2024 Annual Meeting and CRA Board Elections

The 2024 CRA Annual Meeting and Town Hall Forum was held on April 9, 2024 in Cherokee, NC. Thank you for attending and being a part of the discussion about what you’d like to see happen in our two-state recycling industries. During the Town Hall, we discussed CRA’s year in review, our 2024-25 plans, met the 2024 Board Candidates, and more. Full information on your 2024 Board Elect is below.

Elections and voting were held during the Annual Conference & Trade Show at CRA’s voting booth or online using a link that was sent to the email of the registered CRA voter for your organization. Not sure who that is? Contact [email protected] asap!

We are pleased to announce the following members have been elected for the CRA Board of Directors:

	Teresa Baker - Recycle Programs Coordinator, The City of High Point (High Point, NC) Candidate's Statement: As someone who is passionate about recycling and making a positive impact, Teresa truly believes that serving as a board member would be valuable in pushing us further ahead in the world of recycling, re-use, and waste reduction. She believes that her strong listening skills and openness to new ideas can help us think creatively and find opportunities that benefit everyone. Together, we can make a difference!
	Emily Ball - Assistant Solid Waste Director, Alamance County (Graham, NC) ** ^ Candidate's Statement: Emily has been a member of the HHW Council for over 20 years, serving as President for a time. She has served on the Board of Directors for Carolina Recycling Association for two years now. She has experience chairing and participating on several committees within the CRA. She also has leadership experience in another non-profit, serving as Senior Vice President for eight years and Trustee/Auditor for five years.
	Ashley Gladney - Sustainability Program Manager, Charlotte Regional Visitor Authority (Charlotte, NC) ^ Candidate's Statement: Ashley's qualifications for The Board are her extensive knowledge, background, and connections as it relates to sustainability. She has worked both the Facility side, Sports Side, and municipal side of sustainability. She is a True Zero Waste Advisor, a GBES waste auditor, and a member of multiple sustainability organizations and can share the knowledge from one group to another.
	Mike Greene - Recycling Business Development, NC DEACS (Burlington, NC) ^ Candidate's Statement: Mike Greene has 18 years of experience in the recycling industry spending seven years in the local government sector with the City of Greensboro's recycling program and eleven with NC DEQ in DEACS (Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service) in the Recycling Business Assistance Center. His work with both government and business sectors gives him a unique perspective on recycling challenges and the ability to bring these entities together.
	Lanie Karstrom - Sustainability Outreach Director, Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) ^ Candidate's Statement: As a young professional, Lanie has spent the last five years working in collegiate sustainability. Beginning her experience in university waste management, she has become very familiar with waste reduction operations and integrating hands-on learning for students, faculty, and staff. Her current passion lies in engaging the campus community of Appalachian State around initiatives such as Zero Waste Football and expanding the educational experience of students working in sustainability.