Staff & Board of Directors | SERI - Sustainable Electronics Recycling International

Staff

Corey Dehmey

Executive Director

Corey Dehmey is the Executive Director 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.

Sean De Vries

R2 Director

Sean@SustainableElectronics.org

Sean De Vries is the R2 Director. Sean provides provide technical expertise and guidance for the application and implementation of the R2 Standard, and educates various stakeholder groups about R2 requirements. Sean also leads the R2 Development process, working closely with the R2 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) as they review and propose changes to the R2 Standard. Sean brings considerable experience in standards development and oversight for the electronics reuse and recycling industry -- including serving on the R2 TAC prior to joining SERI.

Formerly, Sean was the Director of the Recycler Qualification Office (RQO), an organization established to audit and approve reuse and recycling organizations for the industry-led end-of-life electronics recycling programs across Canada. He also led the development process for the Electronics Reuse and Refurbishing Program (ERRP) and the Recycler Qualification Program (RQP). Sean was also active in the development and implementation of the provincial electronics stewardship programs and served as the inaugural Chair of the Board of Directors for the four not-for-profit stewardship organizations.

Patty Osterberg

Education & Outreach Director

patty@sustainableelectronics.org

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 unqualifed recylers 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.

Sharada Rao

Quality Director

sharada@sustainableelectronics.org

Sharada Rao is the Director of Quality 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.

Katrina Davies

Business Manager

Katrina@SustainableElectronics.org

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 worked as a business school instructor, a hospital program coordinator, and a church administrator prior to joining SERI.

Board of Directors

Rick Goss

Chair

Rick is Founder and Principal of Green Cognition LLC in Washington, D.C. and brings over 25 years of experience in public policy, strategy and advocacy. He has devoted much of his career to helping clients achieve their sustainability, energy and environmental priorities. Rick is a recognized policy and technical expert and a seasoned global negotiator who has successfully delivered results in Washington, Brussels, Beijing and the United Nations. Rick has advocated for the tech sector’s priorities in Basel Convention negotiations and has regularly represented the high-tech and electronics sector before Congress, the European Union, the OECD and in other international venues, policy panels and public dialogues.

Rick also served for more than 11 years as Senior VP for Environment and Sustainability at the Information Technology Industry Council, where he directed the development and implementation of policy and advocacy strategies related to electronics product design, green procurement and stewardship, renewable energy, and supply chain priorities including conflict minerals. Prior to ITI, he was VP of Environmental Affairs for the Electronic Industries Alliance. Rick has a Master of Science in Environmental Management and Policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester.

Clare Lindsay

Clare Lindsay recently retired from the United States Environmental Protection Agency after more than twenty years. At EPA, she served as a senior policy advisor on waste, resource conservation, and materials management. As part of her portfolio, she spent several years working on issues related to electronics recycling.

Garth Hickle

Garth Hickle is on the board of directors of the Global Product Stewardship Council and previously led the product stewardship program for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He is a Senior Lecturer and Visiting Scholar at the University of Minnesota, and an independent consultant working in the areas of environmental sustainability and the circular economy. Garth holds a PhD in Industrial Ecology and Sustainability from Erasmus University in Rotterdam and a M.S.E.L. from Vermont Law School.

Michelle James

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

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.

Oladele Osibanjo

Professor Oladele Osibanjo is a retired Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria with over 40 years of experience in environmental science. Prof. Osibanjo is the former Executive Director of the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Training & Technology Transfer for the African Region until his retirement in December, 2015, and also served as Co-chair of PACE -- the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment. He was a past National President Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), and pioneer National President Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON). Prof. Osibanjo is also the current National President Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) which is a national member of International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).

Lynn Rubinstein

Lynn Rubinstein is the Executive Director of the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), as well as co-founder of the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse, and the Program Manager for the State Electronics Challenge.

Brandon Seegmiller

Brandon has been with HP Inc. for 11 years and drives the company’s product reuse and recycling legislative policy programs in North America, working closely with stakeholders. He was instrumental in introducing a new recycling law in the State of Illinois and is now leading a coalition of electronics manufacturers to introduce a policy proposal for consideration by state legislatures to create greater stability for existing reuse & recycling programs and to promote consistency throughout the U.S.

Brandon currently serves as a Board Member and Treasurer of Electronics Recycling Representative Organization (ERRO); Board Member and Secretary of the Washington Material Management Finance Authority (WMMFA), and Board Member of Electronics Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC). He has a bachelor’s degree in Environment & Business from the University of Waterloo.

Renee St. Denis

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 experiences 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.

Robin Wiener

Robin Wiener is President of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a trade association representing the private, for-profit recycling industry with members in the U.S. and more than 38 countries around the world. Robin is an environmental lawyer with a background in engineering.

Mike Watson

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.