David Allaway, Oregon DEQ

David is a senior policy analyst at the Oregon DEQ’s Materials Management Program. David led efforts to develop and update the first sub-national consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions inventory in the US, served as an invited science advisor to Wal-Mart’s Packaging Sustainable Value Network, and most recently served as an advisor to Paul Hawken’s Project Drawdown. A member of the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum’s leadership team, David has a B.A. in physics from Carleton College, Minnesota.

Denise Barnes, Recycling & Community Outreach Coordinator, Rogue Disposal & Recycling, Inc.

Denise has worked for Rogue Disposal for 34 years and was instrumental in the development of the Jackson County Recycling Partnership which is a consortium of local governments and waste haulers formed to address and comply with County-wide solid waste and recycling issues and mandates.  Denise grew up in a small rural town on the Big Island of Hawaii where conservation, waste prevention and reuse were a way of life.

Terry Bentley, Commodity Sales Manager, Recology

Terry Bentley has more than 25 years’ experience in the recycling and solid waste management field. He specializes in collection and processing facility operational efficiencies; this processing experience supports his current position as Commodity Sales Manager in which he and his team are responsible for the sale of over 350K tons and 30 million annually in commodity sales.  Terry manages the sales of commodities from over 15 Recology processing facilities and a brokerage arm which assists commercial and industrial customers to sort it out.

John Desmarteu, Agilyx

John has worked for Agilyx Corporation for over 10 years, beginning as a plant system operator for several generations of the Agilyx mixed-waste-plastic-to-crude oil technology. While moving through multiple roles in operations and manufacturing processing, John developed a deep understanding and respect for waste plastics – both their value and the complexity involved in returning them to the raw resource loop. Currently John develops business contacts and procures feedstock for Agilyx’s new polystyrene waste-to-styrene oil system, an application which enables the first fully closed loop for polystyrene through chemical recycling.

Robin Harkless, Oregon Consensus

Robin, a project manager at Oregon Consensus, offers expertise in assessment, process design, and facilitation of complex public policy consensus seeking processes. Robin holds a B.A. in Communications from Portland State University and an M.S. in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Creighton University’s Werner Institute. In 2012, she received the Oregon Mediation Association’s Sid Lezak Award for Excellence for outstanding service to Oregon.

Gregor Morrison, Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling

Gregor moved to the US 5 years ago from Scotland. He is a Green Business Advisor with Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling. He supports businesses embarking on the sustainability journey with the County’s Green Business Leaders program. Prior to working at Washington County he was an Energy Management Consultant supporting industrial and commercial businesses in reducing energy usage. Gregor moved into the sustainability sector from a career in Education, having been a high school Biology teacher.

Bailey Payne, Marion County

Bailey grew up in McMinnville, Oregon and moved to Santa Cruz, CA where he received a B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of California.  After graduation, he worked with the Peace Corps as an environmental awareness educator with environmental groups and the Dominican Republic National Park Service.  He returned to California and taught elementary school in the small town of Kettleman City while earning a teaching credential from Chapman University.  Since March of 2002, Bailey has been a Marion County Recycling & Waste Reduction Coordinator.  His work primarily involves coordinating Marion County recycling programs and assisting businesses and schools to improve their environmental practices.

Carl Peters, General Manager, Recology Northern Oregon Operations and Recology Oregon Compost

As General Manager at Recology Portland, Carl leads a motivated team of employee-owners in all aspects of Recology’s recyclables, organics, and solid waste collection programs in Portland to ensure safe, efficient, innovative, high-quality, and ethical service to all customers.  In addition, Carl oversees the operation of three transfer station facilities, including the Metro Central Transfer Station and a dry waste resource recovery facility. Carl has over 30 years of industry experience. In addition, Carl oversees Recology Oregon Compost, which includes three compost facilities in the Willamette Valley including the Aumsville compost site. 

Loretta Pickerell, Oregon DEQ

Loretta Pickerell is a manager in Oregon DEQ’s Materials Management Program. She helped lead the program through the adoption and early implementation of Oregon’s 2050 Vision for sustainable materials management that guides the program. She has also earned gray hair through work as an attorney at US EPA, an environmental and natural resource policy advisor and program manager in state agencies and Governors’ Offices in Utah and Oregon, and a consultant to nonprofits developing policies and plans for more sustainable communities.  She has a BA in biology and history/political science from Kansas Wesleyan University and a JD from the University of Colorado.

Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling

Jerry is the owner of three magazines (Resource Recycling, Plastics Recycling Update, and E-Scrap News). He edits Resource Recycling. In addition, he aids in the management of three annual conferences, The E-Scrap Conference, The Plastics Recycling Conference, and The Resource Recycling Conference, several of which are the world’s largest in their fields. Previously Jerry founded and managed a recycling consulting firm for a decade and founded and managed a recycling business in Portland, Oregon for more than eight years. He is a past three-time chair of the board of the National Recycling Coalition and the three-time chair of the board of a state recycling association. He has spoken on waste management and recycling issues in 48 states, five Canadian provinces, and seven foreign countries.

Mark Samuel, Denton Plastics

As Materials Manager at Denton Plastics, Mark is responsible for managing the inventory and material transactions in the IQMS Materials Management System. Daily duties include Data entry and troubleshooting, taking phone calls from Customers - Suppliers - and the General Public, working with Suppliers to purchase scrap and regrind, as well as Sales and technical support for Injection molding of Reprocessed plastic material. Mark also works with local Businesses and Manufacturers to set-up and refine recycling programs.

Joel Schoening, OBRC/AOR Marketing Chair

Joel grew up in California, but he has considered Oregon home since first moving to Eugene in 1998. He completed a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Oregon, and has taught, researched, and published on the topics of social change, democracy, and sustainable urbanization. For the last 10 years he’s been building communications and community engagement programs for public infrastructure and sustainability projects. He currently leads the communications team for the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, a globally recognized bottle deposit and return program. He serves as a board member for the Vanport Mosaic and the Association of Oregon Recyclers, because this work keeps him connected to the cultural and environmental justice causes about which he cares deeply. He rides bicycles to relax. He and his spouse live in NE Portland, where they enjoy the benefits of life in Pacific Northwest with family and friends

Shaunna Sutcliffe, City of Gresham

Shaunna Sutcliffe has worked in the sustainability industry since 2002, with experience in many different fields; originally starting with Campus Sustainability at OSU. She has worked with business, schools, nonprofits and focuses now residential and multifamily education and events. Her passion is teaching about repair, food waste prevention and alternative waste prevention methods, and helping people connect that that saving money is also sustainability. She also loves health and has been instructing yoga since 2009, and became a Certified Holistic Yoga Therapist in 2017. She loves the natural ties that taking care of the earth has to taking care of our own health, and believes that one cannot exist without the other.

Aimee Thompson, Thompson’s Sanitary

Aimee Thompson from Thompson’s Sanitary Service in Newport, Oregon grew up in Hillsboro, Oregon and is a 4th generation (through the women in her family) Oregon State University graduate with a Speech Communication degree and a Multimedia minor. She’s been part of the waste industry for over 20 years after marrying into a family-owned waste business, Thompson’s Sanitary Service. Over the years she’s seen the industry evolve as she became more involved with the business managing Thompson’s website, social media presence, education of customers through print media and community presentations. Her passion lies in youth recycling education and is a personal advocate for sustainable living.

Michael Wisth, City of Eugene

Michael Wisth is the Waste Prevention Program Manager for the City of Eugene, where he manages the city’s solid waste rate model, policy, and  program development. He has over 15 years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors with experience in social services, housing development and solid waste policy. When not at work, you can find Michael riding his bike on gravel roads while looking for secret fishing spots.