Board of Directors

Our Board Members

The Board of Directors for the Recycling Association of Minnesota is filled with some of the finest members of Minnesota’s environmental community. Meet them below!

Maggie Yauk

Anoka County - Chair

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Maggie Yauk

Anoka County - Vice Chair

Maggie Mattacola Yauk has nearly 20 years of experience in the solid waste and recycling industry. She is currently working for Anoka County in the Recycling & Resource Solutions Unit guiding solid waste, recycling and organics policy and plans for the County. Her previous roles include serving as the Executive Director of SWANA Land of Lakes Chapter, the Executive Director of Operations of RAM and Communications Director of RAM. Maggie has a BS in Political Science and Environmental Law and a Master’s degree in Public and Non-profit Administration.

Joe Odendahl

American Dumpster Rental & Recycling Vice Chair

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Joe Odendahl

American Dumpster Rental & Recycling

Joe started American Dumpster Rental and Recycling after more than 20 years in the construction industry. He has a passion for analyzing the “ways things are done” to see if there are better methods of reclaiming materials, for getting easily salvageable products out of the waste stream and asking questions of how to get us in a place that keeps us recycling and reusing more.

Joe also serves on the board for SWANA’s MN/ND chapter.

Susan Heffron

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – Secretary

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Susan Heffron

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – Secretary

Susan Heffron is a 34-year veteran of the MPCA. She currently works in Recycling Market Development. Susan helps to create and maintain the demand for recyclable material by working with a various stakeholders – businesses, haulers, processors, end markets, universities and local governments. She connects people with resources to overcome barriers to using recycled material. Susan also administers the recycling market development grant program with funding from the legislature. Susan received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Minnesota. Her first professional job was for the MPCA and she never left! She has worked in Solid Waste, Air Quality, and Environmental Review. In her spare time, Susan likes to garden, hike in State Parks, and canoe the BWCA.

Marcus Thompson

Mower County - Treasurer

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Marcus Thompson

Mower County - Treasurer

Marcus Thompson has been the Solid Waste Officer for Mower County since 2021. He currently supervises the Mower County Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Facilities. Through his leadership he has expanded upon what the County provides in terms of Recycling offerings, such as implementing an electronics recycling program, cardboard collection sites, and plastic film recycling.

Kristin Pierskalla

Hennepin County – Board Member at Large

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Kristin Pierskalla

Hennepin County – Board Member at Large

Kristin has a B.S. from the University of Minnesota in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, and has been in the solid waste and recycling field since 1996. Kristin was a RAM Board member from 1998-2004, winning the Denise Kolar Award in 2000. Kristin served on RAM’s conference committee, America Recycles Day committee, as well as on the host committee for the 2005 NRC Congress and Exposition in Minneapolis. Kristin has worked for Hennepin County Environment & Energy since 2000, having various roles for the County in solid waste, recycling, reuse and waste reduction programs. In her free time Kristin currently volunteers for the Bloomington Crime Prevention Association in their annual Book’em Used Book Sale, one of the largest used book sale events in the Midwest, as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the University of Minnesota Band Alumni Society. Most people that know Kristin know she loves everything Star Wars, and loves attending Gopher music and sporting events.

Robert Craggs

Retired

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Robert Craggs

Retired

Robert recently led the Solid Waste and Resource Recovery consulting group and is a National Market Sector Leader for Burns & McDonnell’s Environmental Services Global Practice. He has worked in the environmental consulting field for more than 28 years providing planning, financial, and technical consulting assistance to public and private clients throughout North America in the areas of solid waste, recycling, water resources, and renewable energy.

Robert has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and a Juris Doctorate of Law. He is presently SWANA’s International Board Director for the Planning and Management Technical Division. He resides in Lakeland, Minnesota where he previously served as both mayor and a City Council member.

John Curry

University of Minnesota

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John Curry

University of Minnesota

John Curry is a Development Officer at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences. He helped the College raise $27 million for scholarships, research and strategic initiatives in it’s recently completed ‘Driven’ Campaign. Prior to that, John worked for environmental and wildlife focused non-profit organizations including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Audubon society. In addition, he spent over a decade working for the Minnesota House of Representatives, primarily for the committee overseeing the Judiciary and the Department of Corrections.

John has been active on a number of boards and community organizations. He is a Master Naturalist who loves the outdoors, especially hiking, biking, boating and xc skiing.

Apurupa Gorthi

RRS

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Apurupa Gorthi

RRS

Apurupa is an analyst specializing in recycling policy and data-driven program design, with a focus on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and plastics recovery. She has worked across sectors—including public agencies, nonprofits, international funds, and development organizations—to advance zero-waste initiatives, enhance packaging system transparency, and support clients in navigating emerging regulatory frameworks.

Stephen Haugh

Central State Wire Products

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Stephen Haugh

Central State Wire Products

Stephen is the Director of Sales & Marketing of Central States Wire Products. He has been in the recycling industry for over 18 years serving first as a Sourcing Manager with the Peltz Group out of Milwaukee, then the Director of Sourcing for Recycle American Alliance throughout the West and Midwest and now with CSWP in the Twin Cities. He is passionate about recycling and continues to work with the public and private sectors to stress the importance and benefits of recycling. He is also a standing member of the North and South Dakota Recycling Associations and a member of the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW).

Chelsea Moody

St. Paul Public Schools

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Chelsea Moody

St. Paul Public Schools

Chelsea has been an environmental Specialist at Saint Paul Public Schools since 2016. She is responsible for managing the municipal solid waste, recycling and organics program for the school district’s 73 buildings totaling 7.7 million sq. ft. She provides educational outreach and training to staff and students and works across departments to reduce waste, promote recycling best practices, improve recycling efficiency and reduce contamination. She also focuses on health & safety compliance and implementing energy-related and other sustainability initiatives. Prior to working with SPPS, Chelsea worked at Minneapolis Parks & Rec focusing on natural resource management and coordinating the work of the MN Conservation Corps crew. She also served 2 service terms in AmeriCorps programs: MN Conservation Corps Youth Outdoors program leading youth crews and Minnesota GreenCorps promoting energy conservation initiatives. Chelsea received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Steve Schiefelbein

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Steve Schiefelbein

Throughout his career, Steve Schiefelbein has been responsible for providing comprehensive Waste Diversion Solutions for companies throughout the US. Steve has been in the Environmental Industry for over 15 years and has made a significant impact in Minnesota to further recycling. In 2018, he spearheaded a recycling campaign that resulted in over 200,000 lbs. of boat wrap from being diverted from area landfills and/or illegally burned. He also was instrumental in helping to develop a Statewide uniform curbside recycling acceptability list. Steve received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN.

Lewis Segl

Metropolitan Airports Commission

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Lewis Segl

Metropolitan Airports Commission

Lewis is the Waste Management Specialist for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which operates the Minneapolis-Saint Paul international Airport and its six reliver airports in the Twin Cities. He works with many different partners and tenants in the Airports system to reduce waste and increase awareness and participation to divert material within the Airport’s Community. Prior to this he has worked for Anoka County and Dakota Valley Recycling by developing and implementing community programs focused on waste diversion. Lewis has a BA in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Saint Thomas.

Elizabeth Walsh

Ramsey County Environmental Health

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Elizabeth Walsh

Ramsey County Environmental Health

Elizabeth works as an Environmental Health Specialist Senior at Ramsey County Environmental Health, where she is responsible for hauler licensing as well as overseeing the County Environmental Charge (CEC) program. In addition to her work with solid waste compliance, Elizabeth also inspects Ramsey County hazardous waste generators and assists with proper hazardous waste management. Prior to working for Ramsey County, Elizabeth worked as the Recycling Program Specialist for the City of Saint Paul, where she assisted with the management of the residential recycling program and provided recycling education and outreach to residents. In this role, Elizabeth was also responsible for the development and implementation of waste reduction programs and activities. Previously, Elizabeth worked as a Senior Sustainability Specialist at the Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation where she assisted businesses throughout Minnesota with waste management and waste reduction. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Creighton University.

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Our Board Members

​The Board of Directors for the Recycling Association of Minnesota is filled with some of the finest members of Minnesota’s environmental community. Meet them below!

Maggie Yauk

Anoka County - Chair

Joe Odendahl

American Dumpster Rental & Recycling Vice Chair

​Susan Heffron

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – Secretary

Marcus Thompson

Mower County - Treasurer

Kristin Pierskalla

Hennepin County – Board Member at Large

Robert Craggs

Retired

John Curry

University of Minnesota

Apurupa Gorthi

RRS

Stephen Haugh

Central State Wire Products

Chelsea Moody

St. Paul Public Schools

Steve Schiefelbein

Lewis Segl

Metropolitan Airports Commission

Elizabeth Walsh

Ramsey County Environmental Health

Interested in being a RAM board member? Let us know!

The Board of Directors for the Recycling Association of Minnesota is filled with some of the finest members of Minnesota’s environmental community. Meet them below!

Susan Heffron