2019 Keynote Speaker Announced:
Joe Abernathy is the vice president of facility planning and engineering for the St. Louis Cardinals. Abernathy is responsible for all day-to-day facility operations and game-day event management activities at Busch Stadium. He is also responsible for managing the collective bargaining agreements with the labor unions employed by the Cardinals, and manages capital improvement projects at Busch Stadium. He serves on the board of directors of the Green Sports Alliance as well as the stadium operations advisory committee for Major League Baseball. In his role as co-chairman of the sustainable operations subcommittee, Abernathy is spearheading the benchmarking of sustainable operations metrics for all MLB facilities.
Keynote: From the Diamond to the Curb – Joe Abernathy, St. Louis Cardinals
In many ways, a MLB stadium is the perfect testing ground for cutting-edge waste recovery and measurement strategies. Stadium managers control what materials are in use, what collection infrastructure is available, and what messaging is leveraged to inform the audience. Joe will offer an exclusive look at how the ball club has become a leader in integrating materials recovery with event operations – and how the wider recycling industry can benefit from the lessons learned. Abernathy is the Cardinals' vice president of facility planning and engineering, and has worked with the organization since 1995. He also serves on the Stadium Operations Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball.
Joe Abernathy is the vice president of facility planning and engineering for the St. Louis Cardinals. Abernathy is responsible for all day-to-day facility operations and game-day event management activities at Busch Stadium. He is also responsible for managing the collective bargaining agreements with the labor unions employed by the Cardinals, and manages capital improvement projects at Busch Stadium. He serves on the board of directors of the Green Sports Alliance as well as the stadium operations advisory committee for Major League Baseball. In his role as co-chairman of the sustainable operations subcommittee, Abernathy is spearheading the benchmarking of sustainable operations metrics for all MLB facilities.
Keynote: From the Diamond to the Curb – Joe Abernathy, St. Louis Cardinals
In many ways, a MLB stadium is the perfect testing ground for cutting-edge waste recovery and measurement strategies. Stadium managers control what materials are in use, what collection infrastructure is available, and what messaging is leveraged to inform the audience. Joe will offer an exclusive look at how the ball club has become a leader in integrating materials recovery with event operations – and how the wider recycling industry can benefit from the lessons learned. Abernathy is the Cardinals' vice president of facility planning and engineering, and has worked with the organization since 1995. He also serves on the Stadium Operations Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball.
Plenary Session: Redefining Roles in Recycling - Beth Porter
Beth Porter is a Program Director at Green America and is the author of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: Sorting Out the Recycling System. She has helped thousands of individuals and businesses incorporate more sustainable practices. Join Beth Porter, author and advocate, in a discussion to untangle the complex web of stakeholders in the recycling system. In a time of confusion and contamination, this session will explore how people on all sides of the bin can work together to forge new paths forward!
Beth Porter is a Program Director at Green America and is the author of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: Sorting Out the Recycling System. She has helped thousands of individuals and businesses incorporate more sustainable practices. Join Beth Porter, author and advocate, in a discussion to untangle the complex web of stakeholders in the recycling system. In a time of confusion and contamination, this session will explore how people on all sides of the bin can work together to forge new paths forward!
Plenary Session: Rebuilding Recycling Towards Zero Waste Through Measuring What Matters: People and the Planet - Kate Davenport
Kate is the co-president of Eureka Recycling, a zero-waste social enterprise that demonstrates zero waste as a strategy to address climate change, local economic development, and social and environmental justice. With key recycling contracts servicing the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Eureka has invested over $20 million in their MRF and recycling collections over the last 15 years. Previous to the role of co-president, Davenport was the director of business development at Eureka and led on merging Eureka’s mission and values with business development, materials marketing, and operational systems change and efficiencies.
Previous to Eureka, Kate co-developed operations for Envirelation, the first commercial organics collection service in Washington, D.C. She worked with Flexcar and the Zipcar, the first car sharing companies in the US. Kate was a Program Director at EcoVentures International with a focus on environmental microenterprise development in East Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean, and the US.
Kate is the co-president of Eureka Recycling, a zero-waste social enterprise that demonstrates zero waste as a strategy to address climate change, local economic development, and social and environmental justice. With key recycling contracts servicing the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Eureka has invested over $20 million in their MRF and recycling collections over the last 15 years. Previous to the role of co-president, Davenport was the director of business development at Eureka and led on merging Eureka’s mission and values with business development, materials marketing, and operational systems change and efficiencies.
Previous to Eureka, Kate co-developed operations for Envirelation, the first commercial organics collection service in Washington, D.C. She worked with Flexcar and the Zipcar, the first car sharing companies in the US. Kate was a Program Director at EcoVentures International with a focus on environmental microenterprise development in East Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean, and the US.
