Dr. Ganesh Nagarajan is the Senior Director of Plastics at WM. He leads WM initiatives towards increasing recycling and recovery of plastic materials. He is additionally responsible for value creation and stakeholder engagement. Prior to WM, Dr. Nagarajan worked at LyondellBasell for over two decades in multiple roles including Application Development, Sales, Marketing & Business Management. He also supported the development of numerous recycling projects as a thematic expert for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, as well as an Executive Advisory Board Member of Cyclyx. His international assignments include roles as Marketing and Sales Manager for Northeast Asia and Australia at Basell Asia Pacific Limited and as Managing Director for Basell Polyolefins India Limited.
Coming soon!
Jesus Atias is the North America Sustainability manager for Packaging & Specialty Plastics. Jesus is responsible for expanding the Hefty® EnergyBag® program, which represents a collaboration with strategic customer Reynolds Consumer Products and participating communities, diverting more plastics from landfill by converting them to valuable energy resources. He focuses on program growth and identifying partners across the value chain, including new end markets and applications. He is managing Dow’s responsibilities as the first Hefty® EnergyBag® program launches in Canada.
Jeremy has been leading the development, operation, and commercialization of Alterra’s Plastics Circularity technology since 2011 when he joined a very small team working out of an entrepreneurial garage in Akron, OH, USA. He is a co-inventor of the technology with four published patents and numerous trade secrets. Previously, he spent 12 years at GE leading manufacturing plants within its Healthcare and Lighting divisions. His passion is inspiring and mentoring future leaders to carry on the responsibility of creating a cleaner planet for future generations by keeping discarded plastic in the economy and out of the environment, thus replacing virgin, fossil-derived resources. Jeremy earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an MBA in Banking & Finance from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He is a GE certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Mfg. Expert.
coming soon!
Robert Flores is Vice President of Sustainability at Berry Global. Flores leads execution of the Company’s ambitious Impact 2025 sustainability strategy. This strategy includes 100% of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable and have an average of 10% recycled content by 2025. Berry also announced a 2030 goal of 30% circular plastics across FMCG packaging.
As a long-time sustainability professional and plastics expert, Flores has worked with local, national, and global organizations, including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and Association of Plastic Recyclers, to foster a circular economy.
Amanda Nummy is a senior polymer materials engineer with a decade of experience in the automotive industry, specializing in alternative energy and sustainable materials. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Polymer, Textile, and Fiber Engineering from Georgia Tech, a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Wayne State University, and a master’s degree in Biomimicry through Arizona State University. She works at the Hyundai America Technical Center outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In her current role, she is responsible for plant support and new application development of all plastic components in North and South America, and leads several global collaborations for hydrogen fuel cells and electric vehicle development.
Biography coming soon.
Shannon Crawford is the director of recycling and environmental policy at WM, where she works with the government affairs team to coordinate responses to recycling legislation, regulations, and policy impacting WM operations. Previously, she worked as the director of state government affairs at the Plastics Industry Association, overseeing the association’s response to extended producer responsibility and recycled content legislation. Crawford started her career at SWANA, where she advanced to the position of manager of government relations.
Craig Cookson is the Senior Director of Plastics Sustainability for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council, a trade association representing the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. Craig is responsible for leading the Plastics Division’s strategic national initiatives to grow and scale plastics recycling technology and promote awareness of plastics’ role in providing sustainable solutions to society’s greatest challenges.
Before coming to ACC, Craig was the Vice President of Integrated Business Strategies at 720 Strategies, where he designed and implemented strategic grassroots programs for corporate, association, and non-profit clients. Craig was also the Deputy Director of State-Federal Relations for Governor Mitt Romney. Craig advocated on behalf of Massachusetts’ interests on the issues of energy, transportation, education, and local commerce.
Craig holds a B.A. in Political Science from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and an MBA from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Craig is a long-time New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan and currently lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Elizabeth and their twin boys.
Candace manages Brightmark’s feedstock consultant team and oversees supply relationships, sourcing efforts, and strategic planning. She is a 25-year veteran of the post-consumer and post-industrial recycling space. She received her B.A. in Public Relations from Western Kentucky University and resides in Montgomery, Alabama.
Carson Potter is a product leader at AMP Robotics, where he focuses on automated facility development and applications of artificial intelligence. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in computer science, and brings to AMP a background in machine learning and large scale data systems. Before joining AMP, he led a product team and the machine learning and data strategy for a company in the home services industry. Previously, he was head of product for a Y Combinator-backed employee rewards and recognition platform.
