Session presenters:

Brent Arnold, stopSuite

Alison Baker of Fruit to Root Consulting works collaboratively with clients to catalyze initiatives that increase community, ecological, and agricultural resilience. She is assistant director of the UV Super Compost Project, responsible for backend data, communications, and financial management, as well as a trained compost operator and technical service provider for CAV. 

Sashti Balasundaram, of WeRadiateNY, began his career as a community composter in Brooklyn, NY and expanded his skills in academia, non-profit, and government sectors with over 15 years of experience in organics waste management, recycling, and composting. He became an entrepreneur to develop technology improving operations with efficiencies in digital data collection and remote monitoring of composting piles. WeRadiate also strategizes with local governments to initiate or expand organics recycling programs.  He holds a Masters of Public Health degree from Columbia University in New York. 

Jean Bonhotal has worked at the Cornell Waste Management Institute in organics education for over 30 years, Reducing, Repurposing, Recycling and Composting solid and organic residuals to mine and redirect resources from our waste stream is a systematic way to manage our waste stream. She works on composting feedstock from food to manure to animal carcasses. Working at Cornell for 30 years addressing waste issues throughout NYS and beyond. Since 1990, when NYS and many others lost their ability to render all livestock and butcher waste, CWMI developed a simple method to compost deadstock of all sizes,  birds to cows to whales. Cornell Waste Management Institute, NYS Farm Bureau, NRCS, Penn State, NYS DEC, NYS DOT and USDA APHIS have developed resources, conducted research and extension implementing programs in the US and internationally. The development of NOR (reducing human’s at the end of their life) is based on Cornell livestock composting program research.

Cat Buxton runs Grow More, Waste Less LLC (GMWL) to empower and connect communities to effect positive change from the ground up. GMWL works with public, private, and school partners, through consultations, partnerships, and education about soil, food, compost, and whole systems. She is the founder and director of the UV Super Compost Project, a Technical Service Provider working with CAV to support on-farm community-oriented composting, a VT Master Composter, and a busy cross-pollinator from the White River watershed in Vermont.

Benson Colella works to reclaim nutrient resources from human "waste" as an engineer at Wasted* PBC in Burlington, VT.  In this role, Benson treats source-separated urine for use as an Exceptional Quality soil amendment.  Benson holds a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has experience working on small farms. 

John Culpepper co-founded Compost for Good to help communities around the world to upcycle all appropriate organic materials to: reduce greenhouse gas emissions; keep resources in local communities; create business opportunities; build healthy soils; sequester carbon; help solve water quality issues; and lower the cost of food and fiber production. John has worked in education, farming, facilities management, research and more. Recently John has been working in the ecological sanitation area, and has developed a safe and efficient high temperature composting regime to turn diverted human urine into a high value compost.

Natasha Duarte is the Director of the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV), where she leads policy initiatives, outreach, and education programs that promote composting as essential to soil health, water quality, and environmental resilience. With extensive experience supporting rural and small communities in managing organic materials, she develops training tools, delivers technical assistance, and advocates for sustainable organics diversion. Natasha teaches in UVM’s Master Composter Program and leads grant-funded initiatives, including a project focused on best practices for compost use in the Lake Champlain Basin, and a project supporting on-farm food scrap composting. Natasha is also an author, speaker and consultant. She holds an MS in Soil Science from NC State University and a BA in Anthropology from UVM.

Alyssa Eiklor has been part of the Vermont Solid Waste Program’s Materials Management Team for nearly 7 years. Her favorite job duties include compiling the annual Diversion & Disposal Report and creating outreach materials to help Vermonters learn about waste reduction, recycling, and composting.

Tess Feigenbaum is Cofounder of Epic Renewal, an RI-based composting organization reimagining our approach to waste. She is a designer and strategist passionate about creating positive impact through meaningful design. Her multidisciplinary background drives her to seek innovative solutions to complex challenges. She has helped clients such as WWF, Doctors Without Borders, and World Bank Group to drive meaningful change at scale. Her work now focuses exclusively on climate change interventions, rooted in climate justice, waste, soil health, and food systems. Tess graduated from the RISD in 2014 with a Bachelors in Industrial Design.

Dan Goossen started at Intervale Compost in 2003 and has been managing the compost operation at the CSWD Organics Diversion Facility since 2008. Dan spends a lot of time with people and working with numbers, but is most happy at work on those occasions when he gets to climb a mountain of compost, or spend a day screening a finished pile. When not at work, Dan enjoys beekeeping, growing food, and spending time with his family.

Brian Jerose is President of Agrilab Technologies Inc., a provider of compost system equipment and services.   Brian has been in this role since 2012, as the company has provided compost aeration and heat recovery (CAHR) systems in seven states and Canada.  He is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo and SUNY College of Environmental Science of Forestry, is a founding member of the Composting Association of Vermont, currently serving as VP.  Brian lives in Fairfield, VT with his wife Joanna and two daughters.

Josh Kelly is the Solid Waste Program Manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. He is responsible for the oversight of solid waste management, recycling, and salvage yards

James McSweeney is the author of Community-Scale Composting Systems, a comprehensive designer and practitioner’s manual for food scrap composters. He is founder of Compost Technical Services, a consulting practice that specializes in on-farm, commercial, and community-scaled organics recycling solutions, compost systems design, operational support, and composter education. Prior to Compost Technical Services, James was Senior Compost Specialist at the Highfields Center for Composting. He has developed and delivered compost operator trainings on behalf of the States of Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York with a focus on best management practices in food residuals composting. In 2021 he founded the online compost educational platform The 131° School of Composting. With a background in agroecology, restoring ecological integrity to our communities, farms, and food systems is at the heart of James’ work.

Allison Smith joined Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) in 2023 as a new transplant to Vermont from St. Louis, MO. New to composting but no stranger to fermentation and growth, her background in agriculture, environmental sciences, and sourdough baking made for a perfect mix of practical and background knowledge to dive deep into composting. Still an avid baker, Allison believes life’s best things often start with good bacteria.  

Robert Spencer is the Executive Director of the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD), serving in this role since 2011. Bob has worked around the country as a compost system operator and consultant, and is a contributor editor to BioCycle. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and is a board member and past President of the Composting Association of Vermont. Bob lives in Vernon, VT with his wife Jennifer.

Kim Stacey, a born and raised Vermonter, has been with Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) since 2015, where she serves as the Compost Assistant Manager. With a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and extensive compost training, including the Maine Compost School. Kim lives in Milton, VT with her husband Nick and 3 dogs

Wednesday’s Summit is at the Randolph Campus of Vermont State University (formerly VTC).

We are working hard to have all in-person sessions recorded and will share these after the Summit.

Questions? Contact us!

Natasha Duarte, Director Composting Association of Vermont

• Phone: 802.373.6499

• info@compostingvermont.org

Special thanks to:

Thanks to our sustaining sponsors!!

Thanks to our sponsors