2022 Litter Summit
Click here to view recordings from the summit! (Unfortunately, the audio was not recorded for the “Enforcing Litter and Illegal Dumping Laws” breakout session, but the other breakouts are available to view.)
The 2022 Litter Summit, held in partnership with PA Department of Environmental Protection and PA Department of Transportation, November 1 and 2 at the Holiday Inn in the City of Lancaster, will serve as a follow-up to the recently released Litter Action Plan. The Litter Summit will provide state agencies and participating stakeholders an opportunity to convene and reflect on the work of the past year, share and learn about progress made towards specific recommendations, promote new initiatives, celebrate our collective successes and attract new allies in our shared commitment to prevent litter. The Litter Summit will bring us all together to network with peers and leverage our shared experiences to do more in 2023!
Hosted by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful | In coordination with DEP and PennDOT
Keynote Speaker and Special Guest
Click each speaker's name to see their bio.Mayor Danene Sorace
Mayor Danene Sorace
Danene Sorace was elected to serve as the City of Lancaster’s 43rd Mayor in 2018, the second woman to hold this post. Before serving as Mayor, Danene served on City Council, chairing the finance committee. Her first taste of local government came while serving as executive director for an environmental organization that was actively partnering with the City of Lancaster to launch the City’s first-ever green infrastructure plan.
Danene brings more than twenty years of non-profit and philanthropy experience to the role of Mayor. She has a proven record of developing and implementing strategies to advance shared goals among public/private partners. Now in her second term as Mayor, she has set forth a vision to build a stronger, more equitable Lancaster, block by block. The City of Lancaster, under her leadership, is laser-focused on four strategic priorities: strong neighborhoods, safe places, sustainable economy, and sound government.
Danene spent her early years in Lancaster County and later moved to Juniata County, where she graduated high school. She graduated from Albright College and received her Master’s in Public Policy from Rutgers University.
Jennifer Lawson
Jennifer Lawson
Jenny Lawson is the President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, the nation's leading community improvement organization. Prior to joining Keep America Beautiful, Lawson served as the Chief Civic Innovation and Corporate Citizenship Officer at Points of Light, a global nonprofit founded by George H. W. Bush, dedicated to volunteering and civic engagement. There she led the Corporate Service Council center of excellence dedicated to building the capacity of the corporate sector for high-impact civic engagement through volunteering and philanthropy in the U.S. and around the world. The work included growing engagement of the corporate sector three-fold, building in-person and digital learning communities, recognition and research programs, training and consulting services and earned media initiatives. She led an innovative partnership with business and academia, The Civic 50 ranking of the country’s most civic minded companies with revenue over $1 Billion, which now serves as the premier industry benchmark used by companies as a roadmap for civic culture building. Lawson also served as the executive sponsor of a diversity, equity, and inclusion partnership with Morehouse College to build understanding and inspire action to end racism.
Prior, Jenny led a global campaign focused on energy efficiency and environmental awareness at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (now C2ES). She also served as the Director of the Office of the President at The Nature Conservancy and on the climate communications team.
Lawson is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she studied Philosophy and Mathematics. She is a daily walker with her two dogs and husband, Chuck, in the beautiful communities surrounding their Connecticut home.
Agenda
All Agenda Times and Sessions Subject to Change
1:00-3:00 PM
The city of Lancaster is well known for its focus on creating a sustainable community for its citizens and all who visit. The tour includes the Tiny Cans initiative, The Compost Bin, Storm Water Rain Garden and Art Mural at Musser Park, the Urban Forestry project and the new Bike It Lancaster Bike Share. Speakers from the City will talk and answer questions at each stop. The farthest point along the way is the Tiny Cans initiative, which is a 15-minute walk from the Holiday Inn Hotel.
Meet at 1PM at either Musser Park (Google map) or at 12:45PM a group will be walking from the lobby of the Holiday Inn Lancaster (Google map).
5:00-8:00 PM
Evening Reception with KPB Board and Staff and our Special Guest, Jenny Lawson, new CEO of Keep America Beautiful. Attendees will enjoy an Upcycled Art Exhibit curated by Red Raven Art Company. Exhibit will continue for both days with artwork available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Keep PA Beautiful.
8:00-9:00
Registration and Networking Time with Continental Breakfast
9:00-9:05
Phoebe Coles
Phoebe Coles has worked consistently in the “people” business for more than two decades. She is a co-founding partner and CEO of a family-owned marketing company, Community Marketing Concepts (CMC). CMC is a minority and woman owned engagement marketing and communications company located in Philadelphia servicing local, regional and national clients.
With more than 20+ years of experience in various aspects of marketing, communications and community engagement campaign implementation, her campaigns have reached target populations in excess of 13 million people in the Philadelphia region and across the state of Pennsylvania. Ms. Coles communications approach is steeped in community engagement as a catalyst for behavioral change. Her proven ability to “drill down” marketing messages to a target audience for resonance and relevance has provided outreach and message localization in support of national marketing and media initiatives including street team management, special event programming and media strategy.
Ms. Coles’ clients include: the Pennsylvania Lottery, TD Bank, PECO an Exelon Company various departments within the City of Philadelphia government and the Philadelphia Foundation. Her project experience includes campaign development, project management, tactical execution, advertising copywriting, script development, media strategy and program evaluation.
Ms. Coles is Chair of the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Board of Directors and a board member of Philadelphia Zoo, the Reading Terminal Perseveration Board and The Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition. She is graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and Temple University School of Communications. Ms. Coles is most proud of the mom-work she does for her only son.
9:05-9:30
Jennifer Lawson
Jenny Lawson is the President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, the nation's leading community improvement organization. Prior to joining Keep America Beautiful, Lawson served as the Chief Civic Innovation and Corporate Citizenship Officer at Points of Light, a global nonprofit founded by George H. W. Bush, dedicated to volunteering and civic engagement. There she led the Corporate Service Council center of excellence dedicated to building the capacity of the corporate sector for high-impact civic engagement through volunteering and philanthropy in the U.S. and around the world. The work included growing engagement of the corporate sector three-fold, building in-person and digital learning communities, recognition and research programs, training and consulting services and earned media initiatives. She led an innovative partnership with business and academia, The Civic 50 ranking of the country’s most civic minded companies with revenue over $1 Billion, which now serves as the premier industry benchmark used by companies as a roadmap for civic culture building. Lawson also served as the executive sponsor of a diversity, equity, and inclusion partnership with Morehouse College to build understanding and inspire action to end racism.
Prior, Jenny led a global campaign focused on energy efficiency and environmental awareness at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (now C2ES). She also served as the Director of the Office of the President at The Nature Conservancy and on the climate communications team.
Lawson is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she studied Philosophy and Mathematics. She is a daily walker with her two dogs and husband, Chuck, in the beautiful communities surrounding their Connecticut home.
9:30-10:00
State Agency Panel
- PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian
Yassmin Gramian
Yassmin Gramian, PE, serves as the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. She was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on May 27, 2020. As secretary, she oversees programs and policies affecting highways, urban and rural public transportation, airports, railroads, ports, and waterways. She manages PennDOT's annual budget of $9.5 billion, which is invested in all of Pennsylvania's approximately 120,000 miles of state and local highways and 32,000 state and local bridges. Under her leadership, PennDOT is directly responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of highway and roughly 25,400 bridges. She also has oversight of the state's 11.8 million vehicle registrations and 10.3 million driver's licenses and IDs.
Gramian assumed the role of secretary amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. This challenging time necessitated quick, decisive action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to best protect citizens, employees, and business partners. Under Gramian's leadership, PennDOT moved swiftly during the early stages of the pandemic to transfer essential functions to remote operations, while continuing to ensure roads were kept safe and passable, and crews remained available for responding to weather events. Gramian also serves as chair of the Transportation Revenue Options Commission (TROC), which was established by Executive Order of Governor Tom Wolf to develop comprehensive funding recommendations for Pennsylvania's large and aging infrastructure.
Gramian has more than 30 years of experience in operations, design, and management of transportation infrastructure systems, including highway, tolling, bridge, and railroad projects. She brings to her role at PennDOT strong working relationships with transportation authorities and governments across the Pennsylvania region, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Philadelphia International Airport, Delaware River Port Authority, SEPTA, AMTRAK, and the City of Philadelphia.
Drawing on her years of technical expertise as an engineer in the transportation and infrastructure industry, she is focused on developing these forward-looking strategies that deliver innovative solutions for communities and transportation networks across the commonwealth.
Prior to joining PennDOT, she served as a senior vice president and business development director for a leading international engineering firm. She was responsible for the growth of the company's transportation and infrastructure sector in the Northeast Region.
She previously served as senior vice president for a global architecture, civil engineering, and construction management firm, with responsibility for operations across Pennsylvania – namely in Philadelphia, King of Prussia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. Known for leading with an "all-in" approach to solving challenges, Gramian also has experience at other well-known regional and global engineering firms.
Gramian earned master's and bachelor's degrees in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and completed the Tuck Management Training Program at Dartmouth College. She is a professional engineer in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Florida. She previously served on the boards of PhilaPort (the Port of Philadelphia), American Council of Engineering Companies of PA, the March of Dimes Annual Transportation, Building & Construction Awards Luncheon, Transportation Management Association of Chester County, Policy Committee of Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association, and Bridge Committee of Association of Pennsylvania Constructors.
- DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh
Ramez Ziadeh
Ramez Ziadeh, P.E. served as the Executive Deputy Secretary of Programs at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection since June 2017 and previously served as Director of the Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands. Ramez is a licensed professional engineer in the States of Pennsylvania and California. He received his B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993.
Ramez started his career in DEP in 1994. He has over 28 years of extensive experience in environmental permitting, compliance, policy and regulatory rule making.
- Nicole FaragunaDirector, Office of Planning & Policy, DCNR
Nicole Faraguna
Nicole Faraguna has served as DCNR’s director of policy since August 2019. She has led the development of a suite of sustainability policies that advance best practices related to reducing the Department’s carbon footprint and promoting actions that reduce waste, reduce emissions, and advance sound conservation. She has also led various multi-agency initiatives focusing on various policy priorities related to equity and sustainability. Prior to taking this position, Nicole worked for 14.5 years with the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA, renamed WeConservePA) in various roles. Most recently, she served as PALTA’s director of education and advocacy and was instrumental in advocating for public policy in support of conservation and developing exceptional educational resources. Nicole previously served as Director of Communications for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and Editor of the Borough News Magazine. She was instrumental in co-founding a land conservation organization in her community.
10:00-10:30
PA Fights Dirty Campaign
- Carrie Lepore, DCED Deputy Secretary of Marketing, Tourism, and Film
Carrie Lepore
Carrie’s passion for Pennsylvania inspires her work as Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Office of Marketing, Tourism, and Film. She was responsible for reviving the Pennsylvania tourism brand in 2016, which introduced the state’s new tourism mantra: “Pursue Your Happiness.” She and her team promote Pennsylvania’s vast history, unique small towns, and abundant outdoor activities while encouraging travelers to explore what matters most to them.Carrie also leads economic development marketing initiatives, promoting the advantages of doing business in Pennsylvania and the symbiotic relationship between its unique communities and the job-creating businesses that choose to locate there.
Previously, Carrie served as Director of Communications in DCED’s Pennsylvania Tourism Office for four years. Between her roles at DCED, Carrie spent eight years with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, serving as Director of Communications and Outreach for the PA 529 College Savings Program. In addition to managing internal and external communications, media relations, and research associated with promoting the state treasurer and Treasury program, Carrie launched several programs resulting in record-breaking participation and contribution increases.
- Matthew Blint, President and Pete Baird
Matthew Blint
President, Director of Strategy
A College of Wooster alum with a B.A. in Philosophy and English, Matt began his career at Rapp (Los Angeles), an Ad Age A-List agency and one of the world’s largest advertising agencies. At Rapp, Matt worked as an Associate Creative Director and head of copy for Toyota, Skype and Bank of America. In 2010, he led the team that launched the all-new fifth generation Toyota 4Runner. Upon returning to Pittsburgh in 2011, Matt brought deep analytical thinking and innovative strategies to Red House, ultimately leading the team that developed Pennsylvania: Pursue Your Happiness and PA Fights Dirty. Six-time Emmy award winner, father of 3, and avid outdoorsman, Matt has a back pocket filled with litter he found on the sidewalk this morning.
, Vice-President, Red House Communications
Pete Baird
VP, Director of Media
Pete Baird has over 18 years’ experience in developing successful media platforms and marketing strategies for brands at the international, national, and local levels. Pete has composed integrated media plans for such prominent brands as Wal-Mart, AT&T, BMW, the University of Maryland, Cedar Fair Entertainment, Pennsylvania Tourism, and Millersville University. Regardless of whether the budget is $70,000 or $70,000,000, Pete’s attention to detail and strategic approach is the same. Pete graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2001, majoring in advertising and public relations. He later received his MBA in marketing strategy from the University of Maryland in 2009 which he put to great use in helping to strategize and lead the media approach to PA Fights Dirty in 2022.
10:30-10:45
Coffee Break
10:45-11:15
Dr. Cecile Carson
Dr. Cecile Carson is a recognized leader of nonprofits and government entities in developing innovative zero waste, litter, recycling, and civic engagement programs. Cecile’s career spans over 30 years in government, nonprofit, and academic settings. Dr. Carson’s recent projects include conducting statewide visible litter and litter cost studies, implementing littering behavioral strategies, and developing statewide litter recommendations. Her current projects involve establishing local litter plans, researching the impacts of litter law enforcement, and creating citizen-science litter methodology. She obtained a doctorate from Baylor University in Learning and Organizational Change, focusing on litter and blight issues in rural America. Dr. Carson serves as the North Central Texas Council of Governments - Resource Conservation Commission Plan Committee Chair, California Resource Conservation Association K-12 Executive Committee Leader, State of Texas Alliance for Recycling Summit Committee member, and a Community Heart and Soul Coach. Cecile loves to travel for business and pleasure and to find local dining experiences.
11:30-12:45
Mayor Danene Sorace
Danene Sorace was elected to serve as the City of Lancaster’s 43rd Mayor in 2018, the second woman to hold this post. Before serving as Mayor, Danene served on City Council, chairing the finance committee. Her first taste of local government came while serving as executive director for an environmental organization that was actively partnering with the City of Lancaster to launch the City’s first-ever green infrastructure plan.
Danene brings more than twenty years of non-profit and philanthropy experience to the role of Mayor. She has a proven record of developing and implementing strategies to advance shared goals among public/private partners. Now in her second term as Mayor, she has set forth a vision to build a stronger, more equitable Lancaster, block by block. The City of Lancaster, under her leadership, is laser-focused on four strategic priorities: strong neighborhoods, safe places, sustainable economy, and sound government.
Danene spent her early years in Lancaster County and later moved to Juniata County, where she graduated high school. She graduated from Albright College and received her Master’s in Public Policy from Rutgers University.
1:00-2:00
Working Group Breakouts
B1: Enforcing Litter and Illegal Dumping Laws: A Discussion with Research Participants (Franklin Room)
- Dr. Cecile CarsonCEO, CD Carson Consulting
Dr. Cecile Carson
Dr. Cecile Carson is a recognized leader of nonprofits and government entities in developing innovative zero waste, litter, recycling, and civic engagement programs. Cecile’s career spans over 30 years in government, nonprofit, and academic settings. Dr. Carson’s recent projects include conducting statewide visible litter and litter cost studies, implementing littering behavioral strategies, and developing statewide litter recommendations. Her current projects involve establishing local litter plans, researching the impacts of litter law enforcement, and creating citizen-science litter methodology. She obtained a doctorate from Baylor University in Learning and Organizational Change, focusing on litter and blight issues in rural America. Dr. Carson serves as the North Central Texas Council of Governments - Resource Conservation Commission Plan Committee Chair, California Resource Conservation Association K-12 Executive Committee Leader, State of Texas Alliance for Recycling Summit Committee member, and a Community Heart and Soul Coach. Cecile loves to travel for business and pleasure and to find local dining experiences.
- Marisa Sprowles, Section Chief of Operations and Training, DCNR
Marisa Sprowles
Marisa holds a Master’s in Parks and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University and a Bachelor’s in History from Ohio University. She has worked for DCNR since 2017 first as a Resource Ranger and then as a field manager at several locations including Washington Crossing Historic Park. Marisa currently works out Harrisburg as the Section Chief of Operations and Training. In addition to working for DCNR Marisa has worked in recreation and resource management for the National Park Service, the Department of Defense and Walt Disney World. She has hiked 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail and enjoys paddle boarding. She is currently teaching her 4 year old son, Beowulf, how to pick up litter while hiking, and the difference between the recycling bin and the landfill bin.
- Chief Jacqueline Bagu, Monroe County Waste Management Authority Police Department
Chief Jacqueline Bagu
Jacqueline has over eighteen years of Law enforcement experience. In June 2006 she was hired and sworn in a as a Police Officer with the Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority to enforce Act 101, the Monroe County Plan and the Monroe County Waste Management Ordinance which regulates the collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of Municipal Waste. Her responsibilities include protecting the environment and ensuring the public’s health, safety, and welfare. Jacqueline oversees a team of three officers and has been promoted several times. She currently holds the position of Chief of the Waste Authority Police.
B2: The Role of Infrastructure and Ensuring Convenient and Affordable Waste Disposal and Recycling (Dreamland Room)
- Jack Howell, Elm Street Manager, Spanish American Civic Association
Jack Howell
Jack is a graduate of Michigan State University in Urban Planning. He has lead community development initiatives in his home town of Bay City, Michigan, as well as Battle Creek, Michigan, before being recruited in 1999 to head the Lancaster Alliance. After “retiring,” he switched gears to focus on neighborhoods, running Lancaster’s Elm Street Program for SACA (the Spanish American Civic Association). Here he has focused upon block based pride projects, including helping to invent the Tiny Can program which is highlighted in the Litter Action Plan.
- Sheila Shea, Recycling Coordinator/Storm water Manger, Fayette County
Sheila Shea
Sheila Shea currently serves Fayette County in a dual role as Recycling Coordinator and Stormwater Manager. She entered the position in 2017 and has since redesigned the county’s recycling program, bringing her vision to life.
A Certified Recycling Professional, committee member and mentor with the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), Sheila operates the Fayette County Recycling Convenience Center in Uniontown; a drive-thru, self-serve facility accepting regular, hard-to-recycle and specialty materials all year round. Under her tutelage, the recycling program has also expanded to include 40 single-stream recycling bins strategically placed throughout the county, making recycling convenient for all residents. In its first full year of operations, Sheila’s revamped program recycled more than one million pounds of material.
She won the 2022 Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence and took over Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’ s Fayette County affiliate, rebranding it as Keep Fayette County Green. She works closely with state and federal legislators, all 42 Fayette County municipalities and local school districts, the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Carry All Products and Superior Fine Grind, the Pennsylvania DEP and DCNR, the Pennsylvania Resources Council and various environmental groups on a regular basis.
Sheila performs outreach duties and partners with local nonprofits, such as the Uniontown Lions Club, for special events and recycling initiatives. She is a Qualified Erosion and Sediment Control Inspector and Qualified MS4 Stormwater Compliance Professional with the American Stormwater Institute LLC.
In addition to her county role, Sheila serves as a board member for multiple organizations, including Communities That Care and its Public Relations/Outreach Committee, the Fayette County Living Well Coalition and Fayette Business/Education Partnership.
Prior to joining the county, Sheila served as a legislative assistant for former state Rep. Tim Mahoney, gaining extensive experience in community relations and government affairs.
Sheila enjoys volunteering with the American Cancer Society and previously served as their ACT Lead for Congressional District 14 under its Cancer Action Network. She also served as an Outreach Specialist for Cornerstone Care and founded its Dancing with A Pink Ribbon Program for breast cancer awareness through the American Cancer Society and NFL Crucial Catch. During her tenure, the DWAPR Program ranked first in the nation for breast cancer screenings and interventions. She recently founded the nonprofit Destiny Helpers Outreach, which aims to connect the community with resources for drug and alcohol, rehabilitation, and more.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, and spending time at the beach and with her granddaughter, Summer Lynn. She resides in Oliver, Pennsylvania with her beloved cat, Chevy.
- Laura Henry, Chief, Program Development and Support, Bureau of Waste Management, DEP
Laura Henry
Laura Henry has been with DEP for almost 20 years, mainly in the Waste Management Program, but also serving short terms in the Policy Office and Oil & Gas Program. In her current position as Chief of the Program Development & Support Section in the Bureau of Waste Management, she oversees a staff of 2 that assist in managing special projects and Bureau-wide initiatives. These include regulatory and policy development, legislative tracking, the Host Municipal Inspector Program, litter and administrative and IT-related projects. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Millersville University.
B3: Education Tools for Today's Students (Tremont Room)
- Kylie McCutcheon, Young Ambassador Program and Affiliate Coordinator, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Kylie McCutcheon
Kylie joined the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful in 2021 as the Affiliate Coordinator and will be the main contact for current and future affiliates as well as awards programs and youth engagement programs. Kylie graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science. Kylie is also a part time employee of Allegheny CleanWays and is on DCNR’s NextGen Council. She is involved with the Master Watershed Steward Program through Penn State and is a Trail Ambassador of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors with her friends, camping, kayaking, biking, and running.
- Tamara Peffer, Environment & Ecology Content Advisor Executive Director, PA Advisory Council on Environmental Education, PA Department of Education
Tamara Peffer
Tamara Peffer is the Environmental and Ecology Content Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Advisory Council for Environmental Education Executive Director. In 1994, Tamara joined the DCNR education team at Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center; later becoming the first PA Bureau of State Parks Communications Liaison in 2013. Concurrently, Tamara taught Env. Studies, Env. Science, Biology, and Social Science and Technology at the Reading Area Community College as an adjunct. Tamara holds a M.S. from Drexel University and PA teaching certifications in Environmental Education, Biology, General Science, and Instructional Technology; she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and Technology.
- Jennifer Fetter, Watershed Youth Development Educator, Penn State Extension, Penn State University
Jennifer Fetter
Jennifer Fetter is the Water Resources Program Leader for Penn State Extension. Among her many responsibilities across Pennsylvania, she develops curricula and provides professional development to educators in formal and non-formal environments for teaching about water resources. She recently led a series of sustainable choices educators workshops for teaching about reducing waste stream impacts on waterways while following the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework. Jennifer also serves on the board of directors for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
B4: Innovation Panel (Sorrell Room)
- Justin Land, Program Officer, Global Citizenship & Northeast Public Affairs, DOW
Justin Land
Justin Land serves as a global citizenship program officer Dow. In this role, Land leads a global portfolio that includes charitable disaster relief investments, Dow’s Engaging for Impact 2025 Sustainability Goal and global volunteerism strategy. Land also has public affairs responsibility for Dow’s Northeast US sites.
Land joined Dow in September 2012, serving as the Northeast public affairs manager, responsible for advancing Dow’s reputation, building employee pride and engagement, and driving community success throughout the region. Prior to Land’s current role, he led communications for Dow’s Olympic & Sports Solutions business.
- Sheida Sahandy, Chief Sustainability Officer, Encina
Sheida Sahandy
Ms. Sheida Sahandy is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Encina, a circular chemicals company. Ms. Sahandy has a cross-section of experience spanning business, government, science, and law. After graduating from Columbia Law School, she practiced corporate and securities law, focusing on access to capital markets and M&A transactions. She then earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with a focus on environmental science and policy. She has experience in regulatory, legislative, and governance systems at the federal, state, and local levels with deep experience in the creation of public/private partnerships to advance environmental and social goals. Most recently, she served as a member of the executive cabinet for Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, where she led the turnaround of the State agency responsible for the recovery of the nation’s largest estuary, the Puget Sound.
- Jessica Zayatz, Senior Director of Extrusion Engineering and Innovation, Graham Packaging
Jessica Zayatz
Jessica Zayatz is Graham Packaging’s senior director of engineering and innovation. In this role, Jessica leads Graham’s extrusion engineering team in addition to leading its engineering proposal team and innovation pipeline initiative.
During her 17 years at Graham, Jessica has worked her way up through various departments and roles, including holding roles as a product development engineer, business process management, and director of engineering. Jessica’s dedication to Graham, her team members and its customers is strong testament to Graham Packaging’s “Innovation Drives Us” strategic pillar.
Jessica lives in York, PA with her husband and two children. In her free time, she practices photography and serves as the chair of York College’s Engineering & Computer Science Industrial Advisory Council and a Girl Scout leader.
2:15-3:15
Working Group Breakouts Repeat
3:15-3:45
Case Studies in a Systems Approach to Change
- Chris Mitchell, Anti-litter Specialist, City of Pittsburgh
Chris Mitchell
As Anti-Litter Specialist for the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works and Co-Chair of the Clean Pittsburgh Commission, Chris Mitchell's work includes process improvement for City operations, engagement with the public, volunteer coordination, education, environmental justice, and equity of service. Recently, his department publicly announced its GOLD Plan, which calls for a consolidation of all trash, litter, and illegal dumping enforcement responsibilities into a single, dedicated unit to give these issues the attention and priority they deserve.
- Melissa Muroff, Program Director, Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods, Assistant District Attorney Delaware County
Melissa Muroff
In the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Melissa serves as Chief of the Environmental Crimes Unit and Program Coordinator for the Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods. The Environmental Crimes Unit translates the DA’s commitment to health, safety and environmental justice in Delaware County to both deter and improve prosecution of illegal dumpers and to lead environmental affirmative litigation cases. In her Program Coordinator capacity, she manages a $2M grant funding a community outreach initiative to reduce gun violence and to deter illegal dumping in Chester, PA.
3:45
Wrap Up
Location and Time details
Registration is now closed but check back after the summit for recordings of the sessions!
Cost: $100 per participant
When: November 1, City of Lancaster Walking Tour, afternoon TBD. Evening Reception and Up-cycled Art Exhibit at Holiday Inn, 5-8PM
November 2, Litter Summit 8am-4pm
Where: Holiday Inn, Lancaster, PA. Address: 26 East Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA, PA 17602
Room accommodations available at discounted pricing. Rooms are limited, book early - Deadline: October 2, 2022:
Group Block Name: Litter Summit November 2022
Group Block Code: KPB
Make reservations by phone: 1-888-465-4329
Make reservations on-line: Holiday Inn Lancaster reservation link for Keep PA Beautiful Litter Summit
COVID-19: The Litter Summit will follow all state, local and federal guidelines regarding COVID-19 health precautions. Check this page for any updates or changes.
There is NO VIRTUAL attendance option but November 2 sessions will be recorded and available shortly after the Summit.
Become a Corporate Sponsor
As a 501(c)3, KPB is dedicated to using its funding to further its mission and support its affiliate network in execution of our programming. Special sponsorship opportunities are necessary to facilitate a successful Litter Summit. Please consider the following sponsorship opportunities, along with your invitation to the Summit.
Thank you for your consideration. Please contact Deb Woolley at dwoolley@keeppabeautiful.org or 203-554-4961 for additional information.
