2nd Annual Virtual Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping

Main Conference Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83923348589

Post-Conference Breakout:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87573986025?pwd=bWpjSitrZHNDQThhenc5NlRhY1FsUT09

Conference Overview

The 2nd Annual Virtual Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping seeks to elevate and disseminate best practices for addressing illegal dumping throughout the State of California. The Conference is centered around The Three E's Strategy (Education, Eradication, Enforcement) for Urban, Suburban, and Rural communities. Each day of the Conference will feature a deep dive into one of The Three E’s (Education, Eradication, Enforcement). These areas of focus will feature a series of speakers and presentations from experts in the field, who will highlight best practices for addressing illegal dumping.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Statewide Illegal Dumping Conference?

The Statewide Illegal Dumping Conference is an annual Conference that seeks to raise awareness of illegal dumping and its impacts, and to discuss best-practices and solutions for addressing it.

2. Who can attend the Conference?

The Conference is open to anyone interested in addressing illegal dumping, because illegal dumping knows no bounds, and everyone has a role to play. The Conference is appropriate for governmental entities (Counties, Cities, Special Districts, etc.), for-profit and non-profit organizations, community groups and individuals.

The Conference is appropriate for all environments and settings, including urban, suburban, or rural, and seeks to elevate best-practices appropriate for all settings.

3. How much does it cost?

The Conference is 100% free to attend.

4. What will I learn at the Conference?

The Conference will focus on The Three E’s (Education, Eradication, Enforcement) and how they can be applies in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

5. What are the three E’s?

The Three E’s Strategy is a best practice for addressing illegal dumping, which focuses on upstream and downstream solutions. The Three E’s are Education, Eradication, and Enforcement, and represent three pillars that cannot stand alone.

• Education is an upstream approach that seeks to increase understanding of what Illegal Dumping is as well as how to prevent and respond to it. For example, by educating communities proper waste disposal methods future illegal dumping can be prevented.
• Eradication is the process of removing Illegal Dumping. Studies of illegal dumping hotspots have shown that illegal dumping attracts more illegal dumping, which is why timely removal of illegal dumping is so important.
• Enforcement a downstream action that is key to addressing illegal dumping. There must be deterrents in place for those who seek to take advantage of communities by dumping their waste improperly. If all that is happening is eradication, then it’s just a free garbage service for illegal dumpers. Enforcement prevents repeat offenders, and deters potential dumpers, which is why it is so important.

6. Who is going to be speaking and/or presenting at the Conference?

A full list of speakers and presenters is available down below under the Speaker/Panelist section.

7. Where can I find information about past Conferences?

A full rebroadcast of the Inaugural Statewide Illegal Dumping Conference is available at:https://district4.acgov.org/idcon2021/, including biographies and photos of all presenters.

Speaker/Panelist Information

Conference Host:

Nate Miley was first elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in November 2000 and is currently serving his sixth term. He represents District 4, which includes portions of Oakland, from Montclair in the north to Oracle Arena and the Oakland Coliseum in the south, the City of Pleasanton and the unincorporated communities of Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, El Portal Ridge, Fairmont Terrace, Fairview and Hillcrest Knolls. In January 2021, he was appointed Vice-President by his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors.

Prior to representing District 4, he had the honor of serving the residents of Oakland City Council District 6 where he earned the moniker "maverick" for his tenacity in challenging the status quo and pursuing novel, grassroots-based solutions which leveraged community engagement to tackle issues and problems. As a County Supervisor, he continues to engage and empower communities, protect open space, strengthen our healthcare system, and create more livable and safe neighborhoods. He brings with him a commitment and platform to deliver and improve transportation, healthcare, public safety, and social services to his highly diverse constituent base.

Conference Announcer:

Erin Armstrong has a successful track record of tackling the most complex and challenging problems facing the Bay Area, with experience in addressing illegal dumping, police oversight, and more. She has an MBA/MPP from Mills College in Oakland, and is the Special Assistant to Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley where she helps to craft policies for Early Care and Education, Police Oversight and Reform, and Homelessness. In 2019 she helped to launch the Alameda County Illegal Dumping (ACID) Pilot, a cross-sector collaborative aimed at addressing illegal dumping.

Conference Key Note Speakers In Order of Appearance:

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan was elected in 2018 to serve the 16th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Orinda, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Danville, Alamo, and Moraga. Rebecca is an accomplished attorney, environmental advocate, community volunteer, law professor and mother. A Bay Area native, she has dedicated her career and personal time to improving our community, solving complex problems, protecting civil rights, and fighting to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed. As an attorney, Rebecca specialized in ensuring major corporations complied with environmental laws and regulations by leading internal investigations to improve their environmental practices, while maintaining profitability. She also worked with major tech companies on intellectual property cases, involving topics including copyright, trademark, and trade secret theft. Rebecca oversaw and grew her office’s pro bono program and, under her leadership, the office expanded their efforts to include civil rights, immigration, homelessness and domestic violence. She has also served on a number of boards and committees, helping attorneys throughout the Bay Area provide their services to those who desperately need them. Rebecca is the granddaughter of refugees, who came to the United States to escape the Holocaust. Their experience has shaped Rebecca's perspective, inspiring her to help others in her own community, including coordinating the legal services effort at SFO to assist refugees and immigrants impacted by the Trump Administration’s travel ban. For the last several years, Rebecca has taught appellate law and legal research and writing at Santa Clara University and Golden Gate University. She is a product of Bay Area public schools and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law Center. Rebecca and her husband, Darren, live in Orinda with their three young children.

Sheriff Greg Ahern is the 22nd Sheriff of Alameda County. He took office in 2007 and oversees 1,650 employees and a budget more than $550m. The Sheriff provides law enforcements services to the unincorporated districts in Alameda County and serves a population of 150,000 county residents. In addition, the Sheriff contracts for police services with the City of Dublin, Oakland Airport, AC Transit, Hospitals and Social Services. The Sheriff manages the Santa Rita Jail, Coroner’s Bureau, Superior Court Services, Emergency Services, and a host of other county wide services. The Sheriff is very concerned about quality-of-life issues, including illegal dumping, pollution, homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Sheriff Ahern believes blight and illegal dumping can be managed through prevention, enforcement, programs and services to the community. Sheriff Ahern believes we must invest in our communities through public art, sustainable healthy food programs, food insecurity, youth activities and deterrents to harming the environment.

Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire was elected NACo 2nd Vice President this past July (2021). She has been a Ramsey County Commissioner in Minnesota since 2012. Prior to the County Board, Mary Jo served 16 years in the Minnesota State Legislature, serving in both the House and Senate. Commissioner McGuire is a member of NACo’s Executive Board and serves on its Financial Services Corporation and the Audit and Finance Committee. She also serves on NACo’s Health Policy Steering Committee, Healthy Counties Advisory Board, Programs and Services Committee, and Arts and Culture Commission. She is also active in her state, serving in leadership at the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC), and is a member of its Public Safety Policy Committee and Education and Research Committee. In her own County, Commissioner McGuire chairs the County’s Legislative Committee, Active Living Ramsey Communities, Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative, and serves on a number of Boards and Commissions including as a member of the Extension Committee, Ramsey County League of Local Governments, the Transportation Advisory Board, and the Recycling and Energy Board. She is involved in several community organizations including Rotary International, the Optimist Club, and the Roseville Area Community Foundation. Mary Jo is a lifelong resident of Ramsey County, currently residing in Roseville. She has a BA in Business Administration from the College of St. Catherine, a JD from Hamline University School of Law, and an MA in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California on April 23, 2021, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position. Attorney General Bonta's passion for justice and fairness was instilled in him by his parents, who served on the frontlines of some of America's most important social justice movements. It's why he decided to become a lawyer — to help right historic wrongs and fight for people who have been harmed. He worked his way through college and graduated with honors from Yale University and attended Yale Law School. Attorney General Bonta has led statewide fights for racial, economic, and environmental justice and worked to further the rights of immigrant families, renters, and working Californians. He previously worked as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees and fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling. He went on to pursue elected office in Alameda County, first as an Alameda Council Member and later as an Assembly member representing Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. In the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta enacted nation-leading reforms to inject more justice and fairness into government and institutions. As the People's Attorney, he sees seeking accountability from those who abuse their power and harm others as one of the most important functions of the job. He is married to Mia Bonta, and they are the proud parents of three children Reina, Iliana, and Andres, as well as their dog Legolas.

Education Day Speakers April 19th :

Ken Houston is a life‐long community advocate and third-generation Oaklander with 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. He is founder of the Beautification Council, a community‐based, nonprofit organization, that addresses public health and safety conditions that plague underserved communities. The Beautification Council’s Best Practices on deterrence of blight were recognized at the 2015 United States Mayors Conference, and thereafter the Beautification Council received grants to address the physical and visual cues that create these horrendous conditions.

Adriana Ornelas is a Program Manager I for Los Angeles County Public Works in its Environmental Programs Division, Residential Trash Collection Section. She helps oversee solid waste collection contracts and programs related to the prevention of illegal dumping in the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas. She also serves as the Secretary of the Board for the Antelope Valley Illegal Dumping Task Force.

Jamie Facciola is an award-winning social entrepreneur whose work on developing local solutions to circular economy has been covered in BBC News, Fast Company, Nonprofit Quarterly, The Oaklandside, KQED, and GreenBiz. Her current project, Furniturecycle, is a Solutions explores furniture waste from the bottom up. Her professional background is in environmental science and corporate environmental management. Jamie was on the founding board of the National Upholstery Association and holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at UCSB.

Nate Pelczar has been with the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) since 2018 and serves as a Special Projects Manager, focusing on statewide legislation and education. He oversees a number of the organization’s various advocacy and educational projects related to the reduction of household hazardous waste, the promotion of producer responsibility, product green design, and product end-of-life management. Nate serves as Treasurer for the California Chapter of NAHMMA and serves on the board of SWANA’s Gold Rush Chapter.

Taylor Grimes serves as the Special Projects Coordinator with the Mattress Recycling Council focusing on illegal dumping and environmental justice initiatives. Among other projects and programs, she oversees the Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative (IDMCI), illegal dumping mitigation efforts, stakeholder engagement and pilot projects.

Ed Ramirez is the Supervising Environmental Service Specialist with the City of San Jose's Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department leading the RAPID - Removing and Preventing Illegal Dumping team mitigation efforts within the BeautifySJ program. Ed enjoys the opportunity to keep the city in which he was born and raised clean and beautiful. He believes great effort and determination comes with great rewards!

Heidi Obermeit has served as the City of Berkeley’s Recycling Program Manager in the Department of Public Work’s Zero Waste Division since 2016. Heidi’s role is to implement new and improved waste reduction and diversion programs to achieve Berkeley’s goal of sending zero waste to landfill.

Stephanie Mejia is an integral part of the City of Palmdale’s efforts to receive Re-Accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA). She also assists extensively with solid waste and environmental programs, grant programs, Department social media and communications, electric vehicle charging station projects, illegal dumping and other projects as assigned. Her hard work is exemplified with how she works with multiple City departments on tasks and projects, such as the City’s Mortgage/Rental Assistance Program.

Stephanie Autry is with the City of Palmdale and has worked in the Maintenance Division assisting with administrative operations, including receiving and processing citizen service requests and inputting employee daily activity work sheets. In this role, she experienced firsthand the number and types of illegal dumping requests reported and the maintenance operation efforts taken to try to address these issues. In 2019, Stephanie was promoted to Management Analyst where she now assists the Division with their contracts and budget management.

Olympia Williams works for the City of San Jose leading programs that support Neighborhood Livability and Quality of Life for our residents. She has spent several years with the City as a division analyst and then managing neighborhood services programs. She is the BeautifySJ Program Manager. The BeautifySJ Program works with neighborhoods and organizations to address litter/trash, illegal dumping, graffiti, and manages trash at homeless encampments. She leads a data informed approach to address issues while using an equity lens to ensure that communities most in need receive adequate services. She enjoys the opportunity to work with residents across the City to improve neighborhood livability in a City that she calls home!

Eradication Day Speakers April 20th :

Talia Wise brings over 25 years of marketing communication team building to her role as Director of Communications, WM, Northern California/Nevada. New to the industry, Talia joined WM in August 2021, she reports directly to the Area Executive Vice President, and works with all Area directors. Talia communicates and works regularly with West Coast Director of Government Affairs. Most of her time is spent managing the internal communications team for the Area, which focuses on Public Education outreach programs contracted through Public Sector Specialists relationships.

Sarah Larock has a long-standing passion for resource recovery, and holds a Masters of Public Administration specializing in Solid Waste Management. After several years of working for municipal governments, Ms. LaRock has joined Waste Management offering her expertise in contract management, regulatory compliance, program development, and civic engagement. Sarah is driven to fight pollution by making waste diversion practices such as recycling and composting accessible to everyone and by leading a team of educators who work to inspire participation in these closed loop circular economies. While she appreciates all aspects of her work, Ms. LaRock most values building relationships with individuals and communities to make a positive impact on our shared environment.

Heidi Sanborn has been a leader in the solid waste industry for 31 years based in California. She started working in 1990 as a consultant to local governments writing waste management plans, then worked at CalRecycle as policy advisor to the chair, and then left government to be an advocate. She is the founding Director of the National Stewardship Action Council promoting producer pays policies for a variety of products in multiple states and has been a key stakeholder at introducing a national truth in labeling bill for "flushable" wipes and other products as well as a bottle bill.

Doug Kobold has been “talking trash” for over 29 years. He is currently the Executive Director for the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). Previously he spent over 18 years with Sacramento County, nearly 3 years with Edgar & Associates, and over 5 years with Yolo County. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Planning from California State University, Chico. Doug is currently the Chair of the SWANA California Chapters Legislative Task Force, Vice Chair of the IDTAC, and a board member for CRRA. He was the Chair of CPSC, the Founder and President of National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC), Chair of the California Mattress Advisory Committee, and a member of the California Carpet Recycling Advisory Committee.

Suna Bayrakal is an experienced policy analyst and researcher with an environmental engineering background. She is director of policy and programs at the Product Stewardship Institute, where she leads technical research and develops and analyzes product stewardship policy in several product areas, including batteries, carpet, mattresses, household hazardous waste, fluorescent lamps, tires, and mercury thermostats. Her expertise includes an understanding of product stewardship programs in the U.S. and Canada at both the policy level and the operational/implementation level. Suna earned her doctorate in environmental studies from York University in Toronto; there, building on her work as an environmental engineer, she conducted research on the relationship between environmental policy and technology change. She currently serves on the California Carpet Stewardship Advisory Committee.

Iranzu Morras joined PaintCare in 2018, she is based in Los Angeles and oversees several counties in California: East L.A County, North Orange County, San Bernardino County, Kern County, Mono County, and Inyo County. Iranzu is originally from Spain and has a Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Marketing Management from Deusto University. Additionally, she has over 15 years of experience in account management and business strategy implementation having worked across multiple industries and countries throughout her career. She has recently earned a Certification in Zero Waste Management by SWANA and is currently a UCLA Extension student in Sustainability. She is passionate about conservation and advancing product stewardship.

Peter Schueltze-Allen has extensive experience with green stormwater infrastructure, litter and illegal dumping management, zero waste policy, complete and green streets, sustainable landscaping, and urban forestry. He managed the environmental programs for the City of Emeryville from 2002 to 2013 including the City’s award-winning Bay-Friendly stormwater program. Since joining EOA in 2013, he has been providing GI, LID and litter-related technical assistance and program support to staff around the Bay Area. He is also one of the co-authors of Berkeley's “Single-use Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance”. He is a Certified Professional in Stormwater Quality, QSP/QSD, LEED-AP and a ReScape Qualified Professional.

Bill Crotinger lived Northern Idaho in 1989 where he grew up and worked as a ranch hand. That year he visited Southern California to attend his brother’s wedding. He never went home. Within a very short period of time, he had married his high school sweetheart, relocated to California, and found his second love; Recycling Concrete and Asphalt. Over 30 years and millions of tons later he continues to love the business and its inherent sustainability aspects and the opportunities he has to give back to the communities that embrace the work that he does.

David Stratton Area Director of Finance and Business Partner. Will be on the cost of illegal dumping panel. David joined the waste industry in 1999 working in finance for USA Waste, a company later purchased by WM. David has spent his entire WM in the NCN Area, working out of our Reno office.

Violet Henderson is a long-time resident of West Oakland, California, has had a long career in zero waste and municipal waste reduction. Before retirement, Violet worked as Zero Waste Coordinator for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). While employed, she created a training program for her peers to demonstrate how to sort the waste, preventing recyclables and compost products from entering the landfill. After entering Berkeley in the fall of 2018, Violet, a mother, and grandmother was awarded several research scholarships to investigate the physical and emotional health effects of illegal dumping on the community, which she is currently crafting into a senior thesis. Violet will be graduating in May with a BS in Conservation Resource Studies and a BA in African American Studies. After graduation, she is looking forward to partnering in the Oakland community to promote the three E's designed by the Alameda County Taskforce. Education, Eradication, and Enforcement.

Stephanie Becker manages CalRecycle’s Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program and backs up the Tire Amnesty and Cleanup Grant Programs. She is an active participant in California's Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee and joins community cleanups in her neighborhood. Stephanie has worked on a wide range of environmental, public health, and social change campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Marketing from California State University, Sacramento.

Natalie Mann is an Application Developer in the LA County Public Works Information Technology Systems and Applications GIS Unit. She helps develop, support, and maintain Public Works mobile and desktop GIS applications.

Peter Nguyen is an Application Developer for Los Angeles County Public Works in its Information Technology Division. He deploys and maintains in-house as well as commercial-off-the-shelf software solutions specialized in the realm of asset management.

Juan Parra is an Administrative Assistant III for Los Angeles County Public Works in its Environmental Programs Division, Residential Trash Collection Section. He helps oversee solid waste collection contracts and is a liaison with Public Works’ Information Technology Division for the Trash Monitoring Program application (TMP).

Byron Lim began his Caltrans career in the Office of Structure Construction and worked in Division of Structure Design, Office of Structure Maintenance & Investigation (SM&I). In 2018, Byron joined the City of Mountain View in the Public Works Department before rejoining Caltrans in 2019 in Program & Project Management (PPM). While in PPM, Byron was the Project Manager for the Tunnels & Tubes emergency Director Order projects. Recently Byron took on the role of Program Manager for District 4 Clean California in the Division of Maintenance, responsible for Clean California key action initiatives; to engage and invest in communities, expand litter collection, create an educational campaign for litter prevention and enhance infrastructure with sustainable beautification projects for all Californians.

Gia Whiteside is a 30-year Department of Transportation (Caltrans) employee, with a background in Field Safety. She is currently working with Caltrans on Governor Newsom’s 1.1 Billion Clean California Initiative. She is the Senior Public Information Specialist for Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area). She is responsible for providing internal and external communications and any outreach efforts associated with the Clean California Initiatives and Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) programs. She engages the community through education on the dangers that littering causes to our natural resources, waterways, public safety and health. She is a part of the team that brings new employees into the Caltrans family. She enjoys working with their many local partners in these joint beautification efforts. Gia has always been a champion of service and to be able to work on a project that is specifically designed to make California a cleaner, safer and more beautiful state for our residents and visitors is an honor for her.

Enforcement Day Speakers April 21st :

Karen Maynard studied Biology and Sustainability at Berea College and later completed her master’s degree through Miami University’s Global Field Program in 2017. She began her career with Louisville Metro in 2001 as an Educator at the Louisville Zoo. She spent 16 years teaching classes, planning programs, coordinating day camps, and caring for educational animals. Karen’s graduate studies inspired her to transfer to the Department of Public Works Solid Waste Management division in March 2017. In her role as the Public Education Supervisor for Louisville Metro Solid Waste, she shares her passion for reducing waste with the Louisville Metro community. She enjoys helping residents understand local waste and recycling systems through social media, outreach programs, and public events.

Pete Flood joined the Louisville Metro Department of Public Works (LMDPW) in 2006. He is the Executive Director of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Waste Management District and Compliance & Enforcement Manager for LMDPW. Pete’s position affords him the opportunity to collaborate with county-wide solid waste management planning, county-wide waste diversion tracking, licensing and compliance of solid waste management facilities and waste collectors, and illegal dumping prevention and solid waste management enforcement. Before joining LMDPW, Pete served as Captain with the City of Shively Division of Fire and Rescue. He has held certifications as a Hazardous Materials Technician, Trench Rescue Specialist, Confined Space Rescue Technician, Critical Incident Stress Management Team member, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) & First Aid instructor for the American Heart Association, and an Automobile Extrication Expert. Pete served the City of Shively as the Health and Safety Officer.

Whitney Hickman joined Louisville’s Department of Public Works in 2016, as an Administrative Specialist. She worked with the Roads & Operations division and assisted in the development of many initiatives including the “Workforce Development Plan.” She assisted with Public Works’ strategic plan and helped maintain the department data for LouieStat, Louisville’s statistics program. As a Performance Analyst she became a Performance Partner and was a two-year member of Metro’s Data Governance team. In September 2020, Whitney obtained her bachelor’s degree in Science of Management and in 2021 she became the supervisor of the Solid Waste Enforcement department.

Rebecca Oliver graduated in 2019 from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Throughout her college career she worked during summer and winter breaks for the California Energy Commission as a student assistant. She started her career with CalRecycle's Cleanup Program in August of 2019 and has loved learning more about this amazing program and the solid waste industry.

Stephanie Becker recently transitioned in CalRecycle to Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee (IDTAC) coordinator. Previously she managed their Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant and supported the Tire Amnesty and Cleanup Grants. Stephanie has worked on a wide range of environmental, public health, and social change campaigns, including the FlexAlert energy conservation program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Marketing from CSU Sacramento. She joins community cleanups.

Larry Sweetser specializes in trying to bridge the gap between California’s strict regulatory requirements and reality for solid waste and household hazardous waste programs for over 30 years. He has been assisting the 24-member county Rural Counties’ Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority (ESJPA) since 2000 and serves on the Solid Waste Association of North America’s California Chapter’s Legislative Task Force. Representing the ESJPA, Larry has been a member of the statewide Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee since 2004 and Chair since 2017. Larry can often be seen monitoring regulatory agency meetings.

Kibbe Day is a Deputy District Attorney with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from UC Davis. Kibbe joined the San Joaquin DA’s Office in 2005 and prosecuted Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking and Homicide cases until joining the Environmental Protection Unit two years ago. Kibbe is a member of the IDTAC Enforcement Subcommittee and a member of the Alameda County Illegal Dumping Task Force. She has taught extensively for the California District Attorneys Association and was awarded Instructor of the Year in 2019.

Jamaica Moon was raised in Oakland and has been employed by the City of Oakland for over 8 years. She started her career in 2013 at the Keep Oakland Clean & Beautiful division as a Street Sweeper Operator. In February 2019, she was Promoted to an Environmental Enforcement Officer. In July 2019 she was promoted to the Clean Community Supervisor. Prior to her tenure with the City of Oakland, she spent 12 years in various positions with Caltrans. During her employment with Caltrans, Jamaica worked as a Toll collector, Landscape/Highway Maintenance Worker, Equipment Operator ll, Leader and Acting Supervisor.

Marr A. Christian has been a dedicated civil servant for more than 34 years working successfully in a multitude of capacities, from Code Enforcement to Firefighter/Paramedic. Mr. Christian began his distinguished career as a first responder in the private industry in San Diego, then quickly transitioning to San Bernardino and Riverside Counties with his paramedic license, ultimately obtaining his firefighter certificate and being hired on at small and medium municipalities. He is currently the Division Manager over the Code Enforcement Unit for the City of San Bernardino. Marr worked for over 24 years as a Supervising Code Enforcement Officer for the County of Riverside leading dozens of diverse teams, training/coaching 100+ officers and working with an abundance of organizations, task forces, departments and communities.

Dylan Brady graduated from undergrad at UC Davis. He graduated from McGeorge School of Law in 2014. Dylan worked for four years as a Neighborhood Law Attorney and Deputy City Attorney for the City of Vallejo. Since February 2021, Dylan has been an assistant City Attorney for the City of Petaluma. While at Vallejo, Dylan started Vallejo’s illegal dumping enforcement program.

Benjamin T. Schiesser has been an Officer with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) since 2007. Officer Schiesser has served in patrol assignments in the San Jose, Stockton and Castro Valley Areas. In 2017 Officer Schiesser was assigned to the Nimitz Commercial Enforcement Facility (CVEF) in Fremont and was responsible for regulating the flow of commercial vehicles and the transportation of hazardous materials and dangerous goods along the I-880 corridor. Since 2019 Officer Schiesser has been assigned to Golden Gate Division’s Commercial Operation Unit and is the Environmental Crimes Investigator for the southern sector of the division. Officer Schiesser is a Cal OES outreach instructor and provides instruction to CHP personal in Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations and Hazardous Materials Incident Command. Officer Schiesser is also a Department of Transpiration National Training Center certified instructor for North American Standard Cargo Tank Inspections. Officer Schiesser participates in local environmental taskforces and LEPC Region II. In 2021 Officer Schiesser became the interim Regional Director for the San Francisco/Bay Area for the California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association (CHMIA).

Gonzalo Barriga Jr. has over 20 years of experience in public health and environmental protection working for Los Angeles County, Public Health and Los Angeles, Sanitation & Environment. Currently, he is the Assistant Chief Environmental Compliance Officer for the City of Los Angeles. He has a Master of Science in Environmental and Occupational Health from California State University, Northridge and is active in developing and implementing environmental enforcement and emergency response policies and procedures pertaining to crimes such as illegal dumping. Gonzalo is an active member of the City of Los Angeles, Environmental Protection Strike Force and on the CalRecycle's, Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee (IDTAC) standards committee, co-chair of the IDTAC enforcement subcommittee and a member of CHMIA. His most pertinent certifications include: State of California Certified Hazardous Materials Instructor (December 2019).

Steven Milewski is a Senior Civil Engineer for Los Angeles County Public Works in its Environmental Programs Division, Residential Trash Collection Section. With over 30 years in environmental protection work for the County, for the past 10 years he has been intimately involved in writing and overseeing 27 solid waste contracts for the weekly collection of solid waste from customers, the removal of illegally dumped items, and the related education for the 1 million residents in the unincorporated communities in the County of Los Angeles.

Natasha Browne is a consultant with nearly two decades of solid waste experience. Her passion for waste started in the Army, where she started recycling bottles and cans to raise money for company excursions. After the Army, Ms. Browne went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, with a focus on land use. After college, Ms. Browne spent seven years at one of the largest hauling companies in the nation, learning everything from collections to franchise agreements to public education. She has developed waste reduction programs and policies, organized waste collection events, and worked with schools to help them achieve their waste reduction goals. Ms. Browne is currently working with public agencies in Alameda County on implementing SB 1383.

Brad Cea joined WM as an inside sales manager at our Phoenix call center in 2011 and was quickly promoted to senior manager a year later. In 2016, Brad joined NCN as Area Sales Director and relocated to Reno. In 2019, Brad was named the PSS Area Director, which managed in concert with Area Sales until 2021. Currently, Brad continues in his role as PSS Area Director and works with the rest of NCN leadership to develop new relationships.

Naomi Lue is the Zero Waste Supervisor at Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) and has been with the District since 2002. As the Department Head, Naomi is responsible for overseeing CVSan's Zero Waste Strategic Plan and Communications Plan, franchise agreements, and directing zero waste programs for CVSan. Naomi has managed franchise agreements since 2005 and has been instrumental in conceptualizing groundbreaking and replicated contracted municipal collection and processing services. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from U.C. Davis and her Master of Public Administration from California State University East Bay. She is a Board of Director for SWANA’s California Gold Rush Chapter and recipient of Waste360’s 40 Under 40 award.

Rebecca Parnes works for the City of Oakland as a Senior Recycling Specialist. Rebecca takes a leading role in the administration of Oakland’s franchise agreements with Waste Management of Alameda County and California Waste Solutions for trash, compost, recycle and bulky collection services. Rebecca has worked in the field of solid waste and waste diversion for over 15 years. Before joining Oakland in 2020, Rebecca oversaw the solid waste franchise agreement for the City of Dublin and worked for Waste Management of Alameda County managing franchise agreements throughout Alameda County. Rebecca lives in Oakland and enjoys spending time with her family, getting out in nature, and eating good food.

_________________________________________________________

Questions? Contact:

Office of Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley

Phone: (510) 272-6694

Email: Erin.Armstrong@acgov.org

Sponsors

Title Sponsor- Waste Management

Please make checks payable to “Alameda County” with a memo of “Illegal Dumping Conference”

Mail to: ATTN: Supervisor Miley, 1221 Oak Street #536, Oakland, CA 94612

For additional information contact Erin Armstrong at Erin.Armstrong@acgov.org or 510-272-3691

For sponsorship information contact Ashley Strasburg Ashley.Strasburg@acgov.org or 510-670-5717