Bantillo to Lead CRRA

The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA), Sacramento, Calif., has hired Stephen Bantillo as the organization’s new executive director.

Bantillo most recently served as an assistant director at the state of California’s Department of Conservation, where as chief of the Division of Recycling he oversaw the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Abatement Program.

Prior to his job with the state, he worked 17 years for the City of San Jose, where he developed several recycling-related programs and served as a volunteer with state and national recycling organizations.

Bantillo is a Past Vice President and Policy Chair of the National Recycling Coalition and has served on its Board of Directors for two terms. He is the founder of CRRA’s Construction and Demolition Council, served on the board of the Construction Materials Recycling Association, and is currently serving on the board of the Container Recycling Institute.

The CRRA retained The Mobius Network, LLC a professional firm that specializes in recruiting recycling and environmental management positions to conduct its search for an executive director.

“We had several strong candidates to consider and the selection committee unanimously determined that Stephen Bantillo was an ideal fit for this position,” says Julie Muir, president of the CRRA and a member of its selection committee. “He has more than 20 years of experience advancing recycling programs on the local and state level, and has co-chaired a CRRA Conference, emceed our awards ceremonies, spoke at plenary and technical sessions, started and led a technical council, and has been involved in CRRA for many years. His experience with local, state, and national policy, program implementation, and non-profit boards make him well-qualified to represent the interests of CRRA members.”

Bantillo began on March 1, 2010, beginning to take on the role served by previous executive director Bob Gedert. Priorities for Bantillo include implementing CRRA’s strategic plan, growing the organization and establishing CRRA as a stakeholder in policies affecting waste reduction, according to a CRRA news release.

The CRRA bill itself as the oldest and one of the largest non-profit state recycling organizations in the United States, dedicated to reducing waste, pollution, and green house gasses through reuse, recycling, composting and product stewardship.