USCC announces 2025 board of directors

The US Composting Council (USCC) has announced the results of its annual board of directors elections for the 2025 term.

Newcomers Kate Sullivan and Melissa Filiaggi will join the USCC Board of Directors representing compost manufacturers, bringing new perspectives from years of industry experience. Sullivan is a product manager at McGill Environmental Systems. She is also chair of the USCC State Chapter Advisory Committee and board treasurer of the North Carolina Composting Council. Filiaggi is the division chief of operations at Maryland Environmental Services and has more than a decade of experience in recycling and composting in the government sector.

Returning to the board are fellow compost manufacturer member representatives Elliot Schneider of the city of St. Peters Earth Centre, Scott Gamble of WM Inc., Chris Seney of Republic Services and affiliate board member Neil Edgar of Edgar & Associates Inc.

These new and returning board members will serve alongside the remaining members, creating a cohesive team to guide the organization in its pursuit of advancing the future of composting in the U.S., USCC says.

Gary Gittere of McGill will retire from the board at the end of his 2024 term. In addition to his contributions as a USCC board member, Gittere also served on the North Carolina Composting Council (NCCC) Board of Directors and the USCC Market Development Committee. He has taught hundreds of students at the NCCC Composter Training Course and has supported the compost manufacturing industry and the USCC for decades.

Jeff Ziegenbein of WM Inc. has stepped down from the board after years of service, holding crucial roles such as vice president and secretary. Ziegenbein has also left a lasting impact on the USCC, serving on several committees and the Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF), playing a pivotal role in the Association of Compost Producers—the USCC’s California state chapter—and representing the compost manufacturing industry in government hearings. Jeff’s former facility also won the USCC Compost Facility of the Year Award.

New board members, alongside the re-elected and continuing members, will formally be introduced during the Members Meeting at COMPOST2025 in Phoenix, scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025.