Over the mountains and to Grand Junction we go for the 2025 Summit for Recycling!June 2nd - 4th | Grand Junction Convention Center 2025 Summit for Recycling SpeakersA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Science and law regarding regulation should always be the best partners. While working in the pharmaceutical industry for the human and animal sectors as a microbiologist, I was fortunate enough to learn the balance between innovation, safety, and compliance. Later, while working for an international agricultural company, I witnessed firsthand how regulations can be manipulated or misapplied, often to the detriment of both individuals and the environment. These experiences fueled my commitment to ensuring that regulatory frameworks serve their true purpose — protecting public health, supporting ethical scientific progress, and safeguarding ecosystems. Today, I advocate for evidence-based policy making, transparency, and integrity in regulatory practices, drawing on just over a decade of interdisciplinary expertise at the intersection of science, industry, and law. Celene Andreano Celene Andreano is the manager of Glass to Glass, Colorado's only dedicated glass processing facility. Based in Broomfield, this innovative company plays a pivotal role in the state's recycling ecosystem by transforming used glass containers—such as bottles and jars—into clean, reusable cullet. This cullet is then supplied to the Rocky Mountain Bottle Company (RMBC) in Wheatridge, and O-I in Windsor, where it is melted and remade into new glass bottles, often within a mere 2 to 4 weeks. Under Andreano's leadership, Glass to Glass has become a cornerstone of Colorado's circular economy. The company offers glass collection bins to municipalities, businesses and residents, facilitating convenient recycling and reducing landfill waste. By processing glass locally, Glass to Glass not only conserves energy—since recycled glass melts at a lower temperature—but also supports local industries by providing a steady supply of recycled material. Andreano is also an active advocate for statewide recycling reform. She has collaborated with organizations like Eco-Cycle and Recycle Colorado to promote legislation aimed at improving recycling access and infrastructure across the state. Her efforts reflect a commitment to both environmental sustainability and community engagement, positioning Glass to Glass as a leader in Colorado's recycling landscape. Connect with Celene: Website
I am a retired psychotherapist. Part of my retirement plan is to do what I can to help with environmental issues. To that end, I recycle and compost at home. I volunteer with our local environmental organization, High Country conservation (HC3). I was on a committee for 2 years to help "convince" the Suncor oil refinery to stop polluting. And for the last 3 years I've been keeping as much styrofoam from the dump as has been possible. But I have reached the end of how much my volunteer organization can handle. That is why I am reaching out to other organizations to help with or take over the effort.
Shana is the Waste Tires Work Leader for the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment where she is responsible for the oversight of the Waste Tire Program. She has been with CDPHE for over 20 years. She is a graduate of Colorado State University with a B.S. in Environmental Health, and she holds a master’s degree from the University of Denver in Environmental Policy and Management. Shana enjoys traveling, hiking, and working out on her Peloton bike.
Jimena is the Waste Diversion and Recycling Specialist with the City of Aspen’s Climate Action Office under the Environmental Health and Sustainability department. Her primary focus is on the different recycling and composting programs run by the City of Aspen, City of Aspen’s special recycling drop-off events planning and execution, approval of private Special Events and oversight of the local Recycle Center. She’s passionate about education and community outreach related to climate change and waste diversion. Connect with Jimena: LinkedIn
Amber Barbella, founder and owner of Diversion Designers, has built her company with the mission to transform how organizations approach waste through innovative closed-loop systems. Blending her background in environmental studies and art, she brings creative problem-solving to resource conservation challenges across Colorado. Connect with Amber: Website
Ryan Buhay is a seasoned leader in recycling education and digital engagement, currently serving as Head of Sales at Recycle Coach—a SaaS platform that helps municipalities and haulers reduce contamination and boost recycling participation through technology and behavior change strategies. Connect with Ryan: LinkedIn
Diane Calvin is the founder of CAFE Food Rescue. She held the vision of a food rescue organization for Summit County in her heart for many years. When COVID hit and food insecurity grew in Summit County, she decided to start CAFE Food Rescue, beginning as the sole worker, picking up and distributing food herself. As she found more support and help from friends, she began writing grant proposals and expanding the food rescued and redistributed. In 2024, CAFE Food Rescue recovered and distributed 125,000 pounds of food in their community. She has degrees in civil engineering and a background in solid waste management. When living in Massachusetts, she worked with schools and secured grants to recover organic waste from lunches and improve recycling programs. When the family moved to Rhode Island, she continued to promote food rescue. She was a part of the RI Food Policy Council working to reduce wasted food. She also founded foodSCAPE, a nonprofit that worked with schools to divert food scraps into compost, piloted food recovery from the Summer Meals Program in Providence, and defined and published guidelines for donation of commercially packaged food and whole fruit from school lunches. She believes deeply in her community and that people care for others and for protecting our unique and fragile environment. Connect with Diane: LinkedIn, FaceBook, Website 
Nikki Chernick Nikki Chernick is a climate and sustainability consultant with a passion for making a meaningful impact at the intersection of clean energy, regenerative agriculture, and waste management. Connect with Nikki: LinkedIn
Tamara Chuang writes about Colorado business and the local economy for The Colorado Sun, which she cofounded in 2018 with a mission to make sure quality local journalism is a sustainable business. Her focus on the economy during the pandemic helped Coloradans struggling with job loss or business disruptions stay informed and her stories have won recognition from the state press association and the Society of Professional Journalists. Connect with Tamara: LinkedIn, Website
Angela is the Recycling and Waste Reduction Supervisor for the City of Grand Junction, where she leads strategic initiatives in waste diversion, program development, and community engagement. With a strong commitment to resource stewardship, Angela works to advance the local circular economy and support a more resilient, sustainable, and economically vibrant future.
Shelly Fuller is the Hazardous Materials Program Manager for Boulder County, leading the daily operations of the hazardous materials program. Passionate about sustainability and safety, she collaborates with local businesses and community organizations to champion responsible hazardous waste management. Connect with Shelly: Website
Vann Fussell bridges circularity and urban planning through two new innovative ventures. As Principal of Adapt Soil Partners, he creates scalable urban soil restoration projects that strengthen stormwater resilience while completing the loop in municipal composting programs. Through the Living Memorial Institute (Revive), he advocates for cemetery restoration and adaptation as vital green spaces ("upcycling dead spaces"). In 2022, Vann spearheaded a transformative initiative in Denver's Globeville neighborhood, distributing 75 cubic yards of compost across 75 households, demonstrating how municipal programs can directly benefit residents while advancing climate goals. His extensive involvement in Colorado's sustainability landscape—founding Compost Colorado, serving on Denver's Sustainability Advisory Council, and participating in the Waste No More Task Force—provides him unique insight into both the challenges and opportunities in municipal waste programs, particularly in returning valuable organic resources to communities.
Cameron Garcia serves as the Solid Waste Diversion Analyst for the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center, where he oversees the Construction & Demolition Debris Recovery Program. He brings over 30 years of experience in the public and private waste management sectors, specializing in environmental restoration, hazardous materials, and sustainable waste diversion strategies. Connect with Cameron: LinkedIn 
Jon Gertsmeier Jon Gertsmeier is national director of enterprise sales for AMP, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered sortation at scale for the waste and recycling industry. He works with industry leaders to deploy AI-enabled retrofit and facility-scale solutions that increase productivity, overcome labor challenges, maximize purity rates, and generate more revenue for their recycling businesses. Connect with Jon: LinkedIn
Mellik Gorton has worked for Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment in the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division for the past three years. He has overseen the paint stewardship program, electronics recycling facilities and the education and outreach for the Compostables Labeling Act. More recently, as of February 2025, he has become the Producer Responsibility lead, administering the advisory board and providing oversight to the program’s implementation. In addition to his role with CDPHE, he also serves on the Board of Recycle Colorado. Before his time with the State of Colorado, he managed the City & County of Denver’s waste hauler licensing. When not working, he can be found writing songs on his guitar, riding bikes around Colorado or scoping out opportunities to submerge in a body of water. Connect with Mellik: Website
Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. After developing a special focus on recycling policy, they also started the monthly newsletter Policy Now. Connect with Marissa: LinkedIn, Website 
Rita Mary Hennigan Rita directs UpRoot’s work along the Western Slope, where she has spent most of her time since 2016. She is passionate about helping to create a more just food system that contributes to the health of both people and the environment. Her deep appreciation for farmers and food stems in part from her experiences working on farms in both urban and rural areas. She has also worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA and in other capacities for nonprofit organizations aiming to increase equity in food access. Rita holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College and a Sustainability Certificate from Babson, Olin, and Wellesley Colleges. Rita was a 2023 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Fellow. In her free time, Rita enjoys hiking in the magnificent mountains around her, reading, spending time with as many dogs as she can, and delighting in cooking, eating, and sharing food.
Kathleen joined the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2024 to support the development and execution of the Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise. Prior to joining C3 Kathleen spent ten years in strategy, business development, and consulting roles at Software-as-a-Service companies. During this time, her work focused on tailoring customer experiences for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Manufacturing, and Retail sectors. She first discovered the idea of circularity while building her last program, and was motivated to transition her career and align her professional skills with her personal values. Connect with Kathleen: LinkedIn, Website
Meghan Ibach advocates for clean compost and the circular economy, supporting compost systems that include certified compostables to capture more organics from the landfill. She has worked in the sustainability space for 10+ years from growing food, teaching garden science education to running sustainability at a university. She brings enthusiasm to the compost industry and believes in building meaningful connections to support the greater good. In her free time, she loves to snowboard, hike, bike, garden, see live music and play with her sweet Boston Terrier, Bowzer. Connect with Meghan: Website, LinkedIn
Amelia Kovacs is an Environmental Sustainability Coordinator with Apex Waste Solutions in Colorado. Before joining Apex, she spent four years at Walking Mountains, where she led recycling tours, in-school outreach, and managed more than 300+ zero waste events, helping divert over 210,000+ pounds from the landfill. She’s collaborated with Eagle County and local towns like Avon, Eagle, and Vail to support their waste diversion goals and worked with the Eagle Valley Climate Action Collaborative’s Materials Management Task Force to connect businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities with practical waste diversion strategies. Amelia also managed an EPA REO grant program at Walking Mountains to expand recycling access in priority communities and led county-wide recycling drop site outreach. Connect with Amelia: LinkedIn
Wolf is the Materials Management Unit Leader at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Since 2008 Wolf has worked on projects for the State of Colorado including serving as a member of the Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Advisory Board, leading the 2016 Integrated Solid Waste and Materials Management Plan, proposing 20 year waste diversion goals to the Colorado Solid & Hazardous Waste Commission, overseeing the implementation of Colorado's paint stewardship program and developing solid waste regulations pertaining to recycling facility operations and the waste electronic device landfill ban.
As the Outreach and Technical Assistance Unit Work Lead for CDPHE’s Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise program, Liz is dedicated to advancing circularity initiatives that prioritize equity and sustainability. Her work focuses on stakeholder engagement, grant application assistance, and project leadership. Through this work, she also has a strong focus on fostering sustainable, statewide behavior change and inclusive communications to ensure diverse perspectives are heard. Connect with Liz: Website Brian Loma is the Hazardous Materials and Waste Diversion Advocate for GreenLatinos. A dedicated advocate for environmental responsibility, Brian played a key role in bringing the Waste No More Denver ballot measure to voters in 2022. He owns Cut the Plastic EMS and is an active member of Recycle Colorado & Good Business Colorado, where he serves as a board member and on the hospitality team. He also serves in the Environmental Justice seat for the Colorado Extended Producer Responsibility Advisory Board. Brian transitioned from a career with Aflac in 2011 to focus on sustainability, earning a Bachelors of Science from Metropolitan State University in 2015. His expertise in Sustainable Infrastructure and Practices has taken him around the world, including participation in COP23 from the remote islands of Fiji.
Julie is the owner of Elements Mountain Compost in Salida, CO and has dedicated her career(s) to implementing innovative solutions to resource conservation issues. She founded Elements in 2014 and has grown it from a one-woman-one-shovel operation to a Class 1 commercial composting facility and regional hauling operation. She was recently selected as the Regional Sustainability Contractor for Chaffee County and will be extending her reach in the waste diversion, energy reduction and transportation sectors. In a former life, Julie was the Conservation Director for the Colorado Mountain Club and helped shape policy, trails planning, and recreation programs across the state. Her heart still lives in the mountains and, when not turning compost piles, you can find her exploring deep in the backcountry on skis or by bike. Connect with Julie: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Liz oversees composting, recycling, and landfill operations at the South Canyon Landfill in Glenwood Springs. Her work-related interests are circular economies, resource management, composting unusual feedstocks, and organics policy.
Rylee is the Sustainability Manager at the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program. With a background mainly in waste diversion, Rylee focuses largely on recycling programs, food waste reduction initiatives, event waste management, and enhancing the composting program at the Auraria Campus. Implementing an internal, closed-loop composting program was just a vision for Rylee in 2022, and just three years later it has become a reality. While the program is not perfect, she is proud of how it has evolved, overcome many challenges, and provided many lessons. Moving forward, Rylee hopes that the composting program will be a significant contributor to the campus reaching its goal of a 35% diversion rate in the very near future and serve as a model for other campuses to implement similar programs.
Sarah grew up in a world of creativity and resourcefulness. Her mom, an architect and designer, brought bold ideas to life on job sites. Her dad, founder of Revolve Recycling, was known for dumpster diving to save anything with life left in it. Together, they sparked her love of reuse, design, and getting her hands dirty. She earned a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she led recycling initiatives and studied how ecosystems and impact studies shape our world. After graduation, Sarah moved back in with her dad and stepped in to help at Revolve when an employee left. What started as a short-term fix turned into something more. She learned fast—how to manage large-scale reclaimed materials, run a small business, and find value in what others threw away. Seven years later, Sarah has helped divert millions of pounds of material from landfills. She’s become a go-to resource for homeowners and small businesses looking for durable, affordable materials—everything sourced and sold locally. Her mission is equal parts environmental and practical: save good stuff, help good people, and do it with grit. You’ll still find her five days a week, boots on the ground at Revolve Reclaimed—talking shop, making deals, and running the business alongside her brother, Cole. Connect with Sarah: Website, Facebook, Instagram
Caroline Mitchell is a recycling policy, education and systems expert and works as the Recycling and Circularity Lead at the consulting firm HDR. Prior to HDR, Caroline worked for the City of Fort Collins for 14 years, where she led Fort Collins’ conversion from open market to contracted residential hauling, developed and implemented multi-dwelling housing and commercial recycling programs and policy, was the resident waste data geek, and helped create a baseline of clear, accessible communication resources throughout. She was a founding member and co-vice chair of Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Advisory Board and has been deeply engaged in EPR in Colorado since the initial stakeholder process. Caroline also spent 8 years in the non-profit recycling sector in Colorado and Michigan. Prior to her work in recycling, Caroline studied sea turtle nesting in Tanzania and Texas.
This year, Ellen Orleans celebrates 20 years of sustainability work with the City of Boulder, first in the transportation arena, and since 2011, in zero waste and circular economy efforts.
Adam Peer promotes and advocates for policies that increase the sustainability and circularity of plastic consumer products and packaging at the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as the leader of the Plastics Sustainability Team. Previously, he led legislative and regulatory efforts to advance the physician assistant profession. He also led the effort to enact professional employer organization legislation in 11 states. Originally from Wisconsin, he advised both the speaker of the state assembly and the chair of the insurance committee. Elected as the youngest member of the county board, he chaired the committee on public safety and justice. He has his master’s degree in sustainability from the Harvard University extension and a degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Washington, D.C., and enjoys traveling and biking. Connect with Adam: LinkedIn, Twitter 
Anna Perks Anna Perks is the founder and owner of Perks Deconstruction, a Colorado-based woman-owned business specializing in sustainable demolition and material reuse. With a background in circular economy and a deep commitment to climate-conscious construction practices, Anna has positioned Perks as a leader in deconstruction services across the Front Range. She is a board member of Recycle Colorado and an active participant on the Construction & Demolition (C&D) Council, where she advocates for policies and programs that promote waste diversion, material reuse, and industry innovation. Anna brings a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach to her work and is passionate about transforming the built environment through collaboration, education, and action. Connect with Anna: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook
Dr. Jeff Pieper has been working in horticulture on Colorado's Western slope for over 10 years. After working as a horticulturist in Eagle County Jeff moved to the Grand Valley to work on peach production systems and complete his Ph. D. in Horticulture at Colorado State University. While working at CSU's Western Colorado Research Center in Grand Junction, he worked primarily with tree fruit and wine grapes. In his current role at CSU Extension Jeff provides applied horticultural guidance to commercial growers across the Tri-River area.
Joe joined Resource Central in 2023 as the director of the popular Materials Reuse program in Boulder, CO. With his background in corporate and institutional retail operations, Joe aims to double program impact and scale Materials Reuse statewide, helping to make the reuse of building materials the first choice and consumption of new materials second.
Compost Dave is the co-founder and Chief Operations Officer for EverGreen ZeroWaste, a Public Benefit Corporation spearheading community compost collections, zero waste events and waste diversion education from Aspen to Glenwood Springs and Vail to Rifle. Compost Dave has worked in Colorado’s recycling industry since 1998, when he was hired for media relations and outreach with the University Recycling Service, while earning his undergrad degree at CU Boulder. After that, he transferred to Eco-Cycle where he helped start and operate the nation’s first drop-off center for non-traditional recyclables (CHaRM). In 2009, after eight years with Eco-Cycle, he as his wife Alyssa moved their young family to Carbondale, offering green event services to interested communities in the Roaring Fork Valley. After encouraging Pitkin County and the City of Aspen to tool-up their food waste compost programs, Dave began offering weekly curbside organics collection on Earth Day 2011, with just three homes on the route. Dave’s grassroots effort has matured to a staff of seven full-time employees at EverGreen ZeroWaste and 3,233 tons of organics collected and composted annually. EverGreen ZeroWaste has won many local and state awards, including Recycle Colorado’s Recycler of the Year in 2019. Now at 15 years old, EverGreen ZeroWaste continually inspires the compost renaissance in Colorado and beyond. Connect with Dave: Website, FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube
Molly Saylor, owner and principal of MKS Sustainability Consulting LLC, has over a decade of experience in sustainability with a focus on people-centered and data-informed climate action and waste reduction. Molly has worked at every step of sustainability intervention, including projecting the impact of specific tactics, developing calculators and impact estimation tools, leading strategic planning efforts, developing policies, and leading policy implementation. Connect with Molly: Website 
Leslie Schrof Leslie is a Business Development Manager for LyondellBasell's Circular and Low Carbon Solutions team. In this position, Leslie works to understand the US waste landscape and source plastic waste to meet LYB's mechanical and chemical recycling goals. She also represents LYB in industry coalitions to improve access to plastic waste through various recycling initiatives. 
Rachel Setzke Rachel Setzke (she/her) has been with Eco-Cycle since 2019. In her role as Senior Policy and Research Associate, she researches trends and best practices in recycling, compost, Zero Waste and circularity in order to support Eco-Cycle’s education and advocacy work. Her work has focused on providing policy and program solutions at the community and state levels as well as studying diversion access, trends and scalable solutions across Colorado. Rachel is the lead author of the annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report and an author of the Municipal Blueprint for Compost Expansion. Rachel has helped draft, advocate for and implement state laws including the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, Producer Responsibility for Recycling and two compost bills. She is an active member of Recycle Colorado’s Board, Greater Colorado Council and Policy Committee, as well as multiple national groups working on Extended Producer Responsibility. Rachel has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. Rachel was born and raised in Colorado and, after college in Wisconsin, she returned to the Colorado where she currently resides with her husband, kids and cattle dog mutt.
Driven by a desire to facilitate positive change, Marianna is constantly expanding her knowledge of environmental initiatives such as Circularity, ESG, and Climate Justice. She leverages this knowledge to implement strategies for greater impact. Connect with Marianna: Website
Robbie Tepperberg serves as the Compost Operations Manager for the Auraria Campus, where he leads compost diversion efforts across a 150-acre campus shared by three institutions: Metropolitan State University, the University of Colorado Denver, and the Community College of Denver. He joined the Auraria Campus in the fall of 2023 to help launch their on-site composting facility utilizing an in-vessel digester and custom-built electric tricycles for organics collection. He is deeply passionate about raising awareness of composting’s many benefits, educating others, and developing scalable models that institutions can replicate to establish their own on-site processing facilities. Connect with Robbie: LinkedIn, Website, Facebook
Omar Terrie is Alterra’s Head of Public Affairs where he manages the company’s government relations, community relations, and communication programs. Prior to Alterra, Omar was the Federal Public Affairs Manager for Neste’s Renewable Polymer and Chemicals business unit where he led Neste’s public and government affairs efforts on biobased polymers and chemicals throughout the Americas. Omar also worked as the Director of Market Advocacy at the American Chemistry Council’s Plastic Division where he organized member engagement on legislation and regulation relevant to polymer producers. Omar is an avid fan of science fiction and likes working for a company where he can turn science fiction into science fact.
Natalie Trecker is born and raised in Aspen, and embraced the ski culture. After many years of competitive xc ski racing, she returned to Aspen. Subsequent years in retail, landscaping and home reuse projects have led her to her dream job of working the diversion effort/ community reuse resource that is the Motherlode Mercantile, a.k.a "the dump store" at the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center in the Roaring Fork valley. She is excited to be part of the mission to reduce, reuse and recycle for our world. She spends her days out in the dirt at the Solid Waste Center helping the community to divert reusable items destined for the landfill and help create and support a reuse culture.
Alex Truelove Alex joined BPI in early 2022 to help develop and advocate for policies to increase organic waste diversion, reduce pollution, and help consumers navigate a dizzying product marketplace. He previously directed a national non-profit zero waste program and remains passionate about environmental stewardship, public policy, and working with others to incrementally solve messy problems. Connect with Alex: LinkedIn
Christy joined High Country Conservation Center (HC3) in 2023. In her role as Community Programs Manager, she works on waste reduction, water conservation, sustainable food, and a bit of policy. One of her passions is collaborating with community volunteers to help increase recycling education and outreach in Summit County, CO. Christy currently assists with the implementation of Pay as You Throw in Breckenridge, Frisco, and now unincorporated Summit County. She also manages a grant program to help community members increase their waste diversion efforts. Christy is on Recycle Colorado’s Greater Colorado and Construction and Demolition (C&D) Councils. When not championing environmental stewardship, Christy enjoys spending time outside with her husband and dog, Willow.
Chandra has been with the County for three years. Previously, she was an environmental education teacher for a K-12 charter school. Her teaching background is crucial in her daily work, helping the citizens of Boulder County divert their waste from the landfill. In her free time, Chandra enjoys reading, cooking, and puttering around her vegetable garden. Connect with Chandra: Instagram, LinkedIn
Emily Wenger is the Contracted Trash and Recycling Program Manager for the City of Fort Collins, where she oversees contracted residential waste collection services and works to align the City's program with broader sustainability goals. With six years of experience in solid waste, hazardous waste, and recycling, Emily is passionate about contributing to the development of systems that support a transition toward a more circular economy. She is particularly focused on creating programs that are not only effective, but also equitable and collaborative. |
Shana Baker, MAS, REHS
Jimena Baldino
Amber Barbella
Ryan Buhay
Diane Calvin
Tamara Chuang
Shelly Fuller, CHMM
Vann 
Cameron Garcia
Mellik Gorton
Marissa Heffernan
Kathleen Hynes
Amelia Kovacs
Wolf Kray
Liz Kuhn
Rylee McCone
Sarah Miller
Caroline Mitchell
A
Jeff Pieper
Joe Pitts
Molly Saylor
Marianna Sparks
Omar Terrie
Natalie Trecker
Christy M. Turner
