Christine McCoy
724A 9th Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
recyclegal@hotmail.com
202.246.0163
WORK EXPERIENCE
Manager, External Affairs, Covanta Energy
Alexandria, VA/Fairfield, NJ. March 2008 to Present.
Responsible for engaging nonprofit organizations in environmental partnership programs. Manager of Fishing for Energy a public/private partnership providing free collection, recycling, and disposal of commercial fishing gear, and winner of the 2010 Coastal America Award. Lead manager of the Litter to Light initiative, providing sponsorships and free disposal for participants in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coast Cleanup. Responsible for managing other partner relationships including the Container Recycling Institute, Keep America Beautiful, Solid Waste Association of North America, the US Composting Council, and the National Recycling Coalition. The position also requires close interaction and coordination with local, state, and federal policy makers, solid waste and recycling professionals, the media, and the general public.
Adjunct Professor of Geography, Northern Virginia Community College
Alexandria, VA. August 2007 to Present.
Professor of political and environmental geography for entry-level college students. Responsibilities include course preparation and general instruction, including field studies, and guest lecturers.
Solid Waste Planner, City of Alexandria
Alexandria, VA. June 2005 to March 2008.
Responsible for developing comprehensive strategic plan and measuring and reporting on program outputs and outcomes. Developed and secured approval of an ordinance requiring government offices, institutions, commercial businesses, and multifamily properties to recycle. Engaged stakeholders and City Council members to set goals and unanimously approve ordinance in nine-month time frame. Researched options for regional organics recovery, with special emphasis on food waste and biosolids diversion. Member of regional boards and committees including Metropolitan Council of Government’s Recycling Committee, Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s (NVRC) Waste Board and Legislative Committee, and
EPA Region 3's Resource Conservation Challenge Committee.
Director, Environmental Programs, Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), Inc.
Washington, DC. April 2002 to June 2005.
Manger of more than $4 million in U.S. EPA and USDA grant programs providing drinking water, solid waste, and wastewater technical, managerial, and financial training and assistance in rural and tribal communities. Oversaw and reported on the activities of more than 200 technical assistance providers in six RCAP regions throughout the country. Responsible for organizational strategic planning, program development, fundraising, staff training, public relations, and outreach communications. Contributing author for Rural Matters magazine and other trade publications. Moderator, presenter, and exhibitor at national trade conferences and meetings.
Associate, Gershman, Brickner & Bratton
Fairfax, VA. June 2001 to February 2002.
Consultant benchmarking municipal economic and performance measures to identify best management practices for routing and collection services, transfer station construction and management, disposal services, labor requirements, fee and billing structures, contract management, and public education. Involved in new business development, proposal writing, survey development and implementation, marketing, and public relations.
Manager, Fiber Recovery and Utilization, American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA)
Washington, DC. May 2000 to June 2001.
Manager of communications and public education for AF&PA’s Paper Recycling Group. Responsibilities included overseeing the PRG Communications Committee and the Community Recycling Advisory Board to develop paper recycling messages consistent with the industry’s 50% recovery goal and communicating these messages to the public, elected officials, and federal, state, and local government recycling coordinators. Oversaw development of comprehensive communications strategy and production of award-winning interactive exhibit booth, and managed annual work plans and budgets.
Program Coordinator, National Recycling Coalition (NRC), Inc.
Alexandria, VA. January 1998 to April 2000.
Managed NRC's Source Reduction Forum Council including developing and conducting workshops; and researching, writing, and editing manuals, brochures, and press releases. Organized over a dozen workshops and trained more than 300 waste management professionals nationwide. Published Waste Prevention Pay$: A Media Outreach Toolkit and Purchasing Strategies to Prevent Waste and Save Money. Secured $68,000 in program funding from the U.S. EPA to initiate a project focused on Climate Change and Source Reduction Measurement. Involved in organizational strategic planning and program evaluation.
Recycling Consultant, Great Forest, Inc.
Washington, D.C. June 1997 to January 1998.
Developed and maintained waste management and recycling programs in large commercial office buildings, hotels, and restaurants in Washington, DC metro area. Duties included marketing services to prospective clients, negotiating waste hauling contracts and fees, conducting waste audits and tenant surveys, installing recycling collection bins, and training cleaning and housekeeping staffs. Responsible for continued program maintenance, contract oversight, and equipment management and replacement.
Environmental Analyst, Eastern Research Group, Inc.
Arlington, VA. June 1996 to June 1997.
Manager, researcher, and writer for U.S. EPA’s Office of Solid Waste. Responsible for developing work plans, budgets, progress reports, and project descriptions. Developed brochures, fact sheets, guidance documents, and background reports on municipal and industrial solid waste management issues.
Research Assistant, Office of Sea Grant Development, Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA. May 1995 to December 1995.
Researched and reported on practical technologies and practices for dealing with marine debris pollution and solid waste management in countries of the Caribbean region.
Intern, Island Resources Foundation, Inc., the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, and the Anti-Litter and Beautification Commission
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. June 1994 to August 1994.
Assisted with public relations and community education activities. Researched and devised plans for pilot recycling programs. Participated in workshops and member of the Used Oil, Abandoned Vehicle, and Recycling Committees.
Program Coordinator, DuPage Clean and Beautiful, Inc.
Wheaton, IL. August 1992 to May 1993.
Organized and managed recycling contest for 70 schools, grades K-12. Teacher-trainer of solid waste education curriculum. Responsible for administrative duties including office management, preparation of board meetings and minutes, press releases, payroll, taxes, and general accounting.
Volunteer Teacher/Trainer, United States Peace Corps
Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. July 1991 to August 1992.
Trained nine elementary school teachers to work with a hands-on science curriculum. Taught agricultural science, grades
K-9. Established a school garden, which provided the school lunch program with fresh produce.
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
Executive Committee Member, DC Chapter of the Sierra Club – Chair of the Recycling Committees
Washington, DC. January 2010 to Present
Solid Waste Association of North America – Vice-chair of the Communications, Education & Marketing Division
Silver Spring, MD. January 2010 to Present
American Council on Renewable Energy – Co-chair of the Biomass Coordinating Council
Washington, DC. May 2009 to Present
Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment - Chair of the Sustainability Committee
Washington, DC. May 2009 to Present
Board Member, Virginia Recycling Association (VRA), Inc.
Richmond, VA. June 2006 to June 2008.
Virginia Recycling Market Development Council, State of Virginia
Richmond, VA. October 2007 to March 2008
Board Member, National Recycling Coalition (NRC), Inc.
Washington, DC. September 2003 to October 2006.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION & TRAINING
Communicate to Influence for Communication & Leadership Excellence
Decker Communications. November 2009
Certified Landfill Technical Associate
The Solid Waste Association of North America. April 2004.
Emerging Perspectives on Decentralized Wastewater Management
National Environmental Training Center for Small Communities. August 2002.
Introduction to Pulp and Paper Technology
Technical Association of Paper Producing Industries. August 2000.
Certified Recycling Technical Associate
The Solid Waste Association of North America. May 1998.
PUBLICATIONS
Romance vs. Reality: RCAP Offers Solid Waste Relief. Rural Matters, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Fall 2004.
Wastewater Woes: Things are Looking up in Lowndes County, Rural Matters, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Spring 2004.
Solid Waste Matters, Banning Backyard Burning: Rural America’s Next Challenge, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Spring 2003.
AF&PA’s Paper Recovery Progress Report, May 2000 & 2001.
Purchasing Strategies to Prevent Waste & Save Money, National Recycling Coalition, 1999.
Waste Prevention Pays: A Media Outreach Toolkit, National Recycling Coalition, 1999.
How to Keep Your Cool and Protect the Ozone Layer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Eastern Research Group, Inc. 1997.
Sustainable Solid Waste Management on Small Islands of the Caribbean: the Case of St. Thomas/St. John, USVI, Masters Thesis, Louisiana State University, May 1996.
EDUCATION
Graduate Courses in Technical Writing, Education, Microsoft Access, and Spanish
United States Department of Agriculture Graduate School. Washington, D.C. 1997 to 2004.
M.A. in Geography
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. May 1996.
Thesis Title: Sustainable Solid Waste Management on Small Islands of the Caribbean: The Case of St. Thomas-St. John, United States Virgin Islands
Honors/Activities: Graduate Assistantship, Robert C. West Research Award, and President of the Geography and Anthropology Society
B.A. in Political Science
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. August 1989.
Activities: Member of Alpha Phi Omega, community service fraternity.
MEMBERSHIPS
•American Council on Renewable Energy
• Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment
• National Recycling Coalition, Inc.
• Solid Waste Association of North America
• University of Illinois Alumni Association
SPECIAL SKILLS
Very familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel, SPSS, PowerPoint, PageMaker, Access, and PhotoShop. Broad foreign language
skills, including Italian, French, Spanish, and Dominican Patois.
