Thank You, Compost Leaders

It was so good to meet each of you at COMPOST2022. With the return of our annual conference, I am renewed by the passion and gusto that all of our members, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees bring to the industry. We saw over 1,000 attendees from diverse backgrounds sharing in the common goal of manufacturing and using compost.

I was struck by how our Opening Plenary Speaker challenged us to be indispensable to the people around us. I do believe that we can all be indispensable leaders if we make the people around us better. True leaders see the value in the people around them, take ownership for all of the issues in our orbits, and influence the culture around them through sacrifice. 

In my years at the USCC, I have met such leaders in our midst. One such leader is our new board president Pierce Louis of Dirt Hugger, who started out as a young professional hungry to innovate and develop his compost operation in Dallesport, WA. Since then, Pierce has been a committee member, board member, and now our board president focused on engaging our strategic plan. Thank you, Pierce, for your continued efforts to bolster the compost industry and your willingness to dive in head first to our organization.

Throughout the last decade the USCC has contracted an event management company, Green Fern Events (GFE), to manage our annual conference. Each year, GFE has exceeded our expectations by bringing together more businesses and organizations into our event. All of our programs have a symbiotic relationship and our annual conference allows us to reconnect with our members and promote our programs. The COMPOST Conference is highly regarded as the go-to event for compost manufacturing. We are so fortunate to have a dedicated and passionate event partner like GFE. Their tireless work and personal sacrifices are key contributors to the success of our conference and the organization as a whole. Thank you, Emily Kahn, Irene Dooling, Beth Fly, Tiffany Harelik, and all of the past staff at GFE. 
 
Our conference is markedly different than it was even two years ago. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of static equipment displays in the exhibit hall. Our exhibitors are able to engage with hundreds of participants daily in front of excellent booths and impressive pieces of equipment. Past President and Keynote Sponsor for Chad Hymas' Opening Plenary Patrick Geraty helped the USCC usher in a new age that has provided new life to our exhibit hall. Beyond his long tenure with the USCC, Patrick has personally dedicated 15 plus years to advance our Council and industry.

The compost industry as a whole is stronger today than it was in November of 2013 when Linda Norris-Waldt joined the USCC. Since then, Linda has demonstrated a tireless work ethic, dedicating herself to building relationships and connections within the industry. Her current work in advocacy, state chapters, and corporate relations is a reflection of the USCC’s priorities. In 2020, our members indicated that advocacy for the industry is where they wanted to see us focus our efforts on, and Linda has stepped up to the plate. Our state chapters have grown from one to 14 with the addition of our Texas chapter that we announced at COMPOST2022. The USCC helped lead the charge with the COMPOST Act HR 4443 this past year, which we hope to see parley into compost funding in the farm bill in 2022. Each year, the USCC’s Corporate Compost Leadership Council (CCLC) picks from a menu of projects to fund and accomplish. 2021 saw the completion of the Target Organics Hub & Model Zoning projects. Through Linda's leadership and grit, the USCC is moving in the right direction. 
 
Everywhere I look in our small but growing world of compost, I see leadership demonstrated by action. A special thanks to Chad Hymas, Dr. Allen Williams, Kathy Kellogg Johnson, Brian Fleury, and Ron Alexander. Thank you to the USCC Board of Directors both past and present, USCC staff, committee members, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, young professionals, state chapters, demo day coordinators, and volunteers. Your actions collectively bring us together to truly be the voice of the compost industry. 

Frank Franciosi
Executive Director USCC