Election November 2019
In November, eligible Recycle Colorado members will elect five (5) candidates to serve on the Board of Directors for a three-year term (2020-2022, ending December 2022). Recycle Colorado members will receive an email in October with more information about the election. The Nominating Committee is confident that the presented candidates have the time, ability and inclination to serve on the Board of Directors. Each candidate has signed the Recycle Colorado Board Letter of Commitment, acknowledging their desire and ability to serve. Questions about the slate of candidates or the selection process can be directed to Tim Dailey, Nominating Committee member.
Candidates
David is the Sustainability Maven at Eco-Products, PBC, where he ensures that sustainability is woven throughout the business. From supply chain to end-of-life issues, David is involved in every facet of the Eco-Products strategy. As part of his role, David works with large food waste generators in Colorado to implement a fully compostable bundle and divert food waste and compostable packaging from the landfill. David previously worked as the East Boulder County Campaigns coordinator at Eco-Cycle, and had the privilege of working with the Cities of Longmont and Lafayette on education for their newly established residential composting programs.
He has been involved in various capacities with Recycle Colorado, previously as co-chair for the Product Stewardship Council, and currently as business representative on the policy committee and on the compost council. David is also involved nationally with the US Composting Council, the Biodegradable Products Institute, the Foodservice Packaging Institute, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
David has significant non-profit experience through his work with Eco-Cycle, as well as being a founding member of Sustainable Resilient Longmont, and a board member for Grass Roots Ultimate.
David has been in the Zero Waste industry since graduating from the University of Colorado in 2012, and received his Masters in Public Policy from the University of Denver in 2017.
Jonathan Greenspan, W.E.C.A.N.
The best attribute is the fact that I am relentless. When I take a project on I take it to its finality or where it gets handed off to the individual that can or has the ability to take it to the finish line. For example, in my community in Telluride, I kept pushing for an ordinance against single use plastics. I am proud to say we now have one in place ready to be voted on. We just might be the first community in Colorado to do so. I have a lot of field experience have been an operator of a zero waste /recycle center for almost 20 years.
My skill base is that I have run non profits, been an elected official for 14 years and run private businesses. All of it requires various degrees of skill. From managing people to planning next steps to organizing and follow up on many topics and actions, requires skills to accomplish.
My motivation is simple but a big task. Plainly said, I think land fills will be our next HUGE environmental disaster. I am against the concept of land filling and I think we as a society need to do everything possible to eliminate and or reduce what goes in them. Everything that we produce can be made into other things and we just have change behavior and culture to do this. It can be done!
I am currently on a few non profits and running one now W.E.C.A.N. Waste Energy Citizen Action Network. Is an organization that a couple of us locals formed to get things done environmentally wise. I am also on other groups of non profits that guide environmental policy in our community.
Lastly I just want to add that currently there is no one from the western slope on the RC board and it would be good to spread out participation and representation through out the state. I feel I can be very helpful in that. In addition, I am also part of the resort communities that plays a huge part in Colorado.
Alyssa Harding, Sustainable Food Trade Association
Alyssa serves as the Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Trade Association, a membership organization that represents organic companies in North America and supports businesses in creating and implementing innovative, sustainable practices across the supply chain, from farm to retail, through education, networking, analytic modules, and leadership recognition. She previously managed Corporate Social Responsibility for three years at Justin’s, a Boulder based nut butter company with a mission rooted in sustainability. She has an educational foundation in agricultural ecology, with an additional specialization in Corporate Social Responsibility. Before Justin’s, she worked in the environmental sector for water conservation non-profits and in the solar industry, and has published articles with PowerHouse Growers, educating readers about food security and urban agriculture.
Adam is Founder and Co-owner of Direct Polymers, a Denver-based plastics recycling company dedicated to developing sustainable recycling programs for companies throughout Colorado and the United States. A proud Colorado native, Adam was born in Aurora, Colorado where he graduated from Smoky Hill High School in 2001. He went on to attend Duke University where he graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, as well as a minor in Political Science and a Certificate in Markets and Management. He was also a varsity collegiate athlete in Track and Field during his tenure at Duke. After college, Adam began his career in PVC plastics recycling as the Director of West Coast Operations for The JPI Group. In 2009 Adam began his own plastics brokerage company where he became well educated on plastics recycling and compounding for a variety of polymers. He saw an opportunity to provide better plastics recycling services in Colorado and started Direct Polymers with Josh DuPuy in April 2014. Direct Polymers has been servicing Colorado’s plastic recycling needs ever since. Adam has two main passions in life: business and family. He has a wife and two beautiful children with whom he spends all of his free time with. His goal in life is to continually better himself in order to be the best businessman, husband and father he can be.
Jenifer Jessep, Swire Coca-Cola
Jenifer Fuller Jessep is the Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs for Swire Coca-Cola, USA in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska and Wyoming. She is responsible for managing external relationships and issues with government officials, third party stakeholders, industry organizations and community partners. In addition, Jessep develops programs to address critical issues, such as recycling, water, workforce development and women’s empowerment with partners, customers and government officials and agencies. Her role is essential in reputational advancement of the Swire Coca-Cola brand in the public arena.
Jessep holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s Degree from the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies. Prior to Swire Coca-Cola, Jessep served as the VP of State Government Affairs for UnitedHealth Group, Principal at Parquet Public Affairs and Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Throughout her career, she has supported various local and state political campaigns in a consulting and advisory capacity. She serves on the Advisory Board for A Precious Child and the Colorado Restaurant Association ProStart Foundation Board. She is the proud mom of 2 exceptional teenagers and resides in Broomfield, Colorado.
Emily Kaps, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Emily is an Environmental Protection and Recycling Specialist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Over the past three years, Emily has solely overseen the Colorado PaintCare program, been very active in programs relating to construction and demolition waste diversion, and many other material management projects. Emily also serves as a leading member of the CDPHE Green Team focused on advancing sustainable practices on campus and is a division representative on the department's Health Equity and Environmental Justice Steering Committee. Everything Emily produces is done through the lens of advancing circular economies in an equitable way. Emily has a master's degree in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado, Denver and a previous background in assessing environmental contamination for the City and County of Denver.
Maddie Keating, Natural Resources Defense Council
Maddie Keating is a City Strategist with the Natural Resources Defense Council and she is the Denver city lead on NRDC’s Food Matters project. Her work is focused on urban sustainability issues including food waste, healthy food access, equitable community engagement, community and municipal composting, and municipal waste policy. Maddie engages directly with local, state and regional partners to support Denver and the surrounding region towards achieving an ambitious 15% reduction in food waste over the next 5 years. She actively pursues external partnerships by working directly with the Denver Mayor’s Office, Denver City Council, the Public Health, Sustainability and Public Works departments in Denver and surrounding counties, and several environmental and equity groups to create innovative program and policy solutions. She brings a unique lens to the Recycle Colorado board because of her position in a large multi-national environmental organization with access to substantial research and substantive expertise around the country. Prior to joining NRDC, Maddie was involved with the Sustainable Neighborhoods Network in Lakewood, CO and worked as a consultant on healthy food access mapping for Jefferson Country Public Health Department. She is versed in data analysis and GIS mapping. Maddie holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colorado College and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver. In her free time, Maddie enjoys working in her garden, telling people how to compost (no joke), bicycling with her husband and cooking great food to share with friends.
Randy is the Director of Community Campaigns for Eco-Cycle where he has worked since 2012. He is passionate about building Zero Waste communities in Colorado. At Eco-Cycle, he has successfully spearheaded public outreach and advocacy campaigns that resulted in approval of Boulder’s new Universal Zero Waste Ordinance, brought curbside composting to Lafayette and Longmont, and increased recycling and composting in apartments and condominiums in Boulder. He is currently leading a team of coalition partners to get Pay-As-You-Throw in Denver.
As Vice President and Policy Chair, Randy has helped create a transparent and representative policy committee. He has also provided leadership in the organization’s strategic planning by working with the policy committee to create a framework to guide Recycle Colorado’s policy decisions. He hopes to continue to utilize his attributes of leadership, strategic thinking and political astuteness to help Recycle Colorado develop as a state leader, mover and shaker.
Prior to joining Eco-Cycle, he was a lobbyist for Conservation Colorado, one of the state’s leading environmental nonprofits. Randy is excited about working with Recycle Colorado to advance policies that improve recycling and composting across the state and strengthen Colorado’s sustainable materials management economy.
Ally Palmer, Clean Valley Recycling
Ally was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She was educated by a private school in Metro Denver, where she graduated at the top of her class.
Finding interest in independent financial success, she ventured into business ownership at an early age. Ally is currently the owner of a marketing and advertising company.
Operating many ventures from start-up positions, she‘s grown her own organizations ranging from ecommerce shops to product brokering. She’s worked closely with a variety of business professionals from CEO's to contractors. Ally has a knack for building strong relationships with the people around her.
Ally’s childhood drove her passion for nature and the environment. This passion has led her to the pursuit of finding the beauty of rural areas and landed her in the lower Arkansas Valley. She currently lives in La Junta, Colorado where the population is less than 7,000 people.
Being a champion for low impact living, She’s had a strong leadership role in the recycling effort for the rural area where she lives. Ally currently directs operations for the largest recycling center in the lower Arkansas Valley, where they serve 4 rural counties helping over 30,000 people to reduce their impact on the environment. Ally was elected to the board of directors for Clean Valley Recycling in 2018.
Grant Parsons, GFL Environmental
Grant is the Regional Sales Manager at GFL Environmental Inc.
He began his career at Alpine Waste & Recycling in 2006 as a territory sales representative, becoming a Major Account Executive in 2007 and Sales Manager in 2012. In the 7 years that Grant managed Alpine’s sales effort, the company experienced growth in excess of 160%. He has experience working in various capacities- including compost, recycling, MSW and customer diversion programs. Grant now oversees sales operations in Denver and Colorado Springs markets for Alpine Waste & Recycling | GFL Environmental.
GFL Environmental Inc. is a leading North American provider of diversified environmental solutions. Recognized by our signature fleet of well-maintained, bright-green trucks, we offer a robust, consolidated and sophisticated approach to meeting our customers’ environmental service requirements.
GFL is the only major diversified environmental services company in North America offering services in solid waste management, liquid waste management and infrastructure implementation.
A Colorado native, I was born and raised in Pueblo before attending the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, to study Civil Engineering. After my four years in Golden I attended the University of Northern Colorado to balance out and study English and Outdoor Education. I have worked for MillerCoors for 17 years, 15 at Rocky Mountain Bottle Company making beer bottles out of local recycled glass, and I have spent the last two years at Rocky Mountain Metal Container making infinitely recyclable aluminum beer cans. For the last eight years, my role has been Manufacturing Development, which is a Continuous Improvement / Lean role. During my 17 years at MillerCoors, I have been very active on our Green Teams, I have been a huge glass recycling advocate inside and outside the company as well as been an active supporter of our partnership with Recycle Colorado. Outside of work: I am a founding member and co-leader of the Little Elementary “Little Sprouts” School-Community Garden my wife launched 6 yrs ago. I am a Master Composter through Denver Urban Gardens. I am a founding member of Toast on Tap Toastmasters Club at MillerCoors of which I was VP of Membership. I have been Vice President of the MillerCoors Golden Asian Employee Resource Group for the last five years. I was also a Little Elementary PTSA board member for two years. I was born a passionate outdoorsman, advocate of recycling and renewable energy and proud Coloradoan.
