State Chapter Leaders Gathered, Shared, and Grew Together at COMPOST2026

The USCC State Chapters are the heroes of compost industry advocacy at the state level. To support the Chapters and the incredibly important work they do in advocacy and beyond, the COMPOST2026 program featured a day-long Chapter Track, which brought together leaders from across all 17 State Chapters to connect, share best practices, exchange ideas, and have fun!

Members of the Maryland-DC Composting Council

Planning and moderating of the Chapter Track were undertaken by the Chapter Advisory Committee (CAC). Kate Sullivan, Chair of the CAC, and Gary Bilbro, CAC Member, kept the day’s events running smoothly as session moderators. Their leadership was crucial, and the USCC appreciates all of the time that they commit to assisting and supporting our State Chapters through their efforts on the CAC. The USCC would also like to thank the other members of the CAC for their great work on behalf of the Chapters: Benjamin Krumstock, Leo Beckerman, and Elly Ventura.

The Chapter Track featured presentations from experienced chapter leaders and industry experts on a variety of topics, geared at sharing best practices and innovative ideas for running successful and impactful chapters.

• Muriel Williman and Kate Sullivan spoke about the North Carolina Composting Council (NCCC)’s Outreach and Advocacy Program.
• Nick Lapis spoke on behalf of Californians Against Waste on their Lobbying and Advocacy Program, and Working with Other Advocacy Groups.
• James Hoffer and Nathan Rutz of the Ohio Composting Council (OHCC) spoke about the OHCC’s Town Hall Meetings.
• Gowri Somasundarum and Keri Marrs Barron of the Indiana Composting Council (INCC), formed in 2025, presented on new chapter start-up.
• Rodolfo Alavarez and Oley Sheremeta of the Arizona Composting Council (AZCC) spoke about the process of forming the AZCC.

The two sessions of the Chapter Track saw 33 and 31 attendees, respectively, with representatives from all 17 State Chapters—even our newest State Chapter, the Wisconsin Composting Council (WICC)! The USCC would like to thank the Chapter Track Sponsors, EcoSafe Zero Waste and SCS Engineers, whose support helped provide this high-quality program to our Chapter leaders, as well as assist with Conference Registration fees.

Halfway through the Chapter Track, State Chapter representatives got to connect, relax, and catch some sunshine at the annual Chapter Soiree, which was this year located on a beautiful outdoor terrace in the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. The State Chapters decorated their tables with their information, state flags, and more, and took the opportunity to get to know more about each other. The Soiree ended with the raffling of gift baskets from each State Chapter, with the fun of seeing what was provided by each State, and who were the lucky winners.

Combined, the 17 State Chapters and their members have decades of experience in both composting and Chapter leadership. The Chapter Track is an opportunity for that experience to be shared so that no chapter has to reinvent the wheel. From the successful planning and execution of events and programs to state-level advocacy to recruiting members—sharing information and best practices makes all the Chapters stronger! Beyond the Chapter Track at the annual conference, State Chapter leaders are happy to connect virtually throughout the year to share what is working for them and how to help other leaders transfer it to their own Chapters. 

Please contact Chris Snow (csnow@compostingcouncil.org) for any assistance with your Chapter, or if you would like to be connected to another Chapter. State Chapter issues can also be discussed at the Monthly Chapter Advisory Committee meeting or at the Quarterly Chapter Leaders Meeting.