Louise Bruce is the San Jose Conservation Corps' Zero Waste Director. Louise previously oversaw the NYC Department of Sanitation's (DSNY) organics programs, including municipal food and yard waste collection and the City's community composting and food scrap drop-off operations. Louise earned a Master of Urban Planning degree from New York University and Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. In 2016, she was awarded The University of California Global Food Initiative's 30 Under 30 distinction.

Edible Food Recovery & Organics Diversion Partnership Opporunities
Louise will present on the following portion of the discussion:

Partnering to rescue edible food and divert organics: While SB 1383 establishes aggressive organic waste reduction and edible food recovery targets, LCCs are stepping up to meet the demand for new and expanded services. The San Jose Conservation Corps has partnered with the East Side Union High School District to source-separate food scraps in one of California's largest high school districts. Additionally, the Corps is working with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to rescue edible groceries that would otherwise be disposed of and operate a food distribution program.

Jorge Martinez has dedicated over 15 years to the youth of the Orange County Conservation Corps. Upon completing the program as a corpsmember, he went on to successfully manage OCCC's Buy Back Center to now being a coordinator and key liaison to local municipalities. As a product of the program, he is uniquely qualified to provide not only job skills, but to be an example of what can be achieved in one's life through hard work and dedication. He further impacts the community as an esteemed board member of the Santa Youth Council.

Public-Private Partnerships to Support Beverage Container Recycling
Jorge will present on the following portion of the discussion:

Partnering to support beverage container redemption centers: The Orange County Conservation Corps, with Waste Management, operates a successful 'buy-back' recycling center where the public can redeem bottles and cans for cash payment.

Brian is the Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Civicorps where he has been employed since 2008. He also currently serves as Treasurer on the board of directors at Horizon Services, Inc. and is a Finance Committee member at Vincent Academy. He holds a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Finance from University of California, Santa Barbara. Brian is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience in auditing and accounting. He began his career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers but has worked in private industry since 1998.

Partnering to train a new generation of recycling truck drivers
Brian will present on this portion of the session:

Partnering to train a new generation of recycling truck drivers: Civicorps provides free Class C and B driver training in the East Bay Area in partnership with the Teamsters Local 70 Union, Waste Management, and the City of Oakland. Known as the Teamster Truck Driver Career Pathway, this innovative partnership provided training for 24 pre-apprentices in 2018-2019.

Derek has worked at CalRecycle since 2014 as a grant manager and supervisor. He previously worked in the private sector where he provided consulting services to Government, Corporations and Non-profit organizations. For over a decade he owned and operated a consulting business in program evaluation and grant writing. Derek has extensive experience in program management, budget development and compliance, and he holds an MS in Administration.

Andrew's passion for environmental advocacy has lead him to the recycling industry. Combined with his experience in Community Action Partnerships, he understands the necessity in improving communities for all. He currently implements and coordinates fee-for-service and grant-based recycling projects across Orange County while working with staff to support Orange County Conservation Corps' education and job-training programs.