INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Early adventures in my Northern California home filled me with a deep love for the outdoors. I was inspired at an early age to learn that we have choices in the way we live our lives which can positively impact our planet and was determined to help others to want to make those choices. From putting simple cardboard boxes in my classrooms to collect recyclables and organizing trash pick-ups, to participating in green campus initiatives at UC Santa Cruz, then returning as a naturalist to the outdoor school that gave me that initial spark, I have continued to follow my love for environmental education. As a resident of the Methow Valley I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to continue this amazing work and be a part of the vision to make the valley a sustainable, thriving community. You can email me at director@methowrecycles.org.

RECYCLING PROGRAM LEAD

My family and I have loved spending our time in the Methow Valley since we bought some land in Lost River near Mazama in 2005. In 2021 we decided to downsize and simplify our lives and move to the Valley full-time and settled into our home just south of Twisp. While attending college in Bellingham in the late-80s I was impressed with the curbside recycling program. Bellingham has always been a progressive town and was an early adopter of curbside recycling. I see similar acceptance and engagement in the Methow Valley when it comes to conservation and stewardship of resources. That’s why I’m excited to be working at Methow Recycles with a team of people with a similar passion for our environment. I enjoy hiking, Nordic skiing, fishing, and riding atvs and snowmobiles with my family.

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, my family and I moved to The Methow Valley in 2022. We love being part of a community that is so environmentally conscious and being around people who share the mindset of doing what we can to take care of our planet. When I am not at the Recycling Center, you can find me fine tuning my cosmetic tattooing skills or taking my horse out for a trail ride. You can email me at kelani@methowrecycles.org.

RECYCLING PROGRAM ASSISTANT

In 1978 we first came to the Methow Valley to build a log cabin at the end of the Rendezvous. My wife and I joined our daughter and her family here permanently after I retired. I have a profound appreciation for the beauty of our landscape and the effort needed to keep it pristine. As campus greeter, I see people coming here to recycle from all over the area to make use of our extraordinarily comprehensive program.

WASTE PREVENTION PROGRAM MANAGER

I moved to the valley at the end of 2023 with my partner Jack after pedaling around the West on a 4,500 mile bikepacking adventure. We packed up our lives in Salt Lake City intending to find a smaller, tight-knit community to call home as we pedaled; I feel very lucky to have found that place here in the magical Methow.

I’ve developed my sustainability and conservation ethic through a broad range of experiences, from learning to do basic zipper repairs on tents and backpacks in my college outdoor program, to leading a trail crew on alpine restoration and conservation projects in the Rocky Mountains, to refurbishing an old 90’s mountain bike with reused parts and sewing my own bikepacking bags to live out of for four months. Across all of these, I’ve been inspired by the power of mentorship and skill-sharing to make meaningful, positive change. I’m excited to play a role in shaping the future of sustainability in the Methow and greater Okanogan by expanding our capacity to divert waste, transferring skills through meaningful relationships, and fostering community around creativity and reuse.

In my time away from work, I enjoy biking, bikepacking, and more biking, cooking community meals with friends, wandering up forgotten roads, foraging mushrooms and berries, skiing uphill/downhill/sideways, and generally frolicking in the mountains with Jack and our deaf dog, Panko.