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 is an artist, born and raised in Edmonton. In her role with Waste Free Edmonton, she serves on the Board of Directors as President. Through volunteerism, she has worked towards cultivating meaningful connections and building community, bringing people of all walks of life together — regardless of what stage they are at in their waste reduction journey. She aims to create a judgement-free space, where people can come together to create meaningful change. She is the secret force behind our Sustainability Socials, and formerly ran the WFE Meet Ups and School Program.
Lauren Degenstein
Director/Textile and Fashion Expert
Lauren (she/her) has been with Waste Free Edmonton since 2021, starting as a Textile and Fashion Expert before joining the Board of Directors in 2024. Lauren is passionate about waste reduction and making materials last as long as possible, whether that’s upcycling furniture, repairing her damaged clothes, or advocating for systems-level changes. In her professional life, Lauren works at Davey Textile Solutions as a Sustainability and Training/Production Coordinator.
Lisa Kercher
Climate Chats Host
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.
Janis Stashko
Event Ambassador
Janis is a stay-at-home Mom who wants to get out in the community and make an impact. She loves to thrift shop, go on nature walks and play cards.
Cheryl Tebby
Halloween Waste Specialist
A lover of all things creepy, crawly and spooky, Cheryl feels that Halloween is really about bringing together community. Sustainability need not be scary if we all work on it!
Lucia Ortiz
Content Creator
Hi! my name is Lucia. Originally from Mexico, and have spent half of my life in Edmonton. I have a degree in Environmental Studies and a deep passion for marketing, sustainable fashion, and community empowerment. I am currently volunteering with Waste Free Edmonton, because I believe in the power of collective action to create a more conscious and sustainable city.
Gargi Sharma
Fashion and Textile Waste Specialist
My name is Gargi, and I am currently pursuing a degree in Math and Chemistry. I am volunteering on the topic of fashion and textile waste because I am passionate about sustainable fashion and minimizing the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Maia Mudrić
Beyond The Lawn Coordinator
My passion lies with nature; from the stars above to the smallest plant, I am passionate about making life sustainable on the most beautiful planet I’ve ever seen. You’ll find me in random parks across amiskwaciy-wâskahikan either staring into the sky or crouching over the ground in a colorfully thrifted outfit. I miss seeing fireflies, and think we can bring them back if we all grow gardens together. Though my background is in sciences, I hope I am remembered as a gardener.
