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May 2014
Speaker Biographies

Ken Decio (Session II)
Ken Decio is a Senior Integrated Waste Management Specialist in the Waste Permitting, Compliance and Mitigation Division at CalRecycle. Ken is currently coordinating the revision of CalRecycle’s composting regulations. He was the project manager for preparing a Statewide Program Environmental Impact Report for anaerobic digestion facilities in California and assisted in developing workshops to educate Caltrans staff on the benefits of using compost for erosion control and re-vegetation projects. Ken has also promoted the use of sustainable landscaping practices to reduce green waste, conserve water, and protect water quality.

Krysty Emery (Session VI)
Ms. Emery has been practicing in the environmental resource and waste management field for over 14 years.  Her professional experience includes project siting and CEQA analysis, stakeholder engagement and facilitation, business process improvement, and research in biomass and emerging technologies.
For both the public and the private sector, Ms. Emery has lead teams in the development of landfill planning projects, directed staff conducting environment impact analyses of power plants and water management projects.  Ms. Emery has worked to facilitate stakeholder engagement in developing policies and incentives for emerging technologies.  Many of the projects she has worked on focused on identifying tools for local governments to more easily access project development incentives.  Ms. Emery has also managed recycling programs for a corporate waste management company as well as for a rural grassroots recycling group.
Ms. Emery is currently responsible for assisting Bay Area jurisdictions with recycling program implementation and reporting and market development.  Ms. Emery is also involved in special projects relating to commercial recycling and climate change.

Jacques Franco (Session I)
Jacques Franco has worked in the environmental management field for over twenty years. He’s a member the Climate Change and Technologies group at Cal Recycle. His responsibilities include biomass to energy and fuels conversion technologies, research, assessment and development. Before coming to the Cal Recycle, Mr. Franco worked as a business and technology transfer consultant. His work included technology transfer, market research and business development projects. At the California Department of Food and Agriculture he started and managed the Fertilizer Research and Education program (FREP). Jacques was responsible for technology development and transfer to reduce nitrate groundwater contamination related to fertilizer use. Mr. Franco is a graduate of the University of California - Davis, School of Management. He earned a Master of Science in Conservation Ecology from the same institution and holds a B.S. in Environmental Horticulture. He has authored and edited over forty technical and peer reviewed publications.

Amanda Hong (Session I)
Amanda Hong is a graduate fellow with the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 in the Sustainable Materials Management and Pollution Prevention teams. She is also a master of public policy candidate at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, where her thesis analyzes ways to incentivize source reduction, recycling and composting of packaging waste in California. Amanda is currently collaborating with Oakland Unified School District to pilot EPA's new Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging Toolkit, a guide and audit tool to help food services track and reduce food and packaging waste. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, she is passionate about community development, environmental protection, and of course, food.

Maureen Hart (Peer Share)
Maureen Hart has been working in Recycling, Energy, and the Community Based Economy since1980, first in Michigan and then in California. Presently she is working with Redwood Regional Economic Development Corporation on the Manufacturer’s Network Project, the winner of the very competitive PG&E Economic Vitality Grant (2013).  She completed a Master Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the University of San Francisco. Hart has worked for corporations, non-profits, government, small business, and now with them as a consultant. As a contractor/staff, she was interim Executive Director and Program Manager at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (6 years).  She is the Zone Administrator with the North Coast Recycling Market Development Zone/CalRecycle (2000 to present). She has worked with manufacturers on increasing their energy efficiency and using recycled materials in their production.  Hart was General Manager and Corporate Manager of large recycling centers and collection programs in San Francisco, marketing over 120,000 tons/yr. of recyclables to domestic and export markets (now Recology) and 120 employees. She worked with towns in Northern California facilitating their transition plan from a logging based economy (Center for Environmental Economic Development) and successfully worked with a theater school expansion capital campaign, grant writing and business planning (Dell Arte). Hart managed an Appropriate Technology Center in East Lansing for 5 years that still exists today, 35 years later (now Michigan Energy Options).

Jim LaTanner (Session III)
Jim LaTanner is a graduate from California State University, Sacramento and Golden Gate University, Sacramento in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration.  Mr. LaTanner has worked at CalRecycle since 1995, primarily supervising the Recycling Market Development Revolving Loan Program. Prior to the state, James worked in the private banking industry for 18 years as a corporate loan officer.

Paul Martin (Session II)
Paul Martin, of Petaluma, is deputy director of permit assistance in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.  Martin was director of environmental services at Western United Dairymen from 2000 to 2012 after starting as a field representative in 1999.  He was owner and operator of Paul and Jill Martin Dairy from 1976 to 1999 and a partner in the Claude Martin and Son Dairy from 1969 until 1976.  Martin is a former member of the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Air Quality Task Force and currently serves on the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  A graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Production from the University of California, Davis and his Master of Arts degree in Environmental Policy from California State University, Sonoma.

Jim McKinney (Session III)
Jim McKinney is the Program Manager for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program at the California Energy Commission - California’s lead agency for energy information and policy development.  The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program is a 15-year, $1.5 billion investment fund established by the California Legislature that is intended to spur innovation and the commercialization of new technologies in California’s alternative fuel and vehicle markets to enable the state to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reductions and petroleum use reduction goals.  As Program Manager, Mr. McKinney is responsible for program and policy issues in all technology and fuel areas funded through ARFVTP.  He has more than 25 years’ experience on energy-environment policy and technical issues in California.  He began his career with Pacific Gas and Electric Company of San Francisco in 1985, and transitioned to the public sector at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Office in 1995.  He has been with the Energy Commission since 2000.  He holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, with an emphasis in Environmental Policy.  He lives with his family in Davis, California.

Robert Meyer (Session III)
Robert has over 15 years with ETP with experience in the Panel’s strategic planning, program development, and marketing capacities. He currently serves as lead for the Panel’s statewide marketing and economic development efforts, primarily focused on job creation, manufacturing, and emerging and high technology industries.  Robert provides technical expertise in support of ETP’s strategic partnerships and assists the Panel’s contracting population to best leverage available resources to address workforce development needs and increase employer competitiveness in California. He lives in Land Park with two children, Colm (7) and Shay (10).  He is a self-professed soccer junkie.

Joe Rasmussen (Session I)
Dr. Rasmussen has over 15 years of professional experience as an environmental scientist, an educator, and an administrator.  Currently, he serves as an Environmental Scientist for CalRecycle. Joe earned his B.S. degree in Natural Resources from Humboldt State University. His graduate degrees include an M.A. in Philosophy and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from California State University, Long Beach.  He has taught a variety of college and university courses in the areas of philosophy, environmental studies, and green building.  As a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP BD+C), he brings a strong background in green building and sustainability to all of the work that he engages in.  Dr. Rasmussen’s research interests include institutional sustainability and organic waste reduction technologies.

Diana Rivera (Session I)
Diana Rivera is an Integrated Waste Management Specialist in CalRecycle’s Research and Applied Technology Branch. In her 13 years at CalRecycle, Rivera has administered the California Materials Exchange Program and worked in the Electronic Waste Program. Rivera currently is responsible for providing technical assistance for urban organics, composting technologies, sustainable landscaping practices, home composting, and food waste. Before coming to CalRecycle she administering a federal AmeriCorps Program that included work on watershed restoration and erosion control projects.
Rivera graduated from the U.S. Army Engineer [Combat Heavy] School in Missouri.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from State University of New York.

Nicki Ruszczycky (Session VI)
Nicki Ruszczycky (Ruh.zis'key) has been with CalRecycle for 10 years and has worked in several different areas of the Department, including Local Assistance, Permitting, Ewaste, and the Beverage Container Recycling Program. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from UC Riverside and a Master's in Business Administration from Sacramento State. She is currently a Senior Waste Management Specialist with CalRecycle's Policy Office where she is the lead staff person over the Facility Information Toolbox project.

Michael Tuck (Session VI)
Mike Tuck is a graduate from Sacramento State University (2009) with a degree in Geography.  He has worked at CalRecycle for six years focusing on GIS (Geographic Information Systems) design, development and analysis.  He is currently an Associate Programmer Analyst in CalRecycle's Information Technology Section.