List any previous leadership positions held with the National Recycling Coalition or state recycling organizations and describe what you accomplished in those positions.

I started with the Colorado Association for Recycling (CAFR) in 1997. In 1998, I became treasurer, then president in 1999. Under my leadership, CAFR grew from a 25 member organization with an annual budget of $4,000 to a respectful 75 member organization with a $50,000 budget. We secured enough capital to hire a part-time executive director. I resigned as President and was hired as executive director. Since then, CAFR has grown to 180 members (the majority of which are businesses and government) with an annual budget of $125,000. we are financially secure, and each year we continue to expand our organization and our influence. For the three years we have sponsored legislation in Colorado, we have successfully passed seven of eight bills, and have assisted in passing numerous others. We have become well-respected, and the go-to organization for recycling in Colorado. In 2004, I was elected as Vice-Chair and in 2006 as Chair of the Recycling Organization Council.

If you currently serve in a volunteer leadership position with another organization, please explain your role and accomplishments.

I currently volunteer with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International / Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance as a consultant creating waste management projects, plans and programs for underdeveloped areas in the world. I was tapped to speak at the FENACOOP International Conference on Cooperative Development about a project I designed for the community of Boa Vista that won a national award for excellence from the Ministry of Social Development in Brazil.

What special abilities would you bring to NRC’s leadership?

I have the capacity to build coalitions and cooperative enterprises. I have a proven track record at recruiting businesses, governments, universities and nonprofits to participate in CAFR—entities that once mistrusted the organization. By being willing to work with haulers, landfill operators, government agencies, and trade organization representatives, CAFR was able to pass a landmark piece of recycling legislation. I have also been instrumental in organizing the Colorado Alliance for Sustainable Business Associations, which is an umbrella group that leverages the associations’ resources to create group events, calendars, funding, etc. I believe that by working together, a group can accomplish anything they set out to do.

What do you think are the most important recycling issues facing the NRC or recycling on the national level?

The main issue is to increase recycling throughout the country. In order to reach that goal, we need a national voice and a consistent message. We need to work with local governments, citizens, and businesses as well as national corporations and government. Supporting local efforts is extremely important since each jurisdiction has their own issues, challenges and potential solutions that may not necessarily be solved from the top down.

What steps should the NRC take to strengthen its role and relationships with our affiliated state organizations?

The NRC should hold a facilitated forum for all state ROs in order to find out what the issues are that each RO faces and what is it that they want/need from a national organization, then figure out how to accomplish those things. Look to the ROs as partners who can share their experience and programs to help NRC flourish. Continue to build on the foundation of studies and papers in the NRC library that can help local program coordinators propose and defend recycling in their communities, and offer more organizational development programs for RO management.

What individual or group in the field of recycling has had the most influence on you?

This may be trite, but it’s my mother. She drilled it into me as a child and young adult that waste is wrong. She showed me how to reuse, make do or do without. We composted, turned old stockings into soap holders, rinsed and reused plastic bags, and gave our used toys and clothing to charity. She always emphasized the importance of stewardship (as opposed to dominion) and ensured that each of her children took responsibility for their actions. She and my father were teenagers during the Depression and learned the value of what you had. She passed that ethic to me, and I try to live up to her ideal.

How would you “sell” the importance of an NRC membership to a person who is unfamiliar with the NRC?

The NRC is a strong, national coalition that has grown and matured over the years. Under the guidance of their current Executive Director, the organization has stabilized financially and is bringing new vigor to the industry. NRC has become one of the organizations that politicians turn to for information and direction – in that sense it is truly becoming a national voice for recycling. Benefits of membership include the Mobius, which is a fantastic resource for keeping you up-to-date on the latest goings-on in the industry; access to materials that can help you support program decisions and show financial and environmental benefits to the work you do; discounts on registration fees and magazines; but best of all, members become part of a community that is passionate, that can help educate, and that can improve your morale when things are tough. And they really like to party….

How is the work you do as a professional compatible with NRC’s mission?

Being the executive director of a nonprofit organization that works to promote recycling and environmentally, economically and socially sustainable practices, it is nearly identical.

The NRC Board of Directors is comprised of individuals with a concern for the common good of the Coalition. Discuss how you would help the Board reach consensus among a group of peers with varied interests and/or positions on a specific issue.

The first thing to do is listen. As much as I may be familiar with the issues of the NRC as a member and as the Chair of the ROC, the issues faced by the board of directors could be very different. It would be important for me to learn what the issues are that are being discussed, what the different opinions might be and how best to contribute to a solution. Listening will allow me to begin to learn, asking questions as appropriate will further that learning process, and allow me to see where the common ground lies. I believe that being honest about my point of view, tempered with an understanding of others’ viewpoints and a willingness to compromise to get the job done are important to the process of creating successful solutions. Humor is important as well.

What would be your personal goals as a member of the NRC Board of Directors?

To have a minimum of 30 ROs be affiliated with NRC and to have the NRC be a strong and stable organization that supports recycling and environmentally, economically and socially sustainable practices.