, to lead the company’s largest market, Bryant and his wife made the decision together. The move was not simply a promotion; it was a responsibility. Southern Nevada’s growth, its scale, and its rapid evolution require a leader who understands both people and operations at a deep level.

Today, Bryant describes Las Vegas as a refreshing blend of community and opportunity. Living in Summerlin, he embraces the city’s culture, its growth, and its vibrant sense of possibility. He serves on the boards of both the Vegas Chamber and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), where he works alongside other business leaders to support economic diversification, workforce development, and sustainable community growth.

Republic Services itself spans 45 states and operates far beyond residential waste collection. It includes landfills, recycling facilities, transfer stations, environmental hazard response teams, and sustainability services. Bryant’s leadership role in Southern Nevada is operationally and strategically critical.

One of the defining elements of his career is his experience managing more than $100 million in municipal contract revenue. These contracts connect Republic Services to counties, cities, and governments across multiple states. They determine how communities receive essential services, from recycling programs to landfill operations. This level of responsibility requires the ability to navigate public partnerships, negotiate contracts, lead large teams, and maintain service quality across thousands of employees and hundreds of routes.

Listening to Bryant reflect on his leadership trajectory is a reminder that great leaders are shaped by what they’ve done, not just the titles they’ve held. He is deeply committed to the people behind the work,  the drivers, the mechanics, the operators, and the supervisors. In Southern Nevada alone, Republic Services employs more than 700 drivers, many with over a decade of tenure.

He believes in developing people from within, creating clear pathways for advancement, and supporting employees who want to move from frontline roles into management. Some of today’s supervisors once drove collection trucks themselves; some operations managers were once entry-level employees. This mobility is intentional. It is the culture Bryant champions, one rooted in respect, fairness, and opportunity.

Among the biggest challenges facing the industry is a shortage of diesel technicians and CDL drivers nationwide. Even though Las Vegas retains strong driver talent due to competitive pay and benefits, the national shortage impacts long-term planning. Bryant speaks openly about the need for stronger pipelines, in high schools, trade programs, and colleges.

His partnership work with Workforce Connections, CCSD, CSN, and regional economic organizations is focused on creating greater awareness of high-paying careers that do not necessarily require a four-year degree. Diesel mechanics, for example, often earn six-figure incomes, yet many young people know nothing about the field.

Bryant sees this gap as both a challenge and an opportunity. Republic Services has its own CDL and technician schools in Texas, and he believes Nevada can become a pipeline for future skilled workers if young people are exposed to these careers early.

Beyond corporate leadership, Bryant carries another identity, one that speaks to his commitment to service and community: he is an Auxiliary State Trooper for the Florida Highway Patrol. He began this journey in the early 1990s, driven by a desire to give back and serve the public. Though he ultimately pursued his business career, he never stepped away from law enforcement entirely.

To this day, nearly 30 years later, he maintains his certification, completes required training, and returns to Florida every few months to work the road. He considers it a responsibility, a way to honor the community he came from and the values he carries.

Few executives balance corporate leadership with law enforcement service. It is a rare combination, one that reveals the depth of Bryant’s character: disciplined, grounded, committed, and devoted to public safety.

Photographing Bryant, I wanted to capture that blend,  the operational steadiness of a seasoned executive and the quiet strength of someone who has lived every layer of the work he now oversees. He carries himself with calm assurance, not the loud confidence of someone performing leadership but the composed presence of someone who embodies it.

In front of the camera, his posture reflects the same discipline that guided him through long operational days, years of frontline work, and countless decisions impacting communities across states. His expression carries integrity, the kind earned through decades of showing up, not decades of being seen.

Nevada’s growth depends on leaders like Bryant. As new industries arrive, as sports franchises reshape the region’s identity, as the economy diversifies and expands, the essential infrastructure of waste management, recycling, environmental safety, and municipal partnerships must remain strong.

Leadership in these areas is not glamorous, but it is foundational. Without it, cities cannot function, businesses cannot operate, and communities cannot grow.

Bryant understands this and leads with that responsibility in mind.

His story is one of upward mobility, of service, of operational excellence, of community commitment, and of the belief that success is earned one step at a time, from the ground up.

Photos by Kim Dung Ho — Las Vegas Leadership Photographer
Documenting Nevada’s executives, civic leaders, business innovators, and public-sector trailblazers.