Board

Sloane Pagal has been managing zero waste programs with Zero Waste Sonoma for four years. She is the Race to Zero Waste Board President. Notable projects include the beverage container recycling pilot, local foodware ordinances and program development for reusables, and construction & demolition policy. She has worked to establish a core of local fixers to help extend the useful life of consumer goods through free public repair events, and chairs the organizing team for Zero Waste Week.

Linda Christopher is the Race to Zero Waste Board Chair. She is a lifelong Zero Waste Advocate. She was born with it in her blood--just  ask her parents, on whom she practiced since she was eight years old!  To the relief of her family, she eventually refocused her efforts on establishing the Recycling Program at Sonoma State University while she was a student and never looked back. After college, she became the Education Director at Garbage Reincarnation, Inc. a research, education, and community center that operated buybacks, and reuse centers.She was the former Program Director at the Materials for the Future Foundation which specialized in Recycling Economic Development before becoming the Executive Director of the GrassRoots Recycling Network GRRN (which is now Zero Waste USA), when the organization was refocusing on the Zero Waste Communities program and Zero Waste training. Linda will be launching a podcast “Zero Waste in Action”  on Earth Day 2024 featuring stories from communities, organizations, businesses, and industry leaders.  

Chris Lehon is Race to Zero Waste Board Treasurer. Chris has over 25 years of private and public sector work in sustainability and zero waste. Chris has an extensive background working in recycling program development and management with emphasis in recovery and diversion. Additionally, he has experience in both commercial and residential source separated and mixed material collection, construction/demolition material recovery programs. His experience also includes disposal and diversion monitoring, record-keeping, and reporting. Chris is the Solid Waste Administrator for the City of Sunnyvale. He is a UC Santa Cruz graduate in Environmental Studies/Economics and holds a UC Berkeley certification in Integrated Waste Management.  

Siena Hooper is the Race to Zero Waste Board Secretary and a Waste Zero Specialist at Recology San Francisco. At Recology, Siena coordinates the landfill, recycling, and composting services for all special events in the city – from block parties to large music festivals – and advises event organizers on waste diversion and zero waste best practices at events. Siena has a substantial background in waste reduction, having overseen an edible food recovery program in Santa Barbara County, directed a municipal compost-hauling program servicing 100 households, and led a sustainable fashion organization that diverts clothing and textiles from the landfill by recirculating them to the public for free. Siena holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Marine Ecology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). During her time at UCSB, Siena conducted marine ecology research in Southeast Asia, and researched healthcare and human rights violations at a California federal prison through UCSB’s Global Environmental Justice Project.

Dan Fritschen serves on the boards of several NGOs that work to empower impoverished and challenged communities in ending pollution, protecting the environment, and improving the community through practical innovation and leadership training. He is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. As a partner to several NGOs and communities, Dan brings a broad range of skills from his previous professional positions as a general manager for international tech companies, an author and public speaker, a technical sale and marketing manager, and an engineer with registered patents and published technical articles. He firmly believes that all waste can be upcycled, recycled, and processed to protect the environment and provide economic growth to the communities that are dealing with waste. 

Amy Golan is the owner of Planet Renu, a zero-waste refill waste store, that has a physical retail space in Walnut Creek as well as an online store. She is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. She also works with farmer’s markets, schools, colleges and corporations doing pop-ups, Sustainability Workshops and Green Consulting. Education is an important part of Planet Renu’s mission, providing the WHY in why everyone needs to live more sustainably. Amy has an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, a certificate in “Circular Economy” from the University of Chicago and is working on her ACCO climate change certification. She is the President-elect of Mt Diablo Business Women, in addition to being a member of ACCO, ISSP and NCRA. She lives in Walnut Creek with her husband, daughter, and Siberian husky. Her older boys are in college and grad school. She enjoys hiking, dancing, volunteering, and traveling, as well as spending time with her family and friends. 

Abby Morris is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. She has over 15 years’ experience in public sector waste management and zero waste programs. She currently works as a solid waste specialist for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office in Michigan. She is a Race to Zero Waste board member, and is also Secretary of the Michigan Organics Council. She is a graduate of Oberlin College where she studied biology and chemistry, and is enrolled in an ABA-approved paralegal program at Oakland Community College in Oakland County, Michigan.

Laura McKaughan is an environmental consultant with 20 years' experience in planning and implementing recycling and zero waste programs. She is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. She has extensive experience working on projects throughout Northern California providing technical assistance and outreach, conducting surveys, leading trainings, and performing waste audits to assist customers with AB 341, AB 1826 and SB 1383 compliance. Laura joined Alameda County Industries as their Sustainability Programs Manager in July 2021. Additionally, Laura founded Envirolutions, LLC and has served as Principal of this consulting firm since 2014. In this capacity, she has assisted restaurants, hotels, multi-tenant commercial complexes and multifamily dwellings in implementing effective waste diversion programs.
Her previous experience includes:
-MBA in Environmental Entrepreneurship
-Associate Director of Green Programs at the San Francisco Conservation Corps (SFCC)
-Sustainability Coordinator for Student Housing at Stanford University
-President of the Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) from 2012-2018
-President of the board of the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) from 2021-2024
-Member of Alameda County Recycling Board from 2020-2025
-Being on CRRA’s Technical Council for Behavior Based Strategies since 2025

Lael has 17 years of Sustainability experience and is currently the Director of Global Sustainability at KnowBe4. In this role, she designs and manages global sustainability programs across 12 countries, specifically architecting the organization’s Zero Waste and Net Zero Carbon Roadmaps. As a certified TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, she authored KnowBe4’s comprehensive Zero Waste Plan, integrating operational efficiency with employee engagement through the "EarthBe4" green team and specialized sustainability training. Prior to her corporate work, she served as Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Dunedin, where among other things, she spearheaded the municipal Sustainability program. She earned her MBA in Sustainability in 2011 and has been a LEED AP since 2009. She is the author of two sustainability books. She is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member.

Margo is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. She is a creative professional who is dedicated to using graphic design to save the planet. She runs a design studio called High Mountain Creative where she collaborates with conservation and environmental nonprofits to develop visual storytelling pieces that raise awareness, increase impact, and make environmental causes easier to understand and more accessible to everyone. Margo is involved in sustainability and zero waste in her local community, Missoula, Montana, where she serves on the fundraising and events committee at Home ReSource – a community sustainability nonprofit. She's a member of Leave No Trace and The Conservation Alliance's Brands for Public Lands program where she is active in land and water advocacy. She also a passion for organizing litter cleanups and picking up trash everywhere she goes. In her free time, Margo likes to snowboard, hike, and travel to new places while looking at wildlife and sketching in her notebook along the way.

Dr. Samantha (Sami) Romanick is a molecular biologist with an interest in studying the effects of microplastic exposure to human health. She is a Race to Zero Waste Board Member. Dr. Romanick currently works with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) as an Analytical Chemistry Fellow to start up a plastic program, focusing on plastics in food and consumer products. In this position, Dr. Romanick hopes to push policy with evidence-based science on the human health harm of microplastics and plastic pollution. Since 2014, Dr. Romanick has made a commitment to do her part to help curb plastic pollution. She directed her own scientific career at the University of Rochester to study how microplastics affect human health for her postdoctoral training. Dr. Romanick also founded the Microplastic Workgroup of Western New York that now includes over 70 participants from 22 different organizations across NY and Canada with an interest in microplastics research. She is a member of the nonprofit Physicians and Scientists Network Addressing Plastics and Health (PSNAP), contributing plastics and health-related information to clinics. She is a board member of Save Our Sodus (SOS), a nonprofit based in Sodus Bay, NY, where she leads plastics youth education.