2024 BOD Candidates – Page 2 – Northern California Recycling Association

Kristina Bolam

Member since 2023

Hello! My name is Kristina Bolam, and I am so excited to be running for a seat on the NCRA Board of Directors. I began working in the waste industry in 2017 as an outreach assistant at special events then continued onto Nothing Wasted Consulting in 2022 as a Project Manager.

My work with haulers, facilities, and private entities across the region, has opened my eyes to the current reality and challenges of recycling, composting and the implementation of SB1383.

I have been attending NCRA meetups and annual conferences since 2022. I continue to learn the astounding number of ways we can positively impact and educate the community in regard to reducing waste, reuse, recycling and composting. I am very eager to participate in upcoming events and meetings to find ways we can work together to support our communities.

I truly believe that my passion for the environment, coupled with my background in customer service, would give me the tools and skill set necessary to successfully handle a board roll. Thank you for your consideration.

Jessica Jane Robinson – Incumbent

Member since 2012

I’ve been an NCRA member since 2012, serving four years each as Treasurer then Vice President, and more recently as President in 2022 and part of 2023.

I aim to honor the legacies of my mentors and past leaders while contributing my unique experiences as an environmental advocate and community leader. My goal is to lead by leveraging my strengths and empowering our board and committees to excel in their areas of expertise, all while continuing our mission to pave the way for Zero Waste.

A key passion I want to cultivate during my term is engaging youth in becoming leaders in waste reduction and sustainability, inspiring them to join NCRA and Zero Waste USA as future leaders.

Past Accomplishments:

Spoke at the UN as NCRA Vice President in 2019
NCRA sponsored Earth Day SF 2019, featuring our logo on Muni buses while I emceed as my superhero alias, Resilience
Featured in an ABC Channel 7 interview about Zero Waste in the Bay Area as NCRA Vice President
As Treasurer, I helped streamline NCRA’s finances
Advised NCRA to sponsor Girls Inc of the Island City’s youth Ethical Fashion Show

Committees Served: Zero Waste Schools, Social Media

Randy Russell – Incumbent

Member since 2012

I’m Randy Russell and I’m just getting started! Thank you for electing me to the Board in 2022. I’m asking for your vote to continue my service to you as your Treasurer and member of the Executive Committee, Member Engagement Committee, and Social Media Committee.

I’m excited to be working on projects that will promote our members, highlight our collective impacts, and draw greater membership.

If re-elected, I will continue my service with enthusiasm, creativity, and a collaborative spirit! Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Profession: Zero Waste Planner
Firm: WSP
Years w/Firm: 13
Years in Recycling Industry: 20
Qualifications: Sustainable Materials Management, Waste Characterization Studies, Hard-To-Recycle Material Solutions, Disaster Debris Removal and Management, Organics Management and Infrastructure, Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Plans, Grants Assistance, Education and Outreach.

Jack Johnson

Member since 2018

I respectfully request your support for my candidacy for the NCRA Board of Directors.

I am the Waste Management Supervisor for the City of San Mateo. My former roles include Senior Sustainability Specialist with the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability and Public Education and Outreach Coordinator for Aspen/Pitkin County, Colorado.

I have worked on developing beneficial reuse of greywater on a landfill site, a hydroelectric dam, an innovative e-waste recycling program employing the developmentally disabled, and a large rural mass transit system. I worked to create Colorado’s largest rural compost collection system–SCRAPS—a public/private partnership involving the municipally owned compost facility, private haulers, and both residential and commercial customers.

My main interest is in reducing contamination in the organics stream and in the successful implementation of SB1383 statewide. I am a founding member of NCRA’s Zero Food Waste Committee.

For me, collaboration is key. Climate change doesn’t respect geo-political boundaries so if we are going to make progress on our climate goals, we need to work together across those boundaries. If elected to the NCRA Board, I will pursue regional answers and be a strong advocate for zero waste and push for strong, innovative solutions in our region and the state.

Max Wechsler

Member since 2011

I grew up amidst a scrap metal junkyard near Philadelphia and moved to the Bay Area in 2010, which is when I joined NCRA and became a salvager for Urban Ore. In 2012, I founded an electronics recycling business called Roots Recycling. In 2016, I earned an MBA and an MS in Environmental Management from USF, interned with the Zero Waste program of the San Francisco Environment Department, and then re-joined Urban Ore, which I helped manage until 2023. I passed the Introduction to Recycling course in 2014 and the Zero Waste Community Certification course in 2016. In 2017, I was appointed to the steering committee of the Bay Area Deconstruction Workgroup. Currently, I serve on the board of Pacific Reclaimed Lumber & Supply, of which I am Vice President of Sales. I am also President of Sugarbush Products, a manufacturing business that sources (only) secondary steel.

What I bring to the table is a practical business sense backed by a relatively hardcore Zero Waste ideology. I have boots-on-the-ground, forklift operating experience combined with an understanding (or at least appreciation) of higher level economic, environmental, and social justice concepts. I can also provide value as a bridge between the old guard and the new. It would be an honor to serve on the Board of NCRA, an organization near and dear to my heart.