IFSCC’s Board of Directors Election is this May. We’re sharing responses from both incumbent and incoming board candidates interested in joining the Board of Directors. The Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition continues to create an environment in Illinois where great ideas can thrive. Thank you to the entire compost community past, present and future!
Members, please keep an eye on your inboxes to cast your ballot this May. Any questions? Please email illinoiscomposts@gmail.com.
NEW CANDIDATE
Sarah Wilcox, St Louis Composting
“As the Marketing Manager of St. Louis Composting, I’m passionate about composting and organic waste recycling, and I want to help advance these efforts through IFSCC. With over six years in marketing—focused on marketing strategies and social media—I believe I can be an asset to the board. Additionally, I hold an MBA, which has equipped me with strong strategic and leadership skills. I also serve on a local community services board, where I have seen the impact of collaboration in driving change. I am interested in supporting the growth of composting and expanding industry awareness.”
INCUMBENT BOARD MEMBERS
Liam Donnelly, WasteNot
WasteNot’s founder and CEO, Liam Donnelly, is a leader in both the compost and electric vehicle industries. His efforts at WasteNot have led to the diversion of millions of pounds of waste away from landfills for composting. Liam’s work on the electrification of WasteNot’s fleet was recognized by the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation, a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to reduce transportation emissions, with the 2023 Clean Fuels Champion award. Liam has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 award winner in 2024 from Waste360 as a leader in the waste industry and in 2022 a Crain’s Notable Leader in Sustainability.
Jennifer Dowd, Seven Generations Ahead | Education Committee Co-Chair of IFSCC | Co-Lead of Wasted Food Action Alliance
Jen joined Seven Generations Ahead in 2012, bringing with her 17 years of experience in healthcare strategic management, program development, and grant writing. She was excited to join an organization that shares her commitment to building healthy and sustainable communities.
Jen focuses on sharing practical solutions to reduce wasted food by rescuing food to feed people and composting what cannot be eaten. Everyone should take action since food is an important piece of every community…and we all eat. She knows that reducing wasted food is a key solution to the climate crisis that everyone can work on together.
In that spirit, Jen participates in several national and state collaborations. She is a founding Board Member and Co-Chair of the Education Committee for the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition, helped found and leads the Wasted Food Action Alliance, is on the national planning team for Food Waste Prevention Week, and is a member of the national Zero Food Waste Coalition.
When not enjoying meals with friends and family, she loves travel, hiking, long walks with her dog Coconut, and playing cards. Jen invites you to come to the table for some leftovers and an invitation to join the clean plate club.
Kila Harwick, Green Soils Management | Compost Market Development Committee Co-Chair of IFSCC
“I have been in the construction and manufacturing industry for over 17 years but the past 5 here at Green Soils Management have been the most rewarding. Through my business development role, I have been able to serve the IFSCC on the Board of Directors since 2021. It has been a pleasure to bring my experience from a commercial composting facility to a dedicated group with the same mission of diverting organics from landfills.
Similarly, the collaboration within the Compost Market & Development Committee is a refreshing take on promoting the use of finished premium compost products. Currently serving as Co-Chair of this group, we are discovering new approaches and opportunities on how to tap into potential markets, advertise more strategically, and help educate consumers on quality standards and certifications.
Being a part of such a diverse and passionate group has inspired me to listen more and act with intent. I look forward to another term with this incredible community.”
Stephanie Katsaros, Founder + President of Bright Beat | Communications Committee Co-Chair of IFSCC | President of Chicago Sustainability Task Force | Co-Lead of Wasted Food Action Alliance
“I feel fortunate and gratified to be a part of this vibrant community, serving on the Board of Directors since the IFSC(C)’s inception. We continue to work hard together to move the needle on organics recycling and the redistribution of food that is still edible, while advancing compost use and soil health in Illinois. All IFSCC members should be proud of the critical role you play in these efforts. Thank you for the opportunity to support your work through my roles within IFSCC. I hope I can continue to serve you well.”
Liz Kunkle, Recycle Coach + Founder and President of Go Green Winnetka | Policy Committee Co-Chair of IFSCC
Liz is a Winnetka native and founder and President of Go Green Winnetka, which kicked off in 2011 (with lots of help!). Liz comes at sustainability through zero waste, food waste reduction, and composting work and is an avid compost practitioner and advocate. She is an active member of the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition and the U.S. Composting Council.
While practicing trademark law for 20 + years, Liz established Green Teams at local schools and was appointed to Winnetka’s Environmental and Forestry Commission. In 2019, Liz shifted away from law and has since worked for Collective Resource Compost Cooperative as a Zero Waste Consultant, the Illinois Environmental Council as a Zero Waste Policy Manager, and in 2025, she started as the new Customer Success Manager for Recycle Coach in the state of Illinois!
John Lardner, Patriot Acres
“After working for years in the engineering consulting industry where I designed solid waste facilities, I decided to start JPL Environmental Engineering, a sole practitioner engineering company focused on design, permitting, construction and operation of organic material composting facilities. I gained as much knowledge as possible about composting to provide services to both private and public entities throughout Illinois.
Not satisfied with designing facilities for others, and with a keen interest in advanced composting methods, I then established Patriot Acres LLC from early zoning all the way through to a final permit to operate. It is an innovative landscape waste and food scrap compost facility located in unincorporated Cook County near Des Plaines, Illinois, where I remain a partner. My contribution to the IFSCC Board of Directors is to bring my compost facility design and operation perspectives at our meetings.
I continue to follow national composting trends through the US Composting Council and participate in the Illinois state chapter liaison activities with the council. My current role in IFSCC is chairperson of the board, and I wish to continue as an at-large board member to see composting of food scraps take hold in Illinois.”
Charlie Murphy, Midwest Compost
“As a long-standing IFSCC Board member, the position has allowed me an opportunity to help develop strategies for food waste diversion along with mentoring many who are new to the recycling/composting industry. I believe that my approach comes from operational experience vs a field of dreams mentality. Meaning, what sounds good may not always be the best approach. Working to be a voice of reason, shining a guiding light on the issues with an eye on the growth of food scrap business. The combination of owning my own business and working for one of the largest public companies in the waste/recycling industry over some 40 years has taught me to be collaborative when sharing perspectives with those who don’t have the luxury of knowledge as we work to grow the industry.”