Leadership Council
The e-Stewards Leadership Council serves as the e-Stewards advisory body. The Leadership Council makes recommendations to the e-Stewards program administrator in the areas of:
Technical
Matters
Value Proposition for Business
Environmental and Social Policy
International
Expansion
Membership of the Leadership Council
e-Stewards Standard Development
Overview
Established in 2010 with a total of 19 possible seats, has now grown to make a 26 active seat advisory body. The Council is comprised of e-Stewards Certified Processors, Enterprise representatives, Original Electronic Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), government/association representatives, NGOs. As well as cross-sectoral international representatives and Active Council Alumni.
The Leadership Council presides over four subcommittees:
- The Technical Committee (comprising of one representative from every e-Stewards Certified Recycler)
- Membership Committee (a subset of the Leadership Council)
- Standard Committee (a subset of the Leadership Council and Active Alumni)
- Social Impact Committee (active e-Stewards Processors or Enterprises involved in social impact programs)
Leadership Council Members are committed to the e-Stewards Mission and agree to abide by the Leadership Council’s Terms of Reference. Processor members must be e-Stewards Certified, and Enterprise members must be formal e-Stewards Enterprise Partners. When openings occur on the Council in its various categories these are filled by nomination and election in accordance with the Terms of Reference. Candidates for the Leadership Council can be self-nominated by qualified stakeholders, nominated by Council members or e-Stewards staff.
For interest in serving on the Leadership Council contact [email protected].
Universal Recycling Technologies,
Ken Thomas
Ken Thomas is the President of Universal Recycling Technologies (URT). As an integrated universal waste processor and original e-Stewards Pledge signee, URT strives to provide practical solutions to meet the needs of our OEM, business, and government agency partners. Ken has over 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and recycling environments as a senior level manager in operations, materials management and accounting.
Staples,
Robert Valair
Bob Valair is the Director of Energy and Environmental Management for Staples. He has over 30 years in energy strategy and management. He is responsible for the Staples Global Energy Program for 1600 retail stores and four large distribution centers. The company is headquartered near Boston, MA. Bob leads the Energy Management Group, which is part of the Staples Sustainability Program. He has been recognized for his leadership in energy efficiency, being an early adopter of new technologies, and for his consistent results in energy reduction and cost savings. His program has been honored with multiple awards from the DOE, Energy Star, and Platts Global Energy.
Aeris Protective Packaging, Inc.,
Michael Leiberman
Michael Leiberman is the President of Aeris Protective Packaging Inc. He is responsible for the design and engineering side of the business and focuses on Aeris’ role in developing protective packaging solutions for OEMs, repair centers, warranty providers, and retailers. Reducing packaging sizes and product breakage before it happens is one of Michael’s passions.
King County,
Adrian Tan
Adrian Tan works for King County (WA) in the Solid Waste Division on recycling and waste prevention issues. He holds a PhD in circular economy business models from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Originally trained as a mechanical engineer, he has worked for several different companies such as Bang & Olufsen, Novo Nordisk and Nokia designing and developing products. In the past decade he has advised the European Commission and performed numerous studies and on topics related to eco-design, eco-innovation and the circular economy.
Samsung Electronics America,
Jane Kang
Jane Kang is a Product Stewardship Manager at Samsung Electronics America and is leading an e-waste & battery EPR compliance program covering regulatory compliance, vendor auditing, recycler management, and consumer outreach. She is participating as an ERRO/WMMFA board member to fulfill Samsung's role as a manufacturer for the smooth operation of the e-waste program. Prior to joining Samsung, Jane was a Stewardship Manager at LG Electronics USA, handling e-waste compliance programs. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jane majored in journalism and business administration at university and graduate school.
VIZIO Inc.,
Joyce Thung
Joyce Thung is the Senior Manager, Environmental Programs at VIZIO, Inc. She manages the company’s environmental programs including topics such as electronics recycling, greenhouse gas emissions accounting, and sustainability. Currently, she oversees VIZIO’s electronic waste recycling program which has recycled more than 380 million pounds. Joyce holds a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health.
i-SIGMA,
Karen Lyons
Karen Lyons is the Regulatory Compliance Manager at i-SIGMA, the International Secure Information Governance & Management Association, the industry trade association for secure data destruction and records & information management service providers. Karen leads the i-SIGMA certification department ensuring its alignment with evolving regulations as well as staying abreast of current legislation that impacts information destruction and RIM service providers. She will act as i-SIGMA’s liaison to BAN and e-Stewards.
Ingram Micro,
Paulo Batista
Paulo Batista is Senior Manager of Services for Ingram Micro, an American distributor of information technology products and services. The company is based in Irvine, California, and has operations around the world. Paulo is responsible for creating value added services ecosystems to resellers and vendors and adding Circular Economy view of business is part of its role thru ITAD and XaaS solutions. Paulo is SME of Circular Economy and Global RLA Member. Married and father of a baby girl, Paulo holds two MBAs in either Digital Business at USP and Supply Chain at Rutgers.
City of Seattle,
McKenna Morrigan
McKenna Morrigan is the waste prevention and product stewardship policy advisor for the City of Seattle. In this role, she advocates for responsible recycling policies and practices, tracks and provides input on existing product stewardship and recycling programs, and engages with community and regional partners to advance best practices in waste prevention and materials management. Previously, McKenna was a senior associate at Cascadia Consulting Group, where she led research and evaluation projects for local and state governments related to recycling programs, policies, and markets. McKenna holds a master’s degree in environmental policy from the University of Washington Evans School and a B.A. from Brown University.
Green Chip E-Waste & ITAD Solutions ,
Chris Kaasmann
Chris Kaasmann is Vice President of compliance at Greenchip E-Waste & ITAD Solutions, an east coast electronics recycler with a nationwide presence. Greenchip is a triple-certified (e-Stewards, R2v3 & NAID) organization that focuses on its partners value and risk mitigation, with transparent end to end services. Kaasmann came to Greenchip in January 2022 after over a decade of experience in the recycling industry. Most recently, he spent four years at Samsung, where he managed e-waste environmental compliance and take-back operations. Prior to this, Chris managed recycling programs for RLGA and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
4THBIN,
John Kirsch
John Kirsch serves as the managing partner at 4THBIN. A native of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, John has worked in the technology space for over two decades with diverse roles that ranged from Director of IT at Addison to senior technical consultancy roles at Control Group (Intersection/Sidewalk Labs) and Valiant Technology – successfully helping build their customer base and brands. In 2009, John co-founded 4THBIN which is a recognized leader in electronic recycling and data security based in Brooklyn, New York. John and his wife Mina reside with their children in Flatbush Brooklyn.
Sony Electronics,
Jeremy Jones
Jeremy Jones is the Environmental Stewardship Program Manager for Sony Electronics where he ensures compliance with various state and provincial laws and regulations in the US and Canada. He began his journey in electronics stewardship in 2012 by publishing a series of stewardship-focused articles for The Guardian in collaboration with the Bosch Foundation and Electronics Goes Green in Berlin. Prior to Sony, he served as the West Coast program manager for PaintCare and as an environmental analyst for Hennepin County (MN). In both roles, he worked directly on environmental programs and legislation to address reduction of carbon emissions and socially responsible material management.
Zero Waste Washington,
Heather Trim
Heather Trim has more than 25 years of experience in environmental work ranging from zero waste to toxic chemicals and habitat issues. As Executive Director of Zero Waste Washington, her focus has been on reducing upstream sources of waste and addressing downstream impacts, getting toxic chemicals out of products, eliminating plastic pollution, and building on the organization’s signature producer responsibility policy initiatives. Much of her time is spent on policy programs. Previously, at Futurewise, she worked to prevent runoff from entering our waterways and improve shoreline management practices and policies. Heather was at People for Puget Sound for over ten years where she focused on protections for the marine environment. Earlier, she was staff scientist for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council and worked for the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board on water quality standards, regulatory permits, pollution assessments, greening the LA rivers and habitat renewal.
Closed Loop Partners,
Jackson Pei
Jackson Pei is a Director at Closed Loop Partners, a firm dedicated to building the circular economy through its investment team, innovation center, and operating group. He supports the investment team in all aspects of the deal process including deal origination, execution, structuring, due diligence, and portfolio management. In addition, he is leading Closed Loop Partner’s electronics focus to advance circularity dynamics within the company and across the supply chain. Prior to Closed Loop Partners, Jackson worked at Sumitomo Corporation as a Senior Investment Manager as well as spending several years at J.P. Morgan in their Financial Sponsors Group. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
LG Electronics USA, Inc.,
Madeline Smith
Madeline Smith is the Stewardship Manager at LG Electronics USA, Inc. In this role she manages the electronics take-back program in the US, including ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements; serving as the primary interface with e-waste recyclers; and managing consumer awareness and corporate reporting efforts. She also oversees packaging and rechargeable battery take-back programs for LG customers. Madeline holds a Master degree in Business and Sustainability – Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis and Policy – Boston University.
Program Administrator
e-Stewards was created and is owned and managed by the Basel Action Network (BAN), a global environmental justice organization based in Seattle, WA. The Basel Action Network (BAN) is a registered non-profit charitable organization with 501(c)3 status under the US Internal Revenue Service code.