Richard Yang, Accountant, came aboard to Zero Waste Washington back in 2008 after graduating from Seattle University with B.A. degree in Accounting. Richard wants to help Zero Waste Washington to produce minimum waste if not zero waste in payroll, grant tracking, financial and 990 audit supports. He loves the greener sports like Ping Pong, Badminton and Tennis plus the greenest food – tofu skin. (Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Candy Castellanos is the Public Education and Outreach Manager for Waste Management in the Pacific Northwest where she leads a team of education and outreach specialists who work collaboratively with over 100 municipal customers and solid waste departments to develop creative and innovative public education and outreach programs designed to engage communities in recycling, composting, waste reduction behaviors and support municipalities in accomplishing long-term waste reduction and sustainability goals. Candy is a graduate of the King County Master Recycler/Composter program and has extensive training and expertise in community based social marketing, LEED EB waste characterization, place-based learning, environmental justice, environmental health, public education, and K-adult community program development and implementation. Candy joined the board in 2012.

Cole Reese is currently the Membership Coordinator at KCTS 9 Television, Seattle’s PBS station. She is earning an MS in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy from Bay Path College and received a BA from The Evergreen State College. Heralding from Portland, OR, Cole has worked as a professional fundraiser for eight years. She moved to Seattle in 2006 to work on the Yes on 1-937 campaign, directing the door-to-door grassroots fundraising efforts for the initiative. Cole loves working as a fundraiser, because she sees cultivating donations as a way to connect people with issues they care about. She is excited to bring her skill set to Zero Waste Washington to help further the mission of a just and sustainable world where society responsibly produces, consumes and recycles. When she isn’t changing the world one donation at a time, Cole can be found in and around her home in Seattle’s Madison Valley neighbourhood, which she shares with her boyfriend and their 3-year-old hound dog, Winchester. She spends her free times wine tasting, and hiking around Washington’s different viticulture regions.

Nanda Guajardo, Secretary, is an active stay-at-home mom, keeping busy with her young son and daughter.  She most recently was the Recycling Program Coordinator for the University of Washington, focusing on waste reduction programs and proper disposal of wastes for the entire campus.  She received her Master’s of Environment & Community from Antioch University Seattle in 2006 and has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Sociology from Bowdoin College.  Nanda’s graduate research included working closely with the Collaborative on Health and the Environment in Washington State (CHE-WA) to identify environmental health and justice information and community needs in the hopes of creating conversations and action.  She worked at Cascadia Consulting Group from 2000 to 2006 on the Education & Outreach team, coordinating waste reduction and sustainability efforts for residents and businesses throughout the region.  Nanda wants to help create healthy communities for all families.  She joined the board in 2010.

Emily Newcomer is currently the Recycling Program Operations Manager at the University of Washington. Emily received her MPA from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington and a B.A. in Communication from California State University, Sacramento. Her past experience is varied. She worked in high-tech PR in San Francisco during the tech boom and she helped build latrines while serving as Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. It was in graduate school, through an internship with Seattle Public Utilities, where her recycling passion began, and she has since spent the past 7 years "talking trash" in both the public and private sector. She is passionate about educating people on what goes where, and working collaboratively with municipalities and other key stakeholders  to help reach collective sustainability goals. Emily is an outdoor enthusiast who can be found biking, hiking, skiing or snowshoeing in her free time. She joined the board in 2012.

Scott Taylor is a communications consultant who specializes in helping non-profit organizations and cause-based companies build participatory communication campaigns that encourage community involvement, and multi-directional dialog and feedback. He started down the road to becoming an environmentalist when he was fishing in Alaska as a kid. He looked down the riverbank and saw a moose and calf about 200 yards away and it was all over. Ever since then he's volunteered, donated to environmental causes and been that guy at work who pulls the paper and cans out of the trash and puts them in the recycling bin. He doesn't fish anymore but he enjoys getting outdoors on walks and is an amateur birder. Scott has over 18 years experience as a communications professional and received a Masters in Strategic Communications from Antioch University Seattle and a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the College of New Jersey. Scott joined the board in 2012.

If you are interested in serving on the board with a knowledgeable and fun group of people who are committed to making a difference, contact us at 206.441.1790 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .