Opening Remarks: Peter Walke was named DEC Commissioner in February 2020 after serving as the Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources since 2017. Raised in Vermont, Peter attended Williams College in Massachusetts and the University of Colorado. After college, Peter joined the Navy, serving nine years as an intelligence officer stationed in Florida, Virginia, England, and Colorado, and was deployed twice to support counterterrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After resigning his commission, Peter was selected for a leadership development fellowship serving the governor of New York. He quickly became one of the governor’s primary environmental advisors and was named chief of staff of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Peter lives in Montpelier with his two children. 1PM May 3rd

State of the State: Josh Kelly is the Materials Management Section Chief, ANR, Solid Waste Program. Josh joined ANR in 2013 and works with a team to implement Vermont’s recycling, composting, product stewardship, and waste reduction initiatives. Previously, he worked for the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Highfields Center for Composting, and the Trust for Public Land. Josh has a BS in Environmental Studies and Biology from St. Lawrence University. 1PM May 3rd

Session Presenters:

Russell Aminzade is a board member of Ledgwood South, a small homeowner's association in Burlington's South End. The association represents 24 units in three two-story buildings, about half of which are rentals. His pilot program using backyard-style composters for the association succeeded a little too well. When the compost bins rapidly filled up, the project turned into a voluntary activity supplemented by food scrap pickup by the association's existing trash hauler. Russell works in Healthcare IT from his home office and loves living in a place that is a short walk to Lake Champlain, a wonderful food Co-op, an amazing bike path, and plenty of brew pubs. 3PM May 4th.

Korkmaz Bellitürk, Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Tekirdağ/Turkey 3PM May 5th

Athena Lee Bradley is an independent organics management consultant, providing instruction for organics and food scrap management, composting, and manure management trainings, as well as technical assistance to businesses, public agencies, schools, communities, and residents. She has written several organics management guidance documents and numerous other instructional materials. Athena attended the Maine Compost School and other compost operator trainings; she has a B.S. in Environmental Studies and M.A. in Environmental Policy. 10AM May 4th

Lance Butler works for Vanguard Renewables as the Facilities Manager for the Goodrich Farm Digester. Lance has a passion for organic recycling, building soils, regenerative farming, carbon sequestration and sustainability in general. He began working in anaerobic digestion at VTC, where he received his Bachelor's in Science and completed the Operators Certificate program at VTC's anaerobic digester. He has been operating digesters and managing digester operations across New England for over 5 years. Lance recently returned to Vermont to manage Vanguard Renewables' newest renewable natural gas project (RNG) at the Goodrich Farm in Salisbury. 3PM May 3rd

Cat Buxton is a change facilitator working to build the social mycelium that holds our communities together. She promotes soil health and food system change through education and advocacy, working with individuals, schools, community groups and statewide organizations to make a difference one meal, one compost pile, and one landscape at a time. Cat leads Land Listener workshops with the Soil Carbon Coalition, and organizes the Upper Valley Apple Corps and a host of other projects, including the Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition. She consults, teaches, and presents about soil and ecosystem health to individuals of all ages and groups of all sizes. Learn more about her work at www.growmorewasteless.com. 10AM May 5th

Mike Carignan, Agresource, Inc. 10AM May 6th

Zach Cavacas is the owner/operator of Music Mountain Compost. He is a Vermont native and a resident of Stockbridge, Vermont for over five years. Zach founded Music Mountain Compost as a way to provide a service that would make people's lives easier and also help the local community. We are proud to be apart of the small business economy that we have in Vermont. Zach has a background in homesteading which gives our business a great perspective on the compost laws and the best principles to use the materials to be an asset for our environment. Zach is also avidly involved in the local community as he is a Firefighter, Constable, Town Lister, and Free Mason. 1PM May 7th

Lexi Chambers is an ECO AmeriCorps member at the Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District. She was initiated into the world of compost and waste reduction through her service and now helps to operate Lamoille Soil's Composting Facility. 10AM May 7th

Colin Clarcq is an ECO AmeriCorps member serving with the Addison County Solid Waste Management District. He has a passion for waste reduction through a zero waste lifestyle and sees composting as a vital area of reducing waste and creating a valuable resource. 10AM May 7th

Amanda Clement Is an ECO AmeriCorps member serving with the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District. She was first introduced to the world of waste management through her service and has developed a passion for recycling through composting. 10AM May 7th

Billy Connelly is the Vermont Organics Market Manager at Vanguard Renewables. Billy is passionate about making a difference for his local community and globally by working in sustainable business. He develops partnerships with food and beverage manufacturers, institutions, and other high-volume organizations across Vermont to recycle their waste into renewable energy and tons of environmental and community benefits. Billy has held senior-level positions for socially responsible businesses in renewable energy, carbon offsets, and sustainable travel. Billy lives with his family in Middlebury. 3PM May 3rd

Miranda Dalton is a middle school Science teacher, teaching a fully remote (online) 7th/8th grade Science course this year. Her students practiced their design skills by creating solutions to help their families, school, and communities adapt to Act 148. 10AM May 7th

Natasha Duarte is the Director of the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV). She represents CAV in policy initiatives, develops and leads outreach and education initiatives, and promotes the production and use of compost as vital to soil health through practices that contribute to water quality, plant vigor, and environmental resilience. Community scale composting was the cornerstone of Natasha’s Peace Corps work in Senegal, West Africa, where she helped farmers reclaim land from termite mounds and turn the poorest areas of their fields into the most productive. In 2019-2020 Natasha led a team of organics experts assembled to work with the Northeast Recycling Council on a USDA Rural Utilities Services funded project – “Implementing Rural Community Composting in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.” Natasha is an instructor for UVM Extension’s Master Composter Program and is also Chair of the Farm to Plate Network’s Food Cycle Coalition. She has an M.S. in Soil Science from N.C. State University and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Vermont. 10AM May 5th; 10AM May 6th

Chuck Duprey is President of Naturcycle a firm focused on the sales and marketing of compost and engineered soils throughout the Northeast. Working with a variety of private and public composters, Naturcycle provides material for projects and retail use throughout the Northeast, including some of the largest green roof and engineered soil projects in this region. Chuck serves as the Vice Chair of the Market Development Committee of the US Composting Council, and consults on beneficial reuse of organics, engineered soil and stormwater projects around the country. He has a BS and BA from Syracuse University and resides in Upstate New York. 10AM May 6th

Jack Eaton is the Technical Sales Support Representative for Filtrexx Northeast Systems, the northeast manufacturer of Filtrexx Filtersoxx, based in Goffstown, NH.  Jack has been a CPESC since March of 2007 and has worked in erosion and sediment control for over 15 year.  His work has focused on providing green technology solutions for more cost effective Stormwater management during construction, as well as post construction applications in Sustainable Site Development and Green Infrastructure Systems. 10AM May 6th

John Fay is the Programs Manager for the Windham Solid Waste Management District, implementing outreach and special wastes programing in southeast Vermont. Since receiving his M.S. in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch NE in the late 90s, he has worked as a solid waste consultant for DSM Environmental Services, Inc., Assistant Director for the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste District, a middle school science and math teacher, an analyst for the Vermont DEC solid waste program, and also a Permit Specialist with the Vermont DEC. John’s experience includes running commercial-scale composting operations, and assisting commercial and institutional facilities with optimizing their waste management systems. 3PM May 4th

Dan Goossen started at Intervale Compost in 2003 and has been managing the compost operation at the CSWD Organics Diversion Facility since 2008. Dan spends a lot of time with people and working with numbers, but is most happy at work on those occasions when he gets to climb a mountain of compost, or spend a day screening a finished pile. When not at work, Dan enjoys beekeeping, growing food, and spending time with his family. 1PM May 4th, 3PM May 5th

Josef Görres is an associate professor of ecological soil management at the University of Vermont. His current research interest include earthworm invasions, composting, soil erosion and mitigation of nutrient pollution with myco-phytoremediation. Josef earned his PhD at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, and has an MS degree in Natural Resources Science from the University of Rhode Island. 3pm May 5th

Sid Hammer shares the same birth year as the founding of Vermont Compost Company (VCC) and grew up alongside the business. He began working at Vermont Compost during the summer months through high school bagging soil, loading trucks, and collaborating with web developers to create content for VCC’s website. Sid has worked off and on for over 10 years in several departments at VCC. Starting in late 2019, he has been developing VCC’s food scrap collection program, as well as leading other facilities expansions projects including a new 1500 bird-capacity chicken house completed this spring. Sid’s work to develop a food collection and hauling program has been primarily driven by a need to control the food supply for our growing flock of laying hens. He is driven to find efficient and effective solutions to obtain, retain, and add value to the nutritional resource compostable goods present. Sid hopes to expand the Compostables Collection Division of VCC to capture more area residential food scraps, while also growing the commercial client base in coming years. 1PM May 7th

Kaitlin Hayes is the Agricultural Water Quality Program Coordinator for Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets 1OM May 5th

Cassandra Hemenway is the Outreach and Education Manager at Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District. Cassandra joined the district in July 2012, and has since built the program to include a wide array of composting, recycling, toxics, and repair education, and built an increasing awareness of zero waste concepts in the region. She earned a Master's Degree in communications from Boston University in 1994 after graduating from Smith College with a BA in English Literature. She spent many years as a journalist and free-lance writer while homesteading in rural Vermont. She brings a passion for gardening, composting, and the natural world to the district, with a particular interest in CVSWMD's Zero Waste philosophy. 3PM May 4th

Brian Jerose has been President of Agrilab Technologies Inc. since 2012, working on a range of composting, watershed protection and sustainable development projects. Brian's education includes MS Environmental and Resource Engineering from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and BA Political Science from SUNY Geneseo. He is Board VP for the Composting Association of Vermont and a Board member for the Missisquoi River Basin Association. He lives in Fairfield, VT with his wife Joanna and daughters Maya and Lucy. 1PM May 5th

Hen Joyner is the program coordinator for Northwest Vermont Solid Waste District (NWSWD), a legislatively chartered municipal corporation charged with planning, implementing, and regulating waste management strategies for communities in Franklin and Grand Isle counties. Originally from Colorado, Hen graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in conservation biology in 2017. After a year of field work on public lands in the Southwest, he moved to Vermont in 2019 to attend the Farmer Training Program at UVM. Soon after graduating from the program with a certificate in sustainable agriculture, he was brought on to the team at NWSWD as the driver for the commercial and residential food scrap collection services, an experience which provided him with an understanding of many of the challenges and benefits of organic waste management. 1PM May 7th

Rhonda Mace is the School Outreach Coordinator for Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD). Rhonda has always found great peace in nature, so teaching kiddos (big and small) all about Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling as an educator for CSWD is a perfect fit.  When she is not teaching, Recycle Rhonda loves to get her hands dirty in the garden then cook up a big feast using the veggies she grows.  She is also known for being a worm whisperer; she has been composting with worms for nearly a decade and can’t say enough about worm power.  “Dirty hands are happy hands” is her mantra. 1PM May 6th

Trevor Mance currently serves as Senior Business Development Manager for Casella Waste Systems based in Rutland, Vermont. Trevor began his career in waste and recycling in 1996 when he started TAM, which he built into a premier waste and recycling company in Southern, Vermont. TAM included a hauling company, two transfer stations, a materials recovery facility and a compost operation. After successfully building this business for over 20 years, Trevor sold TAM to Casella in 2019. Trevor's passion for entrepreneurialism and focus on recycling and organics diversion positioned him well to help Casella lead its food waste strategy. In addition to this work, Trevor supports other strategic development initiatives for the company which enable Casella to best position its services and assets around the needs of our customers. 10AM May 4th

Marina McCoy is a Zero Waste & Recycling Expert and Founder/CEO of Waste Free Earth and is on a mission to build a culture that prioritizes zero waste systems over the current status quo of burying single-use items as trash in landfills. By working in the sustainability field for almost a decade, Marina has developed proven strategies that lower the environmental impact and reduces overall waste consumption for each client she works with. Marina has been recognized numerous times for her work in publications and news outlets. Most recently she was awarded Vermont’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, VBSR's Young Change Maker, Vermont's 40 under 40, nominated for 1% For The Planet’s Pinnacle Award: Unleash Passion Every Day, and named a pioneer and expert in her field by the Burlington Free Press. On a personal note, Marina has been living zero waste for the past seven years and loves sharing her enthusiasm for waste reduction with anyone willing to learn. In her free time, you can find her in the mountains, volunteering, or making waste free dinners with friends. Waste Free Earth is a strategic sustainability consulting company with a focus on zero waste systems and behaviors. They are reinventing how society produces and consumes waste through education that engages and empowers.

Michele Morris is the Director of Outreach & Communication for Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD). Michele joined CSWD in 2009 as Marketing Specialist/Business Outreach Coordinator and loves that she still learns new ways to inform and inspire the public to positively impact the ever-changing world of solid waste. She has been working in fields related to communications and behavior change for more than 30 years. 1PM May 6th

Jen Murphy is a Wilder resident of almost 4 years, a mom of two little ones, a wife, an early childhood and outdoor educator, a community gardener and a compost enthusiast. Growing up in a composting family, she proudly took on the role of the household "Compost Queen," although not truly appreciating the value of compost until working on farms after college. During that time, Jen quickly fell in love with the process of taking materials that are often considered waste, mixing them together and watching them transform into nutrient rich soil!  While working at an after school program in 2006, she was able to get middle schoolers excited about compost by partnering with local restaurants, picking up their food scraps and turning them into soil for gardens. After a few moves, a few different jobs and starting a family, the time is finally right to take her love of compost to the next level!  Now, settled into the Upper Valley, Jen owns and manages Willow Tree Community Compost to support a more sustainable community. 10AM May 5th

Linda Norris-Waldt is the Advocacy Director for US Composting Council, and was staff to the Model Zoning Template Task Force. 3PM May 6th

Robin Orr is the Events/Interim Community Outreach Coordinator for Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD). Robin has been encouraging/nagging friends and family to recycle properly for over 25 years and turned pro in 2015. She built CSWD’s popular Waste Warrior volunteer event outreach and support program and most recently has been helping landlords and property managers understand their options for complying with Act 148. She hates winter but loves wool socks. Most of her trash is kitty litter. 3PM May 4th

Eric Paris owns and operates Tamarlane Farm LLC, with his family. Tamarlane Farm is a certified organic grass fed dairy and beef operation, along with growing certified organic vegetables. Eric worked for his father for nine years until he and his wife took over management of what was at that time a small conventional dairy farm. They purchased the farm from his parents in 1993 and transitioned to certified organic farming in 2003. They opened Freighthouse Market and Cafe in 2004, and in 2019, the Mosaic restaurant, both located in downtown Lyndonville, Vermont. Bringing their operations full circle, they began composting in 2005 and in 2020, installed an aerated static pile (ASP) system allowing them to operate without having to turn their windrows; the system’s heat recovery unit also allows warm vapor to recirculate through colder piles and provides for tracking temperatures.  The farm composts about 12 tons of food waste per week, from some two dozen area food waste generators, mainly institutions. Finished compost is primarily used to grow hay for their animals, with some bulk compost sales as well. 10AM May 4th

Julia Parker-Dickerson is a teacher at Smilie Memorial School in Bolton, VT. 10AM May 7th

Bob Spencer has over 20 years of experience in the development and operation of composting facilities. He is a consultant to communities and companies throughout the country, provides technical assistance to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and he assisted the City of Beijing, China in evaluating composting for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Bob is a Contributing Editor for BioCycle Magazine, a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners, and is the Director of the Windham Solid Waste Management District and President of the CAV Board of Directors.  He has a B.S. in Biology, and a M.S.in Resource Management and Policy. 10AM May 4th, 3PM May 4th

Kim Stacey started with Green Mountain Compost in 2015 and fell in love with the “dirty” job! As the Compost Assistant Manager for Chittenden Solid Waste District, she looks through a predominantly administrative lens though you can find her just about anywhere trying to make sure things run smoothly: taking temperatures, talking to haulers, climbing compost piles, loading trucks, running greenhouse trials, etc. Kim has attended multiple compost operator trainings including the Maine Compost school. She has a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and is an avid gardener. 10AM May 4th

Emma Stuhl works with a team in the Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation’s (ANR/DEC) Waste Management and Prevention Division to help all of Vermont recycle better, compost more, and reduce and manage waste. Before joining DEC, Emma worked as an ecologist, a program coordinator, and an environmental and sustainability educator throughout the northeast. 3PM May 4th

Elly Ventura started with the Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District (LRSWMD) in 2011 in a new position justified by the upcoming Universal Recycling and Composting law. She continues to work at the LRSWMD as the Outreach Manager specializing in education of waste minimization, proper management, organics diversion and communication. Elly was heavily involved in the writing and implementation of the Northern Border Regional Commission grant received by the LRSWMD in 2016 to create the Lamoille Soil organics program and processing facility in Johnson, VT. She holds a MA in Exercise Science from Central Michigan University and a BA in Athletic Training & Psychology from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. 10AM May 7th

Heather Voisin is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and has been working as an engineer with a focus on stormwater for over 18 years. She has been with the Vermont Agency of Transportation for the last four years as a Construction Environmental Engineer and in 2020 become the Agency's new Green Infrastructure Engineer. 10AM May 6th

Marissa Watson is the Sustainability Manager for UVM Dining with Sodexo, managing plastic waste reduction and local food purchasing on-campus in resident and retail dining. Her work in food systems has been informed by previous careers in organic farming and television production with National Geographic, as well as from her education with the University of Georgia, having received a M.S. in Agricultural Economics. 1PM May 4th

Chuck Wooster grew up far from the land and wandered around in exile until 1995 when, fleeing a desk job in Boston, he apprenticed for a year at Caretaker Farm in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Caretaker was one of the first organic farms and one of the first CSAs in the U.S., and by the time the harvest was over, Chuck was smitten. In 1999, Chuck and his wife Sue purchased Sunrise Farm, and in 2000, he started Sunrise Farm CSA with his brother Bruce (who has since gone on to start Picadilly Farm in Winchester, New Hampshire). In 2012, Chuck dropped the last of his other day jobs and took up farming at Sunrise full-time. Since then, the CSA has expanded to 350 members and the farm produces chicken, lamb, maple syrup, and firewood and lumber. In 2015, Chuck and Sue purchased an additional property near Sunrise to continue growing the farm. 10AM May 5th

Marcus Zbinden is chair of the Task Force and an award-winning USCC member. He serves as Vice-Chair of the Minnesota Solid Waste Administrators Association, is Past-President of the Solid Waste Administrators Association, and a Senior Environmentalist for Carver County Environmental Services in MN. 3PM May 6th

 

Contact Information

Natasha Duarte, Director Composting Association of Vermont

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