Board of Directors

CRA Board members are elected through a nomination and formal election process. Any member of the CRA may run for the Board. The Board is elected by the membership every year during CRA’s annual conference.

Roles for Board members include expansion of membership and member services/value, and committee chairs to lead the various functional committees and roles within the organization which include:

• Membership Committee
  
• Board Development
  
• Annual Conference Committee
  
• Specialty Conference Committee (when applicable, past examples include C&D, Food Waste)
  
• CRA Council Liaison
  
• Finance Committee
  
• Education and Outreach including Workshops and Regional Networking Meetings
• Fund Development Committee

If you would like to serve on one of the CRA committees, we would love to hear from you. The CRA is a member organization and its value comes from members like you.

2023-2024 Board of Directors

	Emily Ball Alamance County Assistant Solid Waste Director Emily Ball has been a member of the CRA and the HHW Council for about 20 years, attending most of the annual conferences during that time. She has been in the hazardous/solid waste/recycling business most of her career. Emily's experience in both private industry and local government lends her a different perspective in most matters. She also has several years of leadership and financial experience with a local non-profit VFW Auxiliary. Committees: Conference Committee, Finance (Chair)
	Mandy Barnette Pratt Recycling, Inc. Business Developer Ex-Officio Mandy Barnette is interested in joining the CRA Board of Directors to further recycling and waste reduction throughout the Carolina's by growing partnerships and memberships for the CRA. She believes her 16 years of experience in the recycling industry will greatly benefit the CRA and its Board. Mandy believes that strong interpersonal relationships are integral to any successful organization. Committees: Annual Conference; Education & Outreach; Fund Development; Membership (Vice Chair)
	Tori Carle City of Greensboro (NC) Waste Reduction Supervisor CRA Board Secretary Tori Carle has worked for the City of Greensboro and been a member of the CRA since 2015. She currently serves as the project lead for the City’s waste collection app, GSO Collects, tagging program, and various public communications and outreach efforts. Tori received her Bachelors in Biology and Master’s in Environmental Science from UNC Wilmington and serves on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Recycling Association and Reconsidered Goods. In her free time, Tori enjoys painting, sewing, snuggling her pets, and eating her husband’s excellent cooking. Tori currently lives in Kernersville with her husband Sam, Merlin the Great Dane, Echo the mini German Shepherd, and two black cats, Nox and Neville. Committees: Annual Conference; Membership
	Srijana Guilford Town of Cary Environmental Communications Srijana Guilford joined the Town of Cary in 2006 and focuses on environmental communications and the development of waste and recycling programs, community outreach and engagement strategies. She creates and leads marketing efforts that support effective services and modifications from large-scale schedule shifts for route optimization to the new Cary Collects app. Srijana holds a BA in Environment and Resource Management from the University of Toronto, and certifications in both Environmental Communications and Non-Profit Management from Duke. She is energized by collaborative partnerships and thoughtful planning and is honored to serve on the CRA board. Committees: Education & Outreach (Chair); Annual Conference; Fund Development
	Michael Galus Green Precious Metals Recovery, LLC Area Sales Manager Michael has over 20 years of experience in the waste and recycling industry and has enjoyed spending the last four years as a sales developer with Pratt Industries in Rock Hill SC. He has a strong passion for helping companies develop recycling programs that not only assist those companies in achieving their sustainability goals but also enhance their position as a responsible global partner within their community. Committees: Membership (Chair); Fund Development; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
	Carol James-Gilchrist Sonoco Recycling Sales/Procurement Representative CRA Board Development Chair Carol has been in recycling for over 15 years and she enjoys our complex and diverse Industry. Serving the CRA as a board member would allow her to continue fostering open and direct conversation between association members. This would be a great platform to discuss challenges within our industry and collaborate to find solutions. Carol wants to be a part of the dialogue surrounding the future of our industry. Committees: Annual Conference; Board Development (Vice Chair)
	Dameon Hopkins University of South Carolina Program Coordinator (Waste and Recycling Manager) Dameon Hopkins is pleased to be candidate to serve on the CRA board. With his selection Dameon will be working to help the promotion of the CRA. He hopes to bring an enthusiastic addition to the board and the organization in general with some ideas and creative efforts. Committees: Annual Conference; Board Development (Chair); Education & Outreach
	Laura Anne Hunt County of Lexington (Lexington, SC) Recycling Coordinator LauraAnne has been an advocate for sustainability & recycling since 2009. She has worked for several universities, multiple businesses and 3 governments; currently she is the Recycling Coordinator for Lexington County, SC. She holds a Masters in Sustainable Tourism and is a LEED Green Associate. LauraAnne has been an active member of CRA for the last 5 years and looks forward to bringing her experiences and enthusiasm to the board. Committees: Annual Conference; Finance
	Tabitha Jenkins City of Lexington (Lexington, NC) Operations Administrator Dedicated and decisive leader with strategic and forward-thinking mindset with focus on business efficiency and operational improvements. Years of progressive experience in managing. Tabitha manages the administrative & financials for Public Services areas: Recycling & Waste Collection, Street, Fleet, Stormwater. Appointed as the designated Primary Agent with FEMA for the City of Lexington. Emergency Management implementation during event. She also volunteers with United Way, as Loaned Executive & Fund Distribution. Committees: Education & Outreach (Vice Chair); Finance; Fund Development
	David Lambert NC Dept of Environmental Quality Project Liaison David is a Project Liason for the NC Department of Environmental Quality. Prior to that he was the Solid Waste Director for Moore County, NC. He worked to develop county-wide recycling standards and worked with municipal partners to streamline recycling education. David was recognized as one of “Moore County’s Top 20 under 40” for his collaborative work in recycling as Moore County’s Solid Waste Director. He has experience in marketing, law, non-profit boards, and legislative advocacy. He previously served as the Town Manager of Robbins where he led the town through major economic recovery efforts and secured local, state, and federal grants for critical infrastructure needs. He holds a Juris Doctorate from Elon University and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. Committees: Finance
	Alex Miller City of Asheville Waste Reduction Program Manager CRA Board Treasurer Alex currently works as the Waste Reduction Program Manager for the City of Asheville, NC. Prior to this, she worked at SC Department of Health and Environmental Control where she managed several waste reduction and recycling programs/campaigns as well as provided technical, educational, and grant assistance to SC local governments. Alex earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from the USC and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston. Committees: Annual Conference; Finance; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
	Todd Marty Coca-Cola Consolidated Sr Director of Sustainability Todd Marty is the Senior Director of Sustainability for Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in North America. He is responsible for their Sustainability initiatives in the 14 states they serve. Coca-Cola Consolidated is based in Charlotte NC and they have a strong commitment to the Carolina's to help create a World Without Waste. They can only meet their goals by partnering with organizations like ours. Committees: Board Development; Fund Development (Vice Chair); Membership
	Garrett Powell Powerhouse Recycling, Inc Director of Sourcing and Client Services Garrett holds eight years of experience in the electronics recycling, IT asset management, and secure data destruction industry. He manages PHR's competitive sales and procurement team and has rapidly grown in the industry as a leader in establishing both public and private sector, efficient, e-recycling programs. Garrett received his undergraduate from Western Carolina University. He has thoroughly enjoyed developing relationships with others engaging in recycling efforts through CRA, and appreciates your consideration of his board candidacy. Committees: Board Development; Finance (Vice Chair); Membership
	Dave VanDeventer Clemson University Solid Waste and Recycling Manager CRA Board Vice President Dave is the Solid Waste and Recycling Manager at Clemson University. In his position he is responsible for the day to day waste management operations. He oversees four different facilities including a mini MRF, Composting Facility, C&D Landfill, and a transfer station. Dave is involved with many aspects of sustainability for Clemson. Most notably he has helped to lead Clemson’s Recycling Program to Game Day Recycling Challenge Champions in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Dave is married to Tammy, has 5 children and 4 grandchildren. He is active in his local church, enjoys being with his family and friends, is a devoted runner, loves to hike, and enjoys watching the Clemson Tigers Football games. Committees: Annual Conference; Education & Outreach; Fund Development (Chair); Membership
	Josh Wagner CP Manufacturing Sales Engineer - Eastern US CRA Board President Having been in the recycling industry since 2005, Josh has been fortunate to rise through the ranks as an Operations Manager of two MRF's in San Diego, Project Manager and currently as a Sales Engineer all for CP Group. While utilizing his experiences and relationships to promote CRA fundamentals and ideals for future initiatives in the beautiful area we live in, Josh travels the Eastern US Coast promoting mechanical and optical sortation of recyclables. Committees: Annual Conference, Board Development, Finance
	Wes Westbrooks BMW Manufacturing Company Senior Waste Logistics Specialist Wes came to BMW Manufacturing 15 years ago and has been part of the waste management team at the Spartanburg plant. As Senior Waste Logistics Specialist he is responsible for the movement of the waste streams from the point of generation to final disposition. Since the end of 2009 he has helped drive the Zero Landfill at Plant Spartanburg and is mentoring the Assembly Green Team which is currently working on “Zero Landfill Assembly.” He is a member of the Recycling Market Development and Advisory Council for the state of South Carolina. He served as the CRA Board President and Treasurer during his tenure, he is also treasurer for another non-profit, Wright’s House of Hope, which works with at-risk girls. Wes enjoys golfing and owns a dance company, Caribbean Rhythms Salsa, where he is an instructor in Latin dances. Wes lives in Greenville, SC with his children Isabella and AJ. Committees: Annual Conference (Vice Chair); Finance; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion