End of an Era as we say Goodbye to Dr. Valerie Shulman
Obituary – Dr. Valerie Shulman
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the most colourful personalities in the tyre recycling world. Dr. Valerie Shulman recently passed away after a battle with cancer according to her daughter Carolyn.
Valerie was Secretary General of the European Tyre Recycling Association for 30 years, and for many was the face and voice of the Association. As Secretary General of ETRA, Valerie took the case for tyre recycling to the highest offices in the European Commission and always made sure that the voice of the recyclers was heard.
The ETRA annual conference was her “shop window” and an amazing amount of work was put into bringing together experts from industry, finance and government to try and forge new ways ahead for recycling. Valerie was not just the glue that held ETRA together, she was the life force behind ETRA. The ETRA Conferences will never be the same without the enthusiasm and the lead that Valerie brought to the events.
Valerie Shulman was not just about ETRA though. Valerie had lived a life. Her parents had moved from Franco’s Spain to France, only to be faced with an even worse threat when France was invaded. Valerie was evacuated to the USA. Her adoptive parents treated her as their own and encouraged her to grow and develop. Valerie was the youngest student in her year, and completed her Masters degree aged just 20. Gained her Phd at Fordham, and completed her post-Doctorate at the University of Geneva.
Valerie gained the first Lifetime Achievement Award in the Tyre Recycling Sector in the inaugural Recircle Awards.
Valerie is survived by her daughters Joyce, Ann, Lena and Carolyn.
Valerie Shulman was a character that the industry will sorely miss, and our thoughts go to her family, friends and colleagues.
