This ask-me-anything style event will feature four composting industry veterans – Nora Goldstein of BioCycle, Susan Fife-Ferris of City of Seattle, Jeff Gage of Green Mountain Technologies, and Brenda Platt of ILSR – as they answer attendees’ most burning composting questions.
With over 150 years of combined knowledge in organics recycling, their expertise spans numerous composting-related topics including industry data collection and analysis, compost markets, equipment selection & maintenance, site operation & management, long-range strategic planning, policy development, program design & implementation, and more.
Curious composters of all backgrounds are welcome to attend, but please note that the discussion will be tailored specifically to those operating a composting site or food scrap collection program. If you’re a community composter or with a local government and haven’t had your questions addressed in our previous webinars, this event is for you!
Come with a question (or three) and ready to learn firsthand from these compost experts!
Registration is $20.
Free registration is available for government affiliates, farmers, members of tribal communities, educators, and members of the Community Composter Coalition (CCC). Government affiliates should use the discount code GOV, farmers should use FARMER, K-12 educators and schools should use EDU, tribal community members should use TRIBE, and CCC members should use CCC at checkout.
A recording will be made available to registrants and for purchase for others.
Note: AI companions (including notetakers and assistants) are not permitted at this event. We ask that you disable your AI companions before joining the live meeting.
Nora Goldstein, Editorial Chairperson and Principal – BioCycle Connect LLC
Nora Goldstein is a leading organics recycling expert, knowledge source, and networker. She has more than four decades of experience in information gathering, communications, conference and workshop organization and management, and industry data collection and analysis. Nora is the editor and publisher of BioCycle CONNECT® and BioCycle.net, the go-to resource on organics recycling. She received the U.S. Composting Council’s “Hi Kellogg Award” in January 2014, and the American Biogas Council’s “Biogas Visionary Award” in October 2013. Nora serves on the Board of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and on the ReFED Advisory Council.
Jeff Gage, Director of Consulting – Green Mountain Technologies
Jeff is the Director of Consulting at Green Mountain Technologies and a Certified Composting Professional. He has designed, upgraded and/or operated over 70 composting facilities throughout the world. He has published composting research, filed multiple compost-related patents, and served on multiple composting/recycling boards and regulatory committees. He was President of the Washington Organics Recycling Council Board of Directors for six years, and served for seven years on the Board of Directors at the US Composting Council, as well as being a Board Member at the Compost Manufacturer’s Alliance. He has personally marketed over 1 million cubic yards of finished compost, and earned multiple awards throughout his 4 decades in the industry. He was given the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award by the US Composting Council in recognition of his outstanding contributions to this industry over the past 40 years.
Susan Fife-Ferris, Director of Solid Waste Planning & Program Management – City of Seattle
Susan Fife-Ferris is Solid Waste Planning and Program Management Director for Seattle Public Utilities. She provides leadership and directs all aspects of Seattle’s solid waste planning, policy, and program development and delivery. With over 35 years experience in all aspects of the solid waste industry, Susan focuses on long-range strategic planning, policy development, and program design and implementation. She also oversees Seattle’s efforts to move upstream, increase waste prevention and reuse efforts, require producer responsibility, and support a circular economy.
Susan serves on the U.S. Plastics Pact Board of Directors as well as the Management Coordination Committee of the Hazardous Waste Management Program of King County. Susan previously oversaw all aspects of environmental programs and communications for Bellevue, Washington’s Utilities Department, served as a solid waste consultant to governments throughout the west, served as the Executive Director of WORC, and practiced corporate and municipal finance law in both California and Washington.
Brenda Platt, Director – Composting for Community Initiative, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
Brenda Platt directs ILS
R’s Composting for Community Initiative, which is advancing locally based composting in order to create jobs, enhance soils, sequester carbon, reduce waste, and build more resilient and healthy communities. She has worked 35+ years fighting trash burners and promoting waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting.
As a trailblazer in the field of organics recycling, Brenda has continuously been recognized for her contributions including in 2017 when she was awarded the US Composting Council’s H. Clark Gregory Award for outstanding service to the composting industry through grassroots efforts; in 2023, when LA Compost presented her with its Community Compost Champion award; and most recently in 2026, when she received the Jerome Goldstein Lifetime Achievement Award at the US Composting Council Annual Conference & Trade Show for her 40 years of leadership in the field of environmental stewardship and natural resource sustainability.
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