Speaker Biographies
Session I: The Local Response to National Sword
Evan Johnson, Senior Environmental Scientist, CalRecycle
Evan Johnson is Science and Policy Advisor at CalRecycle where he leads the development of data-driven strategies to improve management of our waste resources and address climate change. He is currently developing the state's response to shifting global recycling markets. Prior to CalRecycle, Evan was a principal consultant on domestic and international climate policy and science. He holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree from the Donald Bren School at UC Santa Barbara where he was a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow.
Stacey Luddy, COO and CFO, More Recycling
Nina Bellucci Butler, CEO, More Recycling
Session II: SB 1383: What it Means for Your Zone
Marshalle Graham, Supervisor, CalRecycle
Marshalle Graham has over 26 years of experience with CalRecycle. Marshalle serves on leadership teams for various statewide projects including school district diversion, local government environmental reporting systems, and business assistance for recycling manufacturers looking to site or expand operations in the state. Most recently, Marshalle serves on the education, outreach and implementation teams for new legislation, such as Mandatory Commercial Recycling (AB 341) and Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (AB 1826).
Brian Stalker, Senior Environmental Scientist, CalRecycle
Brian Stalker is a senior Environmental Scientist with CalRecycle’s Technical and Analytical Resources unit, and has been working on diverting Organic Materials from landfills and into composting for over 10 years. Brian has worked on projects such as estimating CA’s composting infrastructure, evaluating & scoring GGRF’s Organic Infrastructure grants, manages research contracts, and participates in regulatory developments that pertain to the diversion of organic materials. He worked closely with the state Water Board on the development of the Composting General Order, and is now working with ARB & Regional Air Districts on permitting composting operations.
Julie Sands Tyne, Supervising Recycling Specialist, City of San Diego
Julie Sands Tyne is a supervising recycling specialist and has been with the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department for about 17 years. Before ESD, she worked in environmental consulting on Superfund sites and for a newspaper in Paris, France. She currently oversees the commercial sector and special events programs, internal City recycling programs, a local recycling processing facility, and manages the intern program, as well as supervises a group of recycling specialists and their projects. As with most on the environmental team, she wears a variety of hats! She has a master’s in Environmental Policy from the University of London and a B.A. in Political Science from SDSU.
Eric Wolff, Program Coordinator, County of San Diego
Eric graduated from San Diego State University in 1990. He began his recycling career as the Recycling Program Manager at Urban Corps of San Diego, a youth job training job corps and after a few years was promoted to Assistant Director of Operations.
In 2011 Eric joined the County of San Diego's Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Section as a Recycling Specialist 2. In this capacity he oversaw the Multi-family, Commercial and Organics program for the County. He also provided legislative analysis on waste and recycling state bills as well as chairing the Integrated Waste Management Technical Advisor Committee. Eric was recently promoted to Program Coordinator for the section and oversees all aspects of the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling program.
Session III: Peer Share
Manuel Medrano, Zone Administrator, South San Diego/Imperial County
Manuel has worked in the sustainability field for 18 years focused on issues such as recycling, hazardous waste management, business development, and public education. Manuel belongs to several multi-agency committees and environmental health cross-border(U.S./Mexico) working groups. Manuel holds a Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in Political Science and dual minors in Chicano Studies and Public Administration
Jennifer Halpin, Zone Administrator, Merced County
Mark Murray, Executive Director, Californians Against Waste
Mark is the long-time Director of the environmental group Californians Against Waste. For the last 30 years Mark has been instrumental in helping develop and promote many of California’s best-in-the-nation waste reduction and recycling policies.
Among Mark’s accomplishments at the helm of CAW are the establishment of California’s 75% recycling goal; implementation of California’s Container Recycling Law, which last year recovered more than 18 billion bottles and cans for recycling; and California’s E-waste recycling law, which has helped divert nearly 2 billion pounds of hazardous materials from the environment since 2005.
In 2016, Mark led the successful statewide effort to phase out plastic shopping bags-- Proposition 67. Efforts to phase out plastic and promote reusable bags have already reduced plastic bag pollution by more than 65 percent.
Session V: California Manufacturers Making Products with Materials China No Longer Accepts
Ira Maroofian, President, PinnPack
Mr. Maroofian holds an MBA from UCLA and a Master of Engineering from Cornell University.
Ira Maroofian joined CarbonLITE in 2015 as President which acquired Pinnpack Packaging in 2016. He boasts over 16 years of experience in the packaging and container industries with a proven track record of improving operational efficiency and optimizing profitability.
Prior to joining CarbonLITE, Mr. Maroofian served as the CEO of Ecologic Brands, Managing Director of the USA operations of the SEDA International Packaging Group, and President and COO of PWP Industries.
Will Amos, Co-Founder, Closed Loop Plastics, Inc.
Will is a recent graduate of UC Irvine’s Environmental Engineering program, Recipient of the Brower Youth Award for Environmental Leadership, Eagle Scout, and a co-founder of Closed Loop Plastics. He knows that designing our sustainable future requires the integration of new technology, policy, activism and education. To achieve this goal he believes we need to foster a spirit of cooperation and innovation across all disciplines.
Aldrin Lupisan, Co-Founder, Closed Loop Plastics, Inc.
Aldrin recently graduated from UC Irvine with a B.S. degree in environmental engineering and is a co-founder of Closed Loop Plastic. Aldrin is a steward of the ocean and envisions a world with less waste ever since his days of volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific and actively participating in beach clean ups. With over 3 years of experience and 1000+ hours of 3D printing experience, Aldrin’s comprehensive knowledge in both areas of environmentalism and engineering bring many ideas to Closed Loop Plastics.