Board & Staff

Teresa Bradley is CEO and Founder of Race to Zero Waste, an environmental non-profit that focuses on community-centered education. In support of its mission, Race to Zero Waste works to build local, national, and global campaigns through a network of community coalition leaders who are delivering the message of the circular economy through a variety of pop-up events, webinars, and workshops. Teresa is a Missouri native and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Missouri and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco. Teresa has worked in resource recovery for 20 years in both local government and the non-profit sector across the U.S. Additionally, she is the co-founder of CircularSTL, a reuse coalition led by other passionate environmentalists to realize a circular economy for the St. Louis Region. Lastly, she is an adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco and is a TRUE Advisor. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling for weeks at a time in her RV, hanging out with her daughter Chloe, partner Jeff and cat Luna.

Executive Director
Recycling Certification Institute (CA) 

Stephen M Bantillo has been involved in the recycling and resource management industry for over four decades. He assisted the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) in developing the National Standard Protocol (CORR) to provide third-party certification of C&D facilities. Subsequently, he launched the Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) where he now serves as its Executive Director in overseeing implementation of the Corr Protocol.

He created the nation’s first program to document and certify C&D material recycling in the late 1990’s for the City of San Jose. While there, he created and managed numerous innovative resource programs on materials management, economic modeling, and the flow of materials and finances.  He is co-founder and past Chair of California Resource Recovery Association’s Construction & Demolition Council, and also served several years as CRRA’s Executive Director.

Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Bantillo in 2007 to oversee California’s beverage container recycling program, which included management of the program’s $1.2 Billion annual budget and oversight of the certification and monitoring of thousands of recyclers.

Mr. Bantillo continues to work with public and private organizations as well as assist the building community applying an emphasis on increasing achievable material recovery performance with effective policy, practice, and regulation. Stephen is now serving his seventh term as a National Recycling Coalition board member, including Vice President, and has been a leader on NRC’s policy issues since 2004.

Will County Green (IL) 

Marta has been involved in the recycling industry since 1988, starting in the private sector but joining the public sector in 1992. She has been the Recycling Coordinator and Environmental Programs Administrator in several municipalities over the years. Currently she is the Will County Recycling Specialist, writing the County Solid Waste Plan, implementing collection programs for a variety of materials and coordinating education through the website, social media and advertising. She has been a member of the Illinois Recycling Association since 1992, serving as a Board Member many times, and is a past-president. She has served on the SWANA Land of Lincoln Board of Directors and as President of the Illinois Recycling Foundation. She is also Chair of the Illinois Product Stewardship Council, a wife and mother of two.

Board Member
TRUE Advisor (CA)

Marialyce Pedersen is a writer, sustainable materials management professional and certified TRUE Advisor who has served on the NRC Board of Directors since 2019, dedicated to communications and education and currently co-representing the NRC on the US Plastics Pact.  

She was a founding member of the GBCI TRUE Advisory Council and helped to develop the TRUE Scorecard and Advisor course and exam in 2017, establishing necessary guidance for businesses pursuing zero waste. Pedersen was a senior environmental policy analyst for Disney Corporate Citizenship for 16 years and worked in recycling for local government in her early career. (In 2003 with Ventura County, she managed a sustainable building grant from CalRecycle – a permitted straw bale building in Ojai which survived the Thomas Fire in 2017!) 

Pedersen is proud to have developed curriculum and taught a Zero Waste in Business course for community college students in 2012-2013, and to have attended Cal Poly Humboldt in the environmentally groundbreaking 1980s. She co-authored the best-selling how-to book, Backyard Composting (1992), and the municipal compost program how-to manual, Keep It Off the Curb.  

In January 2025, she and her adult son launched new roles as Eaton Fire victims after losing their home of 20 years in Altadena…but NOT their earthen hand-built cob firepit and seating area. Pedersen and son, along with neighbors, earth architect and builder experts, artists and especially permaculture friends, have joined forces to overcome building code hurdles to enable permitting of more fire-resilient, sustainable and affordable natural materials and approaches – with a goal to both rebuild herself, and teach her struggling under- and un-insured neighbors. 

When not rebuilding, she still tries to hike, bike, grow plants and enjoy nature.

Project Manager
SCS Engineers

Lisa McDaniel is a Project Manager in the Overland Park, Kansas, office of SCS Engineers. She has more than 30 years of experience in solid waste management planning, policy development, public education, community engagement, and program management. She has crafted solid waste management plans and led studies to increase diversion through innovative and sustainable approaches. Additionally, she managed a five-county solid waste district in Missouri, which included administering an annual grant program, implementing a household hazardous waste program on a regional scale, spearheading public education campaigns, and coordinating regional planning efforts. She joined the NRC Board in August of 2022 and serves as Secretary.

Recycling Specialist II
City of Chula Vista (CA)

I have 30 years in the waste management industry. Seven years working for a hauler and twenty-three years with the City of Chula Vista’s Environmental Services Division. I have associate degrees in environmental safety and environmental management. I assisted with the implementation of the City’s PAYT program in 2002 and managed Chula Vista’s Multi-Family conversion to single stream in 2006-2007.

Pete Adrian has served on the NRC Board of Directors since 2019 and serves as the Chairman of the Board, Chair of the Slate Committee, and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee.  He began his career as Director of Recycling Programs at Northern Illinois University in 1994, transitioned to Recycling Coordinator for the DeKalb County, Illinois, Health Department in 1997, and has held the position of Recycling Coordinator for the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, Illinois, since 2001.  He is responsible for managing the Agency’s Electronics Collection Program, monitoring residential and commercial waste and recycling service contracts, and implementing various recycling education and awareness programs.  He also assists with other Agency programs, including their household chemical waste collection program and food waste diversion and composting initiatives.  Pete holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Northern Illinois University. He is a member of the Illinois Recycling Foundation and currently serves as President of the Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association.

Deputy Director
Pennsylvania Resources Council (PA) 

Sarah Alessio Shea serves as the Deputy Director at Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), a statewide environmental non-profit dedicated to creating a PA where nothing is wasted. During her nearly two decades with PRC she has overseen programs that have diverted more than 15 million pounds from PA landfills. Sarah sits on the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania board of directors and is a Certified Professional Recycler of Pennsylvania.

Solid Waste Extension Specialist
Oklahoma State University (OK)

Keima is an Experienced Extension Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and with Non Profit Organizations. She is a passionate environmental professional skilled in solid waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle, compost), zero waste (Certified zero waste associate).

With over 20 years advancing reuse, recycling and circular economy strategies across nonprofit, government and corporate sectors, I bring deep experience in stakeholder engagement, program development and systems thinking.

As the founder of Reuse Alliance, creator of ReuseConex and Women in Circularity, and a co-developer of the TRUE Zero Waste certification, I have led initiatives that bridge policy, practice and public engagement. In my current role as a Director at USGBC, I work to advance green building and zero waste strategies.

I am excited by the prospect of supporting NRC’s mission and contributing to a stronger, more equitable circular economy.

Senior Associate
HF&H Consultants (CA)

Experienced professional with over 20 years in zero waste programming, planning, and policy with a focus on supporting local government in achieving their climate action, waste, recycling, organics, sustainable food systems, and extended producer responsibility goals, funding needs, and regulatory compliance.

Senior Analyst
Skumatz Economic Research Associates (SERA)

Ann manages SERA’s national survey database, database of commercial programs, MRF model, compost facility model, and curbside collection models. She conducts and manages solid waste surveys and has conducted oops tags work and analyses. She has collected data on program design, costs, infrastructure, and diversion on the wide variety of recycling and solid waste programs across the US and Canada. Ms. Gibbs also serves on the board of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SWANA.

Managing Partner
Essential Recycling (MI)

Damany A. Head, an entrepreneur and leadership strategist, equips business owners with tools to significantly increase their bottom line, enhance their structure for rapid future growth and purposeful momentum to drive effective change.

A Managing Partner in Essential Recycling, where he has been expanding recycling in the commercial industry since 2008, Damany is an engineer by trade and a leader by birth. His natural ability to relate to people, while simultaneously driving concrete results, demonstrates his creative power. 

A graduate of Ohio Northern University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Damany spent half of his professional life working for engineering firms, like Quaker Chemical and General Motors. During the height of the recession in 2008, Damany was faced with a decision: would he continue his career as an engineer or hone the skills he already possessed into a business that could help business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders for years to come.

Essential Recycling was born in that moment, as was Damany’s innate desire to create businesses and enterprises that will leave a legacy.  

Damany is significantly invested in his community. In 2016, he became the Chair of the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, where he works with civic, governmental, and business leaders to have a voice in the city’s planning initiatives and to enhance the business climate in the city. In the past two years Damany has worked with schools, community partners, and Pontiac Regional Chamber Members to create the Pontiac United Education Coalition (PUEC), a 501c3 non-profit organization, aimed at improving educational outcomes for students in Pontiac, and providing parent support.  The PUEC launched Pontiac READS! in 2021, which is a local chapter of the Campaign For Grade Level Reading, aimed at increasing the reading proficiency of children by 3rd grade.

Christine M. Kiourtsis, President and Founder of Renewable Recycling, Inc. (RRI), is a leader in the Recycle/Reuse Industry, with proven methodologies utilizing textiles recycled from mattresses, and various products containing textiles of the like. 

Christine has been recognized as a leader in the Mattress Recycling Industry from such prestigious organizations as, International Sleep Products Association, NYS and NJ Solid Waste Federations and NYS Association of Reduce, Recycle & Reuse. 

She is an active Board Member of National Recycling Coalition. 

Through relationships with certified agencies and synergies with organizations that offer innovative Reuse technologies, Christine has contrived landfill diversion formulas for textiles and has introduced proven Reuse products for a true Circular Economy Success story. 

Executive Director
Recycle Hawaii (HI)

Kristine adds to this expertise as someone with direct experience across a broad range of social and political roles, serving as a grassroots organizer, a volunteer, the executive director a legacy recycling organization and as chief aide to a Hawaii state senator. She is eager to continue working with NRC to fulfill its mission and elevate its influence.  

Gena McKinley is the Assistant Director for Austin Resource Recovery, the City department charged with the implementation of the City of Austin's Zero Waste Plan. She has spent nearly 20 years working in the local government. Prior to joining the City of Austin, Gena worked in community and environmental planning at a regional council of government, where she worked on hazard mitigation, natural disaster recovery, nonpoint source pollution and solid waste. Her leadership, commitment and advocacy for zero waste earned national recognition as she was chosen to be included in Waste360s 40 Under 40 list of rising stars in the industry.

Gena holds a Masters of Public Health from the University of Texas School of Health and a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University in Biology and Sociology. During her academic career, she focused on behavioral science with a focus on the impacts of the built environment on human health. Gena is Congress for the New Urbanism Accredited and a member of several professional organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Land Conservancy and the National Recycling Coalition.
Gena lives in Austin with her wife, son and two dogs. They can often be found on a hiking trail or listening to live music. She also spends time serving as a Guardian ad litem for children in the foster care system through CASA of Travis County and helping Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) raise money to fund its efforts to provide healthcare for Austin musicians.

Celeste McMickle is the Director for TRUE Zero Waste certification with the USGBC. Celeste has a background in architecture and is a TRUE Advisor, LEED AP and LEED Green Rater. She worked as a LEED consultant for many years before her passion for recycling and composting led her to the world of zero waste and the circular economy.  She serves on the board of NYSAR3 and the NRC and is a certified Master Composter and Permaculture Designer. She is a 2021 recipient for the 40 under 40 award by Waste360. Celeste holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Sustainable Design from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture.

Principal
Strategy Zero Waste Solutions 

Jeremy Drake is a Zero Waste consultant with over 10 years of experience in community Zero Waste planning, project management, program design and implementation, collection system procurement, stakeholder engagement, technical assistance, and education. He holds a MA in Urban Sustainability from Antioch University Los Angeles and is a Zero Waste USA-certified Zero Waste Associate. After a decade in the nonprofit sector supporting youth musical development and building materials reuse—as well as a brief stint driving a compost collection truck—Jeremy is now principal of Strategy Zero Waste Solutions, a Montana-based firm specializing in optimizing systems to reduce waste.

Impact Entrepreneur
Professional Engineer (NY) 

BioSue graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1984 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. She has been a licensed Professional Engineer in NYS since 1991. She worked for 5 years in manufacturing and consulting in the food and chemical industries, followed by a 30-year career in all aspects of solid and hazardous waste management at NYSDEC.

Her NYSDEC experience and accomplishments include policy, guidance, and regulation development and program implementation, oversight, and enforcement in all across the state in all solid and hazardous materials management programs managed by the state.

Upon retiring from NYSDEC in August 2018, Sue is providing various engineering consulting services focused on innovative organics recycling technologies and PFAS mitigation. As an impact entrepreneur, she is also founding her own company to develop innovative, collaborative solutions for generating more and cleaner streams of collected recyclables and reusables, with a prime focus on social, economic, and environmental/climate impacts, to further promote R3 as is a genuine passion and way of life for her.

Sue is a past local chapter president of AIChe and president of her college alumni class. She is Chair for the Training Committee for the SMM Tech Division of SWANA; and is beginning her third term as an at-large member of the NYSAR3 board. She is also the founder and chair of NYSAR3’s Reuse and Governance Committees and active member of the W4R and Conference Planning committees and was a founding member of the membership and DEI committee.

She also plans industry conference sessions, and moderates or speaks on areas of expertise at various industry conferences in the northeast.

She’s happy to be able to pursue her passion for protecting the environment while also being able to enjoy a semi-retirement which allows her to see the practices around the world as an avid traveler who loves to meet new people and immerse in new cultures.

Executive Director
Coalición de Reciclaje de Puerto Rico (CORE)

Antonio Ríos is a leader in waste management and sustainability, serving as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. His leadership positions, including being the President and CEO of the Board of Directors of the Coalición de Reciclaje de Puerto Rico, Inc., an organization that promotes solid waste management through sustainable material management promoting circular economy.

He is a member and Board member of the National Recycling Coalition, Inc., and was the Executive Director of Puerto Rico Solid Waste Authority, demonstrate his ability to lead and manage effectively. He is also a professor at the Universidad Ana G. Méndez, a member of the Solid Waste Association of North America, and a member of the Climate Reality Corps. 

In 2012, he was part of the Puerto Rico Task Force at the White House (Solid Waste). In 2018, he was part of a task force created by the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator in Washington, DC., on America Recycles Day. Antonio Ríos's career in environmental sustainability began in the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources within the Scientific Research Division (1983–1988). In 1988, he transitioned to the Solid Waste Authority's Operations and Engineering Division, where he directed several projects, including the tuna fish Sludge Injection Project at Lajas. He also served as the Director of the Recycling and Education Program for 10 years, during which he demonstrated his leadership as Chairman of the Bid Board, a Member of the Economic Assistance Program Evaluation Committee, and the Recycling Markets Investment Committee. His extensive experience also includes overseeing community educational outreach related to the island's solid waste infrastructure policy, among other responsibilities. 

Throughout his professional career, Biologist Ríos has been a dedicated member of several professional organizations. He has actively participated in multiple working committees related to solid waste management, sustainability, and Climate Change, demonstrating his commitment to the field and his continuous learning.

Principal
Zero Waste Associates (CA)

Gary Liss has over 50 years of experience in recycling and waste management, is a leading advocate of Zero Waste, and is a founder, past President and Lifetime Honorary Board Member of the National Recycling Coalition. He is a principal of Zero Waste Associates, which specializes in developing Zero Waste Plans. He is Vice-President of Zero Waste USA and Chair of the Certifications Committee of the Zero Waste International Alliance. He helped write the USEPA website “Managing and Transforming Waste Streams” with over 100 policies and programs that could help communities achieve Zero Waste.

Executive Director
NRC
Email Charles

Charles is the Executive Director for the NRC managing all aspects of the organization.  Charles brings over 20 years of professional solid waste management to the NRC focused in waste, recycling and organics operations, business management, program and policy development. His experience in the municipal sector gives him a unique perspective of both government processes and goals as well as field operations, private sector waste and recycling companies and customer service/ outreach and education objectives. 

His accomplishments include achieving high diversion goals, creating municipal resolutions, developing PAYT rate structures, every-other-week trash collection programs, curbside organics programs, community recycling centers, and working with city councils, state recycling organizations, local recycling organizations, regional boards and commissions. Taking resource management one step further, Charles was instrumental in the design and construction of a Renewable Natural Gas fueling system, in which methane gas from the city’s wastewater treatment plant is captured and made into fuel for the solid waste collection vehicles. This system reduces the reliance and costs associated with carbon fuels and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Charles has been active member, Board member and Vice President since 2020 and has been involved in many facets of the organizations business management and committees including; administration, finance, fund development, membership and National Congress. 

Charles is based in beautiful Colorado and has been married 32 years, has two children and their dog, Korra. His interests include music, cycling and travel.

Independent Contractor

Lori has boasted a 20+ year career in the nonprofit industry as an Executive Assistant working at People Inc. to more recently in the role as Administrative Coordinator at NYSAR3.  Previously, she completed an Associates Degree in Office Technology at Hilbert College (Hamburg, NY) and a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies (SUNY Buffalo, NY).  In addition to a 10+year career working in the agricultural industry, Lori's leisure activities include; gardening, being in nature and creating recycled art.