About
board members
Mike Watson is an industry advisor with key focus on Producer Responsibility, technology, and global operations, and has represented the recycling/refurbishment sector in the development of the R2 Standard and CTIA’s standard for the wireless industry.
Over the past 20 years, Mike’s roles have included industry advisor for producer responsibility strategies, CEO for an electronics recycler start-up, and Director of Strategic Business Development for the largest US electronics recycler, and most recently, Chief Compliance Officer for Global Resale. Prior to the recycling industry, Mike served as Director of Global Compliance for Dell Asset Recovery and Recycling.
Brandon is a sustainability professional with a focus on end-of-life and natural resource management issues, and a particular interest in electronics sustainability. Brandon worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a physical scientist on resource conservation and sustainable materials management, and his leadership role in the flagship America Recycles program and other sustainability efforts is well aligned with SERI’s mission and strategic plan. Additionally, Brandon served on the R2 Technical Advisory Committee and participated in the development of the R2v3 Standard. Brandon holds an M.Sc. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from McGill University and a B.A. in Geology and History from Colgate University.
Michelle James has more than 20 years in the wireless industry. She currently serves as VP of Strategic Industry Programs for CTIA where she creates communities within the wireless industry to advance Reverse Logistics, Forward Logistics, Smart Cities, IoT and Certification Programs.
At CTIA she led the initiative to launch the first national certification programs for reverse logistics for retailers and businesses. She started her career at Nokia where she was responsible for trade customer programs for all major US wireless carriers and launched over 100 products and services over five years. As the Owner of The Branding Network, James ghost wrote “Winning at Wireless Retail,” 2007, a book commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association available to members and independent wireless retailers.
She also developed and produced the Wireless Repair Expo from 2014-2018, a partner event held onsite during CTIA Super Mobility, Mobile Word Congress Americas and the Mobile Carriers Show.
Venky Murthy is a leading expert in the international electronics recycling industry and has 20 years of experience in the establishment of e-waste recycling technologies, process management, precious metals refining, close loop pollution control policy support, and ISO standards.
Venky holds an M.Sc., in Industrial Chemistry, M.Tech., in Process Metallurgy and MBA in International Marketing. Currently founder & Managing Director of Vans Chemistry PTE LTD based in Singapore.
Renee St. Denis is a well-respected consultant in the field of electronics recycling, working for some of the leading brand owners and recyclers in the industry. Prior to her consulting work, Renee was Senior Manager of Global Recycling and Trade-In at Apple; Director of Manufacturer Compliance for Sims Recycling Solutions; and Director of Product Take Back and Recycling in the Hewlett Packard Americas organization.
In addition to her tenure in the electronics recycling industry, Renee is experienced in quantitative analysis of financial instruments.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and her MBA at the University of Southern California.
Cheryl T. Coleman is the Vice President for Sustainability at The Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Cheryl has over 30 years of experience in materials management. In her current role at ISRI, she is leading efforts with ISRI members and other stakeholders to strengthen the industry’s voice in domestic and global policy sustainability discussions including climate change, the circular economy and environmental justice; the development of a Recyclability Protocol Program for fiber based packaging; and, is working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, technical schools and community colleges to increase awareness of career opportunities in the recycling industry.
Cheryl previously served as the Director of the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division at US Environmental Protection Agency where she led efforts to improve the US recycling system, reduce food loss and waste, used electronics management and beneficial use of industrial materials. In her position at EPA, Ms. Coleman represented the US on issues related to sustainable materials management at the Milan Expo, an expert Life Cycle workshop Kyoto, Japan, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Resource Productivity and Waste.
Prior to her tenure at EPA, Cheryl was the Director for RCRA and CERCLA related programs at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Craig Boswell is co-founder and President of HOBI International, Inc., and has more than 30 years of experience in the design, development, and deployment of electronics demanufacturing and recycling techniques.
Additionally, Craig is HOBI’s chief industry consultant on demanufacturing, design for disassembly, and reverse logistics programs. Craig has published and presented numerous papers on electronic products recycling and the keys to designing more recyclable products. Craig has served the industry in a variety of roles including as chairman of ISRI’s electronics division and as a member of several standards creation efforts.
Craig holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Connect with Craig on Twitter at @CraigBHOBI.
Daniel Ott is a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and a Master of Business Administration from Quantic School of Business and Technology (US). He has more than 18 years of experience working with and in Latin America.
Since 2006 he has been dedicated to the issue of the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in developing countries, with a special focus on Latin America. Between 2008 and 2013 he was Project Manager of the “Swiss e-Waste Program Latin America”, implemented by Empa and financed by the Swiss Cooperation SECO. In 2014 he participated as an expert consultant in the formulation of the WEEE Management Project for Latin America by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Currently he is the Manager Latin America of Reverse Logistics Group (RLG), providing support to the electronics industry for environmental legal compliance and the implementation of WEEE take-back systems.
Paul Walker has spent 35 years in the wireless industry. He currently serves as a Senior Director with Samsung’s North American Headquarters Team where he focuses on developing solutions and standards that expand Customers service options, in a safe and responsible way, within an ever changing industry landscape.
After serving in the military he started his ‘wireless’ career with Ericsson and spent spells with Motorola and MetroPCS/T-Mobile before moving to Samsung. He has held positions in manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, procurement, quality, vendor management and customer service.
In addition to being engaged in all of the major industry developments since 1987 he was part of a very small team that brought the first LTE and first VOLTE phones to market as well as introducing new Manufacturers to the US.
Sean Nicholson is currently Executive Director for external relations in the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). In this role, Sean is responsible for managing NRCs fundraising and public engagement with a team that raises millions of dollars for people displaced by conflict. Before joining NRC Sean worked at Microsoft in a number of roles including Education, Windows and OEM, and developed global programs to support reuse of older computers. Prior to that Sean has been a Commonwealth adviser to the government of Namibia, an ICT services manager for the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, and trained as an applied chemist. He lives in the United Kingdom.
Verena Radulovic is Vice President for Business Engagement at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and has been engaged on e-waste and e-scrap issues for nearly twenty years.
At C2ES, she works with businesses, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance business action on climate mitigation and resilience and help galvanize business support for ambitious, practical climate policies and solutions. She manages the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC), one of the largest U.S.-based cross-sectoral group of corporations taking action on climate.
Previously, for over 15 years, Ms. Radulovic worked to foster public-private partnerships at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to advance sustainability among companies. In her personal capacity, she led research on how end of life electronics are managed in Peru and India. In India, she examined public perceptions of informal workers and worked with multiple stakeholders to develop policy recommendations on engaging the informal sector and use of standards to help drive responsible e-waste management across India.
Ms. Radulovic has an Msc. in environmental policy and international development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. in political science from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
staff members
Corey Dehmey is the Chief Executive Officer of SERI and also serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. He has worked in various roles in the Electronics Recovery industry since 2008.
Corey holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer and Information Systems and spent 12 years in the IT industry before transitioning to electronics recovery.
Mike Easterbrook is the Chief of Global Standards for SERI, and has more than 15 years of experience in various roles within the electronics reuse and recycling industry including regulatory compliance officer, certifications consultant, internal auditor, compliance auditor, and lead auditor for Certification Bodies such as Perry Johnson Registrars.
Mike’s experience with standards development includes his work as a technical member to the development of UL 110 Standard for Mobile Phones and has been a member of the R2 TAC since January 2021, where he also served as a member of the Consensus Body.
Mike earned his J.D. from Western State College of Law in Fullerton, CA, and had his own practice as an attorney defending Stormwater Citizen Action Suits under the Clean Water Act.
Sharada Rao is the Chief of Global Certification Programs for SERI and her responsibilities include developing and implementing a full scale Quality Assurance/Quality Control program for the organization. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science. Sharada has worked for a well-known certification body, Perry Johnson Registrars (PJR), for almost ten years prior to her tenure at SERI.
At PJR, she gained vast experience in managing programs like ISO 14001, BS 18001, R2, RIOS, E-stewards and RC14001/RCMS for its offices worldwide. Prior to her tenure at PJR, she worked for 2 years as an environmental consultant for a company specializing in waste minimization and energy conservation projects in Bangalore, India.
Amanda LaGrange is the Chief Operating Officer at SERI. In that role she oversees key SERI functions and supports early-stage SERI initiatives. Prior to joining SERI in January 2024, Amanda led R2-certified Repowered (formerly Tech Dump) for almost 10 years, establishing them as a top electronics recycler and refurbisher in Minnesota and a leader nationwide in their commitment to the environment and job creation for adults with a history of incarceration or addiction.
Amanda has been recognized by The Minneapolis‒Saint Paul Business Journal as a “Top 50 Women in Business” and a “Titan of Tech.” She is also a 2021 Grist 50 Fixer. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and international business from Indiana University and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
As SERI’s Chief Provocateur, Jeff’s role is to provoke change in thought and action around how the world handles used electronics.
Jeff’s experience spans a wide range of clients and industries through advertising agencies, on the client side, and as a consultant. In addition to constantly asking “what if,” he is unofficially known as the “chief recycler” in his own family.
In addition to her many responsibilities as Business Manager for SERI, Katrina is the main point of contact for all R2 licenses, invoices, and changes in contact or company information for R2 Certified facilities.
Katrina has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Eastern University and has worked as a business school instructor, a hospital program coordinator, and a church administrator prior to joining SERI.
Patty’s primary role is to support R2 facilities, and those seeking R2 Certification, through education, and by serving as the “first call for help” for questions about the R2 Standard and its implementation.
She also works to educate corporate customers/suppliers, government agencies and consumers about the security and value R2 Certified companies provide–and the risks that can arise from working with unqualified recyclers or ITAD vendors. Prior to joining SERI, Patty was a marketing consultant for small and mid-sized businesses where she helped clients from a broad array of industries to identify and communicate more effectively with their target audiences.
Her experience as an entrepreneur who established and sold two businesses provides her with insight into the challenges that many R2 certified companies encounter.
As resident R2 Guru and subject matter expert, Roger’s focus is on awareness, education and implementation of practical aspects of the R2 Certification program.
He had 10 years of practical experience with the R2 Standard as a Compliance Manager for two electronics recyclers in the U.S. Midwest.
Roger holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University. He was also a six-year member of the R2 Technical Advisory Committee and Co-Chair of that committee’s Consensus Body, where he worked with the other members of the TAC to develop, refine and eventually release R2v3, the latest version of the R2 Standard.
Macy’s role as a Programs Coordinator is to nurture early-stage initiatives within SERI, guiding projects through the crucial first steps of planning and implementation. Skilled in optimizing processes and systems, Macy helps to ensure the entire SERI team is supported and organized and provides overall research and support to the executive team. She joined this role after working with SERI as an IEMN program intern.
Macy has a Master’s in Sustainable Development from KU Leuven in Belgium, where she currently resides. During her studies, she wrote her master’s thesis on the role of voluntary sustainability standards for e-waste management in the Global South. Macy previously worked as a teacher in South Korea, the U.S., and Honduras prior to joining SERI.
As SERI’s Certification Coordinator, Isabel’s primary focus will be to collaborate and build with the team to maintain quality standards and encourage continuous improvement in certification activities.
With more than five years in the certification field, Isabel served as both a Sustainable Scheme Manager and Auditor. Her responsibilities included global training delivery, authorization maintenance, conducting audits, updating QMS documentation, and coordinating global activities. As the key contact for scheme owners, Isabel ensured effective communication and follow-ups.
Steve Bennett is the R2 Marketing Specialist for SERI, where he supports the marketing efforts and messaging.
Steve spent eight years as a journalist working for three different publications. In addition, he spent 14 years as a marketing specialist for a company that designed and manufactured reusable packaging solutions. In that role, Steve was part of a team that helped the business become ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Oregon University. He also published his first book in August 2022.
Jared Paben is the R2 Writer at SERI. In that role, he relays to various audiences how the R2 Standard supports sustainable life cycles for electronics, with a particular focus on helping facilities move toward achieving R2.
Prior to joining SERI in January 2024, Jared worked for nine years as a writer and editor at Resource Recycling, Inc., which publishes E-Scrap News and owns the E-Scrap Conference. Jared previously worked for six years as a daily newspaper reporter covering local governments, planning and development, the environment, and transportation in Bellingham, Wash. He also has experience working for nonprofit organizations fighting poverty and a state agency supporting volunteerism in Oregon.
Jared earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Oregon.
As a Marketing Writer, Billy helps SERI develop and clarify all aspects of branding, messaging, content creation, and strategy. With an eclectic educational background spanning drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and music, he honed his eye for design and composition.
With his initial transition into marketing, these skills proved invaluable in helping to design and write a diverse range of websites for small businesses nationwide. Following that role, Billy spent several years at a small agency, mastering every element of copywriting and content development and gaining a deep understanding of modern marketing tools.
Before marketing, Billy was directly involved in the e-waste recycling program for a major retailer, igniting an interest in sustainability and responsible electronics recycling. This experience and his creative background help inform a unique perspective that speaks directly to SERI’s goals of reducing e-waste and making our connected world more sustainable.
When not strategizing marketing moves or crafting content, Billy loves playing guitar, drawing and painting, kayaking, and making homemade pizza.
Julia Roth is a NYC-based graphic designer and creative. Blending thorough research, strategic concept, and brand-aligned design aesthetic, creating memorable and timeless visual identities.
With a passion for promoting sustainability and reducing electronic waste, Julia’s work aims to raise awareness and inspire action toward a more green future. With a keen eye for design and a commitment to sustainability, she brings creativity and purpose to every project she undertakes. Julia holds a BFA in studio art with an emphasis in design from the University of Arizona.
Gina Bang assists the Business manager in a variety of functions to transact the day-to-day business of SERI. She also supports the R2 licensing process.
Gina has a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Towson University and is an experienced Executive Assistant in Fortune 500 companies.