Leadership Council

Mary Hemmersbach

Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

Mary Hemmersbach joined Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations in 2020, as the Director of Corporate Compliance. Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations is a full-service electronics and materials lifecycle management corporation. Dynamic strives to deliver top-quality services with passion, integrity, transparency, and environmental responsibility. Within her role, Mary is responsible for overseeing legal and certification compliance, environmental health & safety programs, and for supporting the strategic initiatives of the company to advance Dynamic’s standards of excellence as a continued industry leader.

Mary holds a Master of Science in Business with an emphasis Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health from the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Winona State University.

Sam Morris

Blue Star Recyclers

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

Sam Morris is the Chief Executive Officer for Blue Star Recyclers, a Colorado-based social enterprise founded in 2009 with a mission of recycling electronics to create jobs for people with autism and other disabilities. Sam advocates giving customers a simple model to embrace environmental accountability while investing in their local communities. He has led Blue Star to win the Nonprofit of the Year (2018) and has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Young Professionals (2020) by ColoradoBiz.

Ken Thomas

Universal Recycling Technologies

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

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.

Karen Dietel-Jenks

Cascade Asset Management

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

Karen Dietel-Jenks is the quality coordinator for Cascade Asset Management, an ITAD company founded in 1999. She focuses on implementation & improvement of their integrated management system (ISO 9001 & 14001, e-Stewards, and NAID). Karen is certified as an ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and IMS Internal Auditor (ISO 9001/14001/OHSAS 18001).

Patrick O’Hara

Kuusakoski

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

Patrick O’Hara is President/CEO of Kuusakoski Recycling’s US operations. Kuusakoski US is part of a global organization founded in Finland over 100 years prior. In 2011, Kuusakoski expanded into the US and has grown to two Midwest locations offering various electronic recycling solutions. Patrick has over 15 years of experience in the ITAD and Electronics Recycling industry and is passionate about keeping end-of-life electronics out of the landfill. Patrick also founded his own Green Consulting business to help organizations manage the recycling/reuse of their IT equipment, directing them to certified recyclers.

Tom Delahunty

Wisetek Solutions

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

Tom Delahunty is Group President and COO of Wisetek Solutions, an Irish Headquartered company offering customers ITAD and Manufacturing Services from its eight locations across the world. Tom strongly believes in working with all industry stakeholders to create solutions that ensure all electronics leave a positive impact on our environment. His passion for the reuse of electronics and extensive experience in electronic design and manufacture has led to Tom creating innovative circular economy solutions since joining Wisetek in 2008. Tom holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Manufacturing Technology from the University of Limerick Ireland.

John Kirsch

4THBIN

Certified Recycler/Refurbisher

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.

Robert Valair

Staples, Inc.

Enterprise

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.

Michael Leiberman

Aeris Protective Packaging, Inc.

Enterprise

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.

Kabira Stokes

Retrievr

Enterprise

Kabira Stokes joined the Retrievr team in 2020 after her years as Founder and CEO of Isidore Electronics Recycling and then Homeboy Recycling. Both companies are full service e-waste recycling and IT Asset Disposition social enterprises that focus on offering employment opportunities to people who face systemic barriers to employment.

Kabira holds a Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern California and has worked for the City of Los Angeles as Senior Field Deputy for (then) Council President Eric Garcetti. Honors and awards include “Sustainable Social Entrepreneur of the Year” by the L.A. Sustainable Business Council and the inaugural “Smart on Crime” award by (then) California Attorney General Kamala Harris. In 2019, Kabira was featured as the first-ever woman to grace the cover of Recycling Today magazine.

Madeline Smith

LG Electronics

OEM Enterprise

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.

Caitlin Sanchez

VIZIO, Inc.

OEM Enterprise

Caitlin Sanchez is Senior Counsel, Social Responsibility & Regulatory Affairs at VIZIO, Inc. Caitlin oversees the company’s social responsibility and regulatory compliance programs covering topics such as social auditing, electronics recycling, sustainability, chemicals compliance, and energy efficiency. Caitlin has managed VIZIO’s electronic waste recycling program since 2012 and has helped the company recycle more than 200 million pounds of electronic waste during that time. In addition to her work at VIZIO, Caitlin also serves on the board of directors for the Electronics Recycling Representative Organization, which is currently providing the manufacturer clearinghouse function under the new electronics recycling law in Illinois. Caitlin has spearheaded VIZIO’s effort to only use third party certified recyclers and participation in the U.S. EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Challenge.

Caitlin wishes to work with e-Stewards to look for ways to reduce fraud or unethical behavior through the entire e-waste recycling lifecycle from collection point to final commodities disposition, promote sustainable practices for used electronics including refurbishment and reuse before turning towards recycling and commodities recovery, and work to develop best practices to better ensure used electronics stay out of landfills or are otherwise improperly disposed of.

Mark Newton

Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

OEM Enterprise

Mark Newton is head of regulatory and environmental affairs for Samsung Electronics America. Prior to joining Samsung, Mark was vice president at VF Corporation directing environmental stewardship, global human rights and community engagement for iconic outdoor brands including Timberland, The North Face, and Vans. Previously he led CSR at Dell, Apple and Motorola, achieving top rankings for sustainability and environmental performance. Mark also previously served on numerous advisory boards including for the National Academies of Science, SC Johnson Foundation, and the World Resources Institute. Mark holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Texas.

Kevin R. Webb

Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc.

OEM Enterprise

Kevin R. Webb directs environmental sustainability and social impact efforts in the Americas region at Mitsubishi Electric. He is also responsible for national grantmaking and corporate employee volunteer programs as Senior Director of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The Foundation’s vision is to empower youth with disabilities to lead productive lives by building a pipeline of talent to help create a more inclusive and sustainable society for all. Webb holds a BA in International Studies and an MA in Public Administration from the Ohio State University.

Jeremy Jones

Sony Electronics

OEM Enterprise

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.

McKenna Morrigan

City of Seattle

Government/Associations

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.

Adrian Tan

King County

Government/Associations

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 ecodesign, eco-innovation and the circular economy.

Heather Trim

Zero Waste Washington

Government/Associations

Heather Trim, Executive Director. Heather has more than 25 years of experience in environmental work ranging from zero waste to toxic chemicals and habitat issues. At 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.

Paulo Batista

Ingram Micro

International - Latin America

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, U.S. 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.

Mathias Schluep

World Resources Forum Association (WRFA)

International - Europe

Mathias Schluep is program director at the World Resources Forum Association (WRFA), a global science-based platform for sharing knowledge about the economic, political, social and environmental implications of global resource use. Mathias is responsible for several cooperation projects with developing countries in e-waste management in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where he is implementing various initiatives for national and international government organizations and the private industry. Mathias’ long-term experience related to e-waste management includes setting up EPR schemes in a non-OECD context, adopt technical standards, guidelines and auditing systems, develop national policies and legislations, promote inclusive approaches addressing solutions for the informal sector and his work with international and regional networks (StEP, PACE, RELAC, UNIDO/RECP, Basel Convention). Mathias holds a Master degree in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in natural sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.