2018 Board Elections

CRA held the annual business meeting and town hall on Wednesday, March 21 during the 28th Annual Conference and Trade Show at Harrah’s Cherokee Conference Center & Resort in Cherokee, NC.  During the annual meeting we discussed 2018 CRA Board of Directors Elections as well as the State of the CRA.

We are pleased to welcome six newly elected or re-elected members to the CRA Board of Directors:

Mallory D. Biering – Keep South Carolina Beautiful
Noel DesMarteau – Coastal Wire
Carol James-Gilchrist – Sonoco Recycling
Tonya Randell – More Recycling
Josh Wagner – CP Group
Wes Westbrooks – BMW

2018 Board Elect

	Mallory D. Biering – Director, Keep South Carolina Beautiful (Columbia, SC) Mallory's Statement: Mallory Biering is the Director of Keep South Carolina Beautiful, under PalmettoPride. She is effective in creating, engaging and maintaining board and volunteer support. During her experience with local government, she assisted in award winning projects and programs with Keep America Beautiful. Her experience with boards, volunteers, and KAB makes her an asset to organizations like CRA. She understands how to accomplish goals with creative and realistic solutions and strategies. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Extensive non-profit board service and committee experience, non-profit management background, grants and fundraising processes, performance and goal oriented.
	Noel DesMarteau - VP of Sales, Coastal Wire (Georgetown, SC) * Noel's Statement: Since 2017, Noel has been serving on the CRA Board in an Ex-Officio capacity. He brings more than 20 years of management experience from the technology, manufacturing and recycling industries. As a member of the board, Noel brings strong results oriented, team building, and goal setting skills. His primary goals are promoting the recycling industry, educating the public about recycling and engaging with the CRA membership to ensure continued growth of recycling. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Non-profit & for-profit board experience, non-profit development, financial/budget management experience, strategic planning; Current CRA Ex-Officio Board Member, Finance committee, Annual Conference committee (golf, sponsor, and exhibitor subcommittees). Board Recommendation: The CRA Board recommends Noel because of his education and experience in the financial management field and his proven willingness to serve CRA. Noel has served the board as an ex-officio director (non-voting volunteer) in 2017/18, and is prepared to take on the labor-intensive role of CRA Treasurer.
	Carol James-Gilchrist – Sales/Procurement Representative, Sonoco Recycling (Duncan, SC) * Carol's Statement: 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. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Advisory Council experience, management, financial and communication skills, membership recruitment, fund development, event planning skills, partnership building; Annual Conference committee (golf subcommittee). Board Recommendation: The CRA Board recommends Carol because of her breadth of experience in the many aspects involved in developing CRA including marketing, communications, and membership recruitment, as well as her service on the Conference Committee. These are areas the Board has identified as important needs for the organization.
	Tonya Randell – Program Manager, More Recycling (Chapel Hill, NC) ^* Tonya's Statement: Tonya currently serves as VP of the CRA Board of Directors, and she would appreciate the opportunity to continue her work for another 3-year term. She works as a liaison between the recycling industry and communities to provide outreach tools and technical assistance. Tonya believes that she brings a good understanding of recycling markets and how to support community recycling programs to the Board. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Board and staff development experience, partnership builder, strategic planning; Current CRA Vice President/Executive Committee, Annual Conference Co-Chair, Board Development, Education and Outreach, HR Committee, Grant Task Force and special event planning. Board Recommendation: The CRA Board recommends Tonya because of her proven dedication and commitment to the board, as well as her role in the Board succession plan as the current CRA Vice-President. Tonya’s experience participating in special event planning and her access to national-level recycling industry groups is a strong asset for the organization.
	Josh Wagner – Sales Engineer, CP Group (Tega Cay, SC) Josh's Statement: Having been in the recycling industry for 12 years, Josh has been fortunate to rise thru 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. He will utilize his experiences and relationships to promote CRA fundamentals and ideals for future initiatives in the beautiful area we live in. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Project management experience, staff development, goal oriented.
	Wes Westbrooks – Waste Logistics Manager, BMW (Greenville, SC) ^*+ Wes's Statement: Due to his role at BMW, Wes has a vested interest in making sure that the CRA continues its great efforts in the field of recycling. He is keenly aware of the challenges ahead and would love to continue the efforts in both states, North and South to ensure the success of the CRA. Board Skills and CRA Board/Committee Service: Financial management, budget, fundraising, non-profit management, staff development, strategic planning, advisory council experience; Current CRA Board Treasurer/Executive Committee, Finance, Annual Conference, Education and Outreach, Fund Development and Grant Task Force Board Recommendation: The CRA Board recommends Wes due to his extensive experience serving as the CRA Treasurer. His familiarity with CRA’s finances and operations, strong history of commitment to financial stewardship for the organization, as well as his willingness to mentor the next treasurer during his last term of office make him an essential addition to the board.