SWANA to Host Joint Board Retreat of the National Stewardship Action Council, Stewardship Action Foundation at RCon 2025

With leadership from 10 states and two new board members from the Southeastern U.S., NSAC and SAF mark a decade of impact and growing national momentum

SILVER SPRING, Md. (Oct. 7, 2025) -- The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), together with the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) and the Stewardship Action Foundation (SAF), announced today that NSAC and SAF will convene their annual joint Board Retreat at SWANA’s RCon™ 2025. The retreat will highlight a decade of impact and expanding national leadership. RCon, held November 12-15, in Columbus, Ohio, is SWANA’s new premier conference experience, bringing together thousands of resource management professionals to advance innovation, safety, and sustainability. 

“SWANA is thrilled to welcome the Boards of NSAC and SAF to the first-ever RCon,” said Amy Lestition Burke, MA, FASAE, CAE, CEO of SWANA. “Our collaboration continues to grow as illustrated by our 2025 webinar series on household hazardous waste, a joint product-safety sign-on statement, and joint awareness efforts including national press to prevent fires. Together, we are protecting our workers and communities and strengthening responsible materials management.” 

Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director/CEO of NSAC and SAF has been named co-chair of SWANA’s Sustainable Materials Management Legislative and Advocacy Committee, serving alongside Danny Gallagher, Project Manager with the Hillsborough County, Florida Solid Waste Management Department. Additionally, she will present at RCon alongside Tristan Steichen of the National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition and NSAC Advisor Kent Holm to present “EPR for HHW and Batteries: Reducing Risk, Increasing Funding, and Effectiveness.” 

“Hosting our Board Retreat at RCon reflects the growing collaboration between SWANA, NSAC, and SAF to advance a circular economy that protects workers, safeguards public health, and unlocks the economic and environmental value of waste as a resource,” said Maia Corbitt, Vice President of NSAC’s Board and recipient of SWANA’s 2025 Distinguished Individual Achievement Award. 

“The Stewardship Action Foundation brings together community and state leaders from across the country who share a commitment to safer, more sustainable communities,” said Eric Zetz, President of SAF’s Board of Directors  “RCon is the ideal setting for SAF and NSAC to strengthen partnerships with peers across the waste and recycling industry.” 

This September, Vita Quinn of SCS Engineers in Florida and Gary Cohen of Tennessee Waste to Jobs in Tennessee were elected to NSAC’s Board of Directors, underscoring the organizations’ expanding national impact. That reach continues to grow: this summer, Heath Nettles of North Carolina was appointed Deputy Director of NSAC and SAF, demonstrating how the nonprofits are expanding their nationwide presence and impact. 

“We’re honored to welcome Vita Quinn and Gary Cohen to the NSAC Board,” said Sanborn. “They bring decades of valuable expertise from the Southeastern U.S., building on board and staff leadership that now spans ten states. Their election, and adding advisors like Kent Holm from Omaha, reflects the growing momentum of our work and the increasing number of partners joining our national network.” 

2025 Board Leadership  

National Stewardship Action Council — Board of Directors 

• Maia Corbitt — Texans for Clean Water, Texas 

• Constance Hornig — Constance R. Hornig, Esq. Law Offices, California (rotating off in 2025) 

• Patty Garbarino — Marin Sanitary Service, California 

• Patti Toews — California 

• Gary Cohen — Tennessee Waste To Jobs, Tennessee 

• Rubi (Rajbanshi) Soares — Terrascope Consulting, California 

• David Stitzhal — Full Circle Environmental, Washington 

• Vita Quinn — SCS Engineers, Florida 

Stewardship Action Foundation — Board of Directors 

• Eric Zetz — Ventura Regional Sanitation District, California 

• Sonya Betker — SCS Engineers, Minnesota  

• Ted Horton — Texas (rotating off in 2025) 

• Shirlene Sitton — New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico 

• Chiman Lee — Corporate eWaste Solutions, California 

• Gloria Skeet — Baahaali Chichiltah Regional Solid Waste & Collection Center (Navajo Nation), New Mexico 

• Mya Keyzers — Washington Department of Ecology, Washington 

• Amanda Cotton — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota 

• Courtney Scott — Zero Waste Sonoma, California 

• Erin Rowland — City of Long Beach, California 

  
  

“Hosting our annual joint Board Retreat at RCon reflects the momentum behind our decade of impactful work,” said Sanborn. “With nearly 120 member organizations and a national network of 2,700 individuals and growing fast, NSAC and SAF are uniting communities, states, companies, and nonprofits to advance solutions and policies that protect workers, create jobs, safeguard public health, and build markets that advance achievement of a circular economy nationwide to benefit all Americans.” 

Learn more about NSAC at nsaction.us, about SAF at stewardship-foundation.org, and register for RCon 2025 at swana.org/events/rcon2025. 

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 About SWANA 

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is a member-based association of professionals from across the waste and resource management industry. Committed to advancing from waste management to resource management, we are empowering our members to deliver essential services to communities today and anticipate their needs for tomorrow. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical education, publications and research, and a large offering of technical training courses and credentialing to create a highly skilled workforce. For more information about SWANA, please visit https://swana.org/. 

About the National Stewardship Action Council 

The National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) is a 501(c)(4) national nonprofit organization driving policy solutions for a circular economy. 

For over a decade, NSAC has advanced landmark policies that unlock the economic and environmental value of waste as a resource. Working alongside nearly 50 member organizations and a nationwide network of 2,700+ individuals, NSAC convenes six national working groups covering packaging, household hazardous waste, recycling refunds, textiles, boating flares and marine film, and illegal single-use print cartridges. These groups unite governments, businesses, nonprofits, and communities to design and implement effective stewardship systems across the United States. 

About the Stewardship Action Foundation 

Founded in 2021, the Stewardship Action Foundation (SAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing a responsible circular economy through education, outreach, and partnerships. While the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) leads advocacy and lobbying, SAF complements this work by focusing on public education, collaboration, and research to address environmental challenges and promote systemic change. 

With a nationwide network of partners including government agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector, SAF raises awareness of critical environmental issues and delivers solutions that keep materials in use, reduce pollution, and promote equity. Its programs highlight the importance of circular systems and community-centered solutions. Through webinars, research, and collaborative projects, SAF equips communities to address challenges such as plastic waste, toxic substances, and source reduction.