Melissa Gorrie
Director/Co-Founder
Melissa is an environmental lawyer who has worked with all levels of government to advocate for policy and law reform. She has volunteered with numerous social justice and environmental organizations over the last decade, which has provided her with a wealth of experience in non-profit governance. She has also been involved in various environmental campaigns. She co-founded Waste Free Edmonton as a way to counter the frustration and sadness she feels in seeing the vast amount of waste produced in her community. Melissa is extremely excited to work with citizens, government, and businesses to reduce the amount of waste produced in Edmonton!
Sean Stepchuk
Vice President/Co-Founder
Sean is a Co-founder and Director of Waste Free Edmonton. Sean is a lawyer, and real estate agent & investor. He is passionate about tackling unnecessary sources of waste and helping build the waste reduction community in Edmonton. Outside of work, he enjoys travelling with his family and learning about different cultures. He spends a lot of time involved with outdoor activities, including hiking, running, kayaking, biking, skiing and scuba diving. Sean also likes to relax, spending evenings at home with his wife, son, and cat, Floppers.
Emma Wales
President
Emma has been a dedicated volunteer with Waste Free Edmonton since 2019. She spearheaded initiatives like the Sustainability Socials, empowering people to learn about waste streams and take action through community-driven events. Emma’s strength lies in bringing people together and inspiring collective change. She believes in the power of individual action to create a ripple effect and is passionate about building a supportive community of volunteers working together to make a difference. Outside of Waste Free Edmonton, Emma is an artist. She owns and operates ArtVentures, a mobile art education business with a core focus on sustainability.
Lauren Degenstein
Director/Textile and Fashion Expert
Lauren recently completed a Master of Science in Clothing and Textiles from the University of Alberta. Her research interests include sustainable behaviour related to clothing practices and addressing the environmental impacts of the fashion industry through circularity and systems change. She is thrilled to be part of the WFE team to work towards textile waste reduction in Edmonton.
Lisa Kercher
Content Creator
As a lifelong learner, and settler on Treaty 6 territory, Lisa is interested in linking individual waste reduction actions to larger systems of environmental justice. Most of her personal work involves connecting with folks who don’t know where to start and giving them the tools and encouragement to start where they are. Lisa is the peer-facilitator of Climate Chats.
Shawn Gray
Volunteer
Shawn is a rambunctious local activist, having spent most of his adult life working in local agricultural industries. He has a passion for gardening, composting and waste reduction. Driven by the deep seated passion for making the world a better place. Finding a home within Waste Free Edmonton’s volunteers is a perfect fit to meet like minded people. His suggestion for a troubled heart is to go hug a tree! Really give a good squeeze!
