NERC welcomes new executive director

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Board of Directors has welcomed Megan F. Fontes as the organization’s new executive director, succeeding Lynn Rubinstein, who has retired after heading the Brattleboro, Vermont-based organization for more than 20 years.

Fontes joins NERC with nearly a decade of experience in corporate relations. Most recently, she led communications and organized all major events at Worcester, Massachusetts-based MassBioEd, an organization focused on science education. Previously, she held management positions at education-focused organizations, such as London-based Kaplan International and eScholastic Inc., which both have offices in New York City.

“NERC plays a pivotal role in the material management ecosystem, facilitating collaboration between the private and public sectors and educating stakeholders through its library of rich resources,” Fontes says. “I am honored to join a dedicated team and a board of directors working to advance circular solutions for the Northeast. I look forward to expanding upon the enduring foundation Lynn has built by continuing to provide value to advisory members, states and communities and identifying new ways to increase our impact throughout the region.”

Fontes, a Marlborough, Massachusetts resident, earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in energy and environmental sustainability and social impact from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental resource economics from the University of New Hampshire. 

“While it is bittersweet to welcome a new executive director to NERC as Lynn Rubinstein will be sorely missed, I am extremely excited that Megan Fontes will be joining NERC,” NERC Board President Megan Mansfield Pryor says. “Megan is perfectly positioned to lead NERC, with her MBA in social impact, expertise in both the nonprofit and business world, and, perhaps most importantly, a passion for sustainable materials management. This experience will allow her to work with NERC’s expanding network of businesses, states, trade associations, nonprofits and others to unite around minimizing waste and conserving natural resources.” 

Fontes officially took the reins at NERC Oct. 24 and will take part in the NERC Conference Nov. 2 and 3 at the Sheraton Hartford South Hotel in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.