Joan Burns

Sustainability professional with 28 years of environmental policy and planning experience, working with a wide range of public and private sector organizations in the U.S. and internationally. I have developed and delivered waste reduction and recycling/composting programs for public sector agencies/institutions and businesses with aggressive sustainability goals. This includes coordination and oversight of waste audits, evaluation of service contracts to identify inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities, assistance with finding alternative vendors to improve performance and reduce costs, and development of outreach and education campaigns aimed at changing behavior. I have also worked as a regulator and policy-maker in the US and Europe, and was directly involved in the development of important policies and legislation related to pharmaceutical waste management, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), end-of-life vehicles (ELV) and trans-boundary movement of waste (Basel Convention). I have a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Science in Environmental Protection from the Institute of Technology in Sligo, Ireland and an MBA with an emphasis on Sustainable Business from California Lutheran University.