Heath Nettles, Executive Director
Heath B. Nettles serves as Executive Director for the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) and the Stewardship Action Foundation (SAF), where he leads organizational strategy, communications, development, member engagement, and daily operations. In this role, he manages earned media outreach, advocacy, program development, and member engagement to advance policy and educate around circular policy initiatives nationwide.
Since joining NSAC and SAF, Heath has strengthened the organizations’ public profile through a proactive communications strategy that has secured consistent national earned-media coverage, including placement of an op-ed in The Hill. He has also expanded the organizations’ national programming and thought-leadership presence through national webinars, conference speaking engagements, and new member-focused programming, including the launch of the Textile Working Group.
Heath also leads collaborations with national organizations across the recycling, product stewardship, and materials management sectors, including the Solid Waste Association of North America, the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association, the National Recycling Coalition, and others, connecitng policy, implementation, and practical experience across the field.
Through NSAC, Heath has advanced policy analysis with Oregon on the Recycling Modernization Act, examining Oregon’s approach against packaging EPR programs in other states and assessing opportunities and challenges for harmonization across producer definitions and obligations, covered materials, exemption structures, accepted-materials lists, responsible end-market standards, eco-modulation authority, and reporting and performance standards.
Through SAF, Heath has supported the New Mexico Environment Department and the Recycling and Illegal Dumping Alliance (RAID), along with agencies, organizations, businesses, tribes, local governments, and other interest holders, in developing the New Mexico Circular Economy Plan (CEP).
Prior to joining NSAC and SAF, Heath was Chief of Staff for Marketing & Communications at The Recycling Partnership, where he directed national campaigns that earned billions of annual impressions and launched new digital tools and platforms. There, he was responsible for The Recycling Partnership’s owned, earned, paid, internal, and shared channels.
Having spent a career across nonprofit leadership, higher education, healthcare, communications, and consulting, Heath teaches management, business, and communications at the University of North Carolina Asheville. He previously served as Director of Digital and Social Media at Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health, leading award-winning digital transformations in healthcare communications. Heath has also provided fractional executive-level leadership to organizations in North Carolina, Hawaii, and beyond, including nonprofits, health systems, social enterprises, authors, and artists, helping organizations strengthen strategy, build brands, and connect with diverse audiences.
Heath earned his undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Western Carolina University.
