Speakers, 2020
Erin Girard
Waste Diversion Outreach & Technical Specialist
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Amber Schmidt
New England Zero Waste Organizer, New England Zero Waste Organizer
Clean Water Fund: ReThink Disposable
Sarah D OBrien
Director of Special Initiatives and Stakeholder Engagement
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
Alison Waliszewski
Environmental Policy & Program Strategist | Coalition Leader
Independent Environmental Policy & Program Specialist
Chrise de Tournay Birkhahn
Zero Waste USA Associate, City of Berkeley Zero Waste Commission Chair
Zero Waste USA
Aditi (Adi) Varshneya
US/Canada Membership Coordinator
GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives)
Jennie R. Romer
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at OCSPP
Environmental Protection Agency
Gillian Griffin
Sustainable Supply Chain Program Manager
New York State Pollution Prevention Institute
Michael T. Looney
Senior Advisor to the Commissioner
State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Paul Connett
Author of “The Zero Waste Solution”, International Zero Waste Advocate and former chemistry Professor, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY.
Zero Waste USA and Zero Waste International Alliance
Olivia Sanchez
Recycling & Community Outreach Program Coordinator
Riverside County - Department of Waste Resources
Darienne Highsmith
Project Manager, U.S. Market Transformation and Development
U.S. Green Building Council
Jessica Jane Robinson
CASA OKAPI Social Media Intern Project Manager, and President of RBInc
Resilience Birthright Inc
Beatriz Martins Arruda
Regenerative Researcher
CASA Latina (Council of Sustainable Settlements of America Latina)
Devin Jackson
Teacher/Environmental Sustainability Coordinator/NCRA Board Member
Mt. Diablo Unified School District; NCRA
Sean Potts
Management and Program Analyst
USDA - Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
Alina Bekkerman
Zero Waste Consultant, Board Member NCRA
NCRA - Northern California Recycling Association
Manuel Medrano
Environmental Services Manager
California Association of Market Development Zones / City of Chula Vista
Dan Noble
Compost Renewable Carbon Management Collaboration at the Local Level
Association of Compost Producers
Danner Doud-Martin
Associate Director, International Business Development Program and Haas Staff lead for Zero Waste and Sustainability Task Force
Haas School of Business
Stephanie Phillips
Senior Manager, Deconstruction & Circular Economy
City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
Diane Cohen
The Future of Reuse, Materials Management and the Circular Economy
Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc.
Rachel Greer
Circular economy and transitions expert
Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) - Erasmus University Rotterdam
Kelly Jaramillo
Regional Sustainable Operations Specialist and National Greening Fire Team Chairperson
USDA Forest Service
Kate O’Neill
Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management
University of California at Berkeley
Aditi (Adi) Varshneya
Network Development Manager
GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives)
Kathi Mirza
Branch Chief, Municipal Waste Reduction Program
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
Zeynep Çelikel
Adviser in the Human Rights & Humanitarian Team
General Assembly of the United Nations
Evelyn Ferreira
San Francisco International Airport: A Model for Zero Waste Airport Design and Operations
San Francisco International Airport
Sarah E. Johnson, BSN, BA, RN-BC
Clinical Program Manager, Environmental Stewardship
Providence St. Patrick Hospital
Jasmine Johnson
Horticulturist and lead on BPCA's Zero Waste Advisory Community
Battery Park City Authority
Kaela Martins
Manager, Environmental Programs & Retail Compliance Center
Retail Industry Leaders Association
