Southern California Waste Management Forum
SCWMF Annual Conference & Exhibit
November 17, 2026
DoubleTree by Hilton
222 North Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA
Vendor Setup - 7:00am - 8:00am. All vendors must be set up by 8am.
Registration 8:00am - 8:30am - Coffee and Pastries, Networking
Welcome
Exhibitor/Sponsor Showcase 8:30am - 9:00am
~
Session 1: 9:00am - 11:00am
Moderator: Kelli Fernandez, SCS Engineers
Connect and Collaborate; Sharing Resources and Expertise
-
Larry Hygh, Cal State Dominguez Hills
~
Break: 11:00am - 11:15am
~
Session 2
11:15am - 12:00pm
Moderator: Cynthia Vant Hul, Mariposa Eco Consulting, Inc.
SB1383 Implementation Record Updates and Processes
-
Cynthia Vant Hul, Mariposa Eco Consulting, Inc.
-
Cara Morgan, Branch Chief at CalRecycle
-
Mitchell Martin, Valinor Energy
~
Lunch 12:00pm - 1:15pm
~
Session 3
1:15pm - 2:15pm
Moderator: Nick Morell, LACSD
Textile Waste: Weaving New Outcomes for Consumption, Production, Recovery and Recycling
-
Jessica Matlock, Government Relations Manager, Landbell USA
-
Joanne Brasch, CPSC
-
Alexia Bednarz, Goodwill Industries
~
Session 4
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Moderator: Bernadette Halverson, City of Los Angeles
Compost Chronicles: From Community Hubs to Carbon Sequestration
-
Cesar Leon, Tetra Tech
-
Mike Powers, CoolPath
~
Drawings & Closing Remarks:
3:15pm - 3:30pm
Conference Chair
Click here to register for the conference.
SPEAKER BIOS
Cara Morgan is the Branch Chief leading the Local Assistance and Market Development team at CalRecycle. Cara and her team are responsible for providing technical assistance and overseeing compliance for the over 540 jurisdictions and 200 state agencies in California. Cara’s branch also works closely with each of the 40 Recycling Market Development zones in the state. Cara’s team assists recycling manufacturers that are interested in expanding operations or siting a new facility in California resulting in new green jobs. When a recycling manufacturer needs assistance Cara’s business assistance team collaborates closely with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and other sister agencies to provide manufacturers with a full suite of services, including CalRecycle’s funding programs, state tax incentives, bond financing programs, workforce training reimbursement programs, free site selection services, and feedstock sources. Cara serves on the team that developed the SB 1383 regulations and is now leading teams on developing implementation tools and training for jurisdictions and stakeholders. Cara has over 30 years of experience successfully implementing and managing recycling, integrated waste management, and related environmental programs for California (she started when she was five!!!).
Larry R. Hygh, Jr., Ed.D.
Dr. Larry R. Hygh, Jr. is an assistant professor in the Communication Department at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in the advertising and public relations program. Prior to CSUDH he was a fulltime lecturer and the internship coordinator at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB).
Academia is a second career for Dr. Hygh. Prior to the CSU system, he was the senior communications manager for the Black AIDS Institute, the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. He spent 20 plus years as the chief communications officer for The United Methodist Church (UMC) in five different regional offices (Boston, Mass.; Jackson, Miss.; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.) and the international mission agency when it was based in New York City.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Radio/Television and a Master of Arts (MA) in Mass Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and an Educational Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Dr. Hygh is a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and a member “White Suiter” of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, the non-profit entity that produces the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl each year. He describes himself as a “fun and adventure enthusiast” who is a foodie and loves to travel. He has traveled to six of the seven continents (Antarctica left), 32 countries, and all 50 of the U.S. states.
Visit him on the web at www.LarryHygh.com
Mitchell Martin is the owner of Valinor Energy, a small advisory practice supporting California municipalities on SB 1383 procurement compliance. He brings over 15 years of experience in renewable power generation, including senior operating roles at one of California's largest biomass electricity providers, and was involved in some of the first PCA transactions under SB 1383
Cynthia Vant Hul, MPA, DBE, SBE, WBE, Mariposa Eco Consulting, Inc. Consultant
Resource Recovery & Recycling Consultant
Cynthia Vant Hul has spent 28 years in managing environmental issues within the solid waste management industry. Her area of expertise is in waste management, environmental protection, regulatory mandates, contract compliance, sustainable program development and correlating greenhouse gas emissions with waste productions in the municipal and private industry. Cynthia gained her solid waste production in the municipal and private industry. Cynthia gained her solid waste experience working for the city of Claremont, Solid Waste Department as a municipal trash hauler. During her 5 years at the at the City of Claremont, she served as the Recycling Specialist overseeing all sustainable and green programs, hazardous waste and universal waste management, department budget, grants, contract compliance, mandates and reporting. As the Recycling Compliance and Regulatory Manager for Waste Management, Cynthia spent 6 years managing the regulatory and program management for over 30 franchise city contracts . In 2011, Cynthia opened Mariposa Eco Consulting, Inc with the vision in mind of sharing her knowledge and experience to help train and lead a generation of environmental leaders in private and public workplace.
Cynthia holds a Masters of Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.
Joanne Brasch, CPSC
Dr. Joanne Brasch holds a PhD in Textile Economics and Environmental Analysis from the University of California, Davis, where she also received a Master’s degree in Textile Science and a Bachelor’s degree in International Agricultural Development. With more than 13 years of academic work experience, Joanne has held lecturer and research appointments at UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and Donghua University in Shanghai, China. She currently works as Special Project Manager at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) leading projects that promote a circular economy using Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Dr. Brasch is appointed by California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to two advisory committees for carpet and mattress recycling with the position of Chair or Vice Chair on both. She made Waste360’s “40 under 40” list for 2021.
Jessica Matlock is the Government Relations Manager for Landbell USA, the Product Responsibility Organization selected by CalRecycle to implement the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 – the first-in-the-nation Extended Producer Responsibility program for clothing and textiles. Jessica previously served as a Policy Analyst in the California State Senate where she staffed housing, local government and environmental legislation, most notably SB 707 (Newman), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024.
Alexia Bednarz is Director of Sustainability for Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona and Goodwill of San Francisco Bay, where she advances circular economy strategy, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy engagement. She also serves as the Sustainability Lead for California Goodwills, coordinating statewide strategy, stakeholder engagement, and local member participation in implementation of California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, SB 707.
With more than 14 years of experience, Alexia brings deep expertise in sustainability strategy, circular economy, decarbonization, and public policy. Previously, she served as Head of Sustainability at Nikola Corporation, where she led sustainability communications and reporting, supported decarbonization and circularity strategy, and engaged internal and external stakeholders on key sustainability issues. Earlier in her career, she spent nine years at U-Haul leading cross-functional initiatives in waste diversion, renewable energy, energy efficiency, packaging reduction, and EV transportation logistics.
Alexia is known for connecting strategy, operations, policy, and partnerships to build practical sustainability solutions that advance environmental progress, circularity, and community impact.
Mike Powers: Founder/Managing Partner CoolPath Inc.
Mike has spent the last three years leading and developing the CoolPath team and rangeland ecological restoration project. In partnership with Agromin, the largest producer of compost in California, the project is based on large-scale compost application along with other regenerative practices, financed by verified, high-integrity nature-based carbon credits. He and his partners have helped guide the pioneering project to submission for initial registration as “Under Validation” with VERRA, one of the world’s leading voluntary carbon registries. Mr. Powers is passionate about fulfilling the mission of CoolPath to achieve ecological restoration while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a sustainable business model and strong partnerships.
Prior to his work with CoolPath, Mr. Powers served as County Executive Officer for 11 years, capping off a 30-year career of service with the County of Ventura. He managed a budget of $2.5 billion, and nearly 10,000 employees in 25 departments at over 500 locations. He provided oversight and support for all major county functions including budget, finance, legislation, human resources, labor relations, economic development and information technology. During his tenure, he helped increase the County’s long term bond ratings to AAA with both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, the highest level possible.
Mr. Powers’ leadership focused on providing measurable quality public service in the areas of public safety, health, environmental and social services. He further oversaw the planning, waste management, and agriculture departments and lead the development of the Sustainability Office.
His role entailed large scale project management including supporting the development of the County’s first Climate Action Plan, first Economic Vitality Plan, as well as numerous large sustainability projects. Additional complex projects included the finance and construction of a new hospital and establishment of an over $400 million health plan and Electronic Health Record. Due to these and other investments, the County was twice recognized as the top Digital County in the nation. During his tenure, he helped guide and support the County through several crises including the impacts of large fires, a mass shooting and the pandemic.
Prior to his role as CEO, Mr. Powers served as the Director of the Health Care Agency, an $800 million department with over 3,000 employees. He managed multiple health departments, including two hospitals, and over 80 community-based health centers and supported the development of a countywide trauma system and the regions only pediatric cancer program.
Mr. Powers worked as a lawyer in private practice for three years before joining the County Counsel’s Office where he practiced another five years. His focus areas included business litigation, environmental and employment law. He received a BA in Business/Economics from UCLA and a law degree from Loyola Law School
Cesar Leon is a Resource Recovery Planning Director with Tetra Tech’s Solid Waste division, bringing over 27 years of experience in environmental and solid waste management. He specializes in long-term strategic planning for public solid waste agencies, supporting the development of recycling, organics management, and extended producer responsibility strategies. Cesar provides comprehensive regulatory and planning services, including facility design, siting, permitting, operations, and environmental compliance. His expertise spans conceptual design, report preparation, operational analysis, throughput calculations, and preparation of permit application packages for public- and private-sector clients. Cesar has specialized experience in aesthetic impact analyses and visual simulations for CEQA compliance documents, as well as in GIS-based outreach and data collection programs. He has led initiatives in food waste reduction, recycling, and composting, directing multi-disciplinary teams to implement sustainable waste management solutions. Notably, Cesar was the project manager for the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) Update for the State of Hawaiʻi and currently manages Tetra Tech’s team for the Hawaiʻi Statewide, City of Los Angeles OrganicsLA, and City/County of Denver Waste Characterization Studies.