Meet the Fall Forum Speakers

Rep. Vicki Berger

Former Oregon State Representative

Vicki Berger is a fourth-generation Oregonian and former State Representative who represented House District 20 from 2003 to 2015. The daughter of Richard Chambers, whose tireless advocacy helped secure passage of Oregon's Bottle Bill, Berger continued that legacy in the Legislature, championing efforts to keep the Bottle Bill strong and relevant for a changing marketplace.

Kristofer Brown

Operations Manager, The People's Depot

Kristofer Brown is the Operations Manager of the People's Depot. Prior to managing the Depot, Kris spent five years as an informal recycler utilizing Oregon's Bottle Bill. He now manages a team of nine individuals with similar backgrounds in informal recycling. The People's Depot redeems 10 million containers annually for approximately 32,000 individuals, operating just two and a half hours a day, five days a week.

Dylan de Thomas

Vice President of Public Policy & Government Affairs, The Recycling Partnership

Bio coming soon.

Devon Horsfield

Vice President of Strategy and Outreach, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC)

Devon Horsfield is Vice President of Strategy and Outreach at the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), where she leads external relations strategy, including government affairs, communications, philanthropic programs, and stakeholder engagement for Oregon’s nationally recognized beverage container redemption system. An attorney with a certificate in natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Law School, Devon brings experience in regulatory policy, government affairs, and strategic counsel, including advocacy for business clients, policy work at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, and compliance leadership in the beverage industry. She combines rigorous analysis with a collaborative approach to advancing recycling policy and organizational goals. Devon is also a member of the AOR Board.

John Horvick

Senior Vice President, DHM Research

John Horvick is Senior Vice President at DHM Research, where he leads complex public opinion projects focused on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. With more than two decades of experience, he has conducted over 500 focus groups and regularly surveys residents to understand their values, priorities, and aspirations for their communities.

John has conducted research for a range of public- and private-sector clients on policy matters related to natural resources, sustainability, and economic development. Additionally, he has researched Oregonians' experiences with and attitudes toward the Bottle Bill since the deposit was still a nickel.

Jason Jordan

President and CEO, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC)

Jason Jordan serves as President and CEO of the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), the steward of Oregon’s nationally recognized Bottle Bill and operator of the BottleDrop redemption network. With more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in recycling, environmental services, and operations management, Jordan is recognized for building high-performing teams, driving operational excellence, and advancing sustainable resource management. Prior to joining OBRC, he led major regional operations for Republic Services and held senior management roles with Cintas Corporation. Today, he leads OBRC’s mission to deliver world-class recycling and redemption services while strengthening Oregon’s environmental leadership and circular economy.

Marisa Kraft

RecycleOn Center Manager, Circular Action Alliance (CAA)

Bio coming soon.

Sam Nathman

Route Operations Director, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC)

Sam Nathman is OBRC’s Route Operations Director, bringing 30 years of experience across route operations, field service, and plant operations. Sam oversees statewide logistics, retailer service, fleet management, and related technology systems supporting 55 trucks, 235 trailers, and 70 route operations staff.

Jerry Powell

Retired Editor and Publisher, Resource Recycling

Jerry Powell is a retired environmental journalist. He previously co-owned Resource Recycling, the Portland-based publishing and conference company, where he was editor and publisher. During his career with the company, he presented more than 1,000 speeches and articles. Jerry was the founding chair of AOR and was the group's board chair on three occasions. He also served as chairman of the board of the National Recycling Coalition for three terms. He was a presenter and participant at the White House Summit on Recycling.

Paul Romain

Founding Attorney, The Romain Group

Paul Romain has been an attorney since 1972. After clerking for Chief Judge Richard Chambers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, he served as head of the Consumer Protection Division and later Deputy Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice. He began lobbying in 1978 and represented the Oregon Beer & Wine Distributors Association beginning in 1983, including on many of the most significant Oregon Bottle Bill issues during that period. Around 2012, his daughter, Danelle Romain, assumed leadership of his firm's lobbying and legal practice, The Romain Group, and continues to represent Oregon's beer and wine distributors today.

Peter Spendelow

Waste Reduction Specialist, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

Peter Spendelow first worked on waste reduction issues in the 1970s, trying to pass a bottle bill in Washington. He was a founding board member of Washington Citizens for Recycling (now Zero Waste Washington), but since 1985 has been a Waste Reduction Specialist at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, working on policy and data issues, including Oregon's nine waste composition studies.

Taylor Cass Talbott

Executive Director, Ground Score Association

Taylor Cass Talbott is the Executive Director of Ground Score Association, a democratic organization of waste pickers in Portland, Oregon. She has worked at the intersection of waste reduction, job creation, and social inclusion for most of her life, as a project manager, organizer, dumpster diver, scrounger, and artist.