2026: Rooted in California Values

Sep 8

The 50th annual Conference and Trade Show was held in San Diego, CA on August 30th - September 2nd. On behalf of the CRRA Staff, Board of Directors and Conference Committee, we’d like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all 2026 sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, technical councils, volunteers, and CRRA members for making 2026 the biggest and best conference yet!

ANNE THERESE GENNARI

Anne Therese Gennari is a TEDx speaker, educator, and author of The Climate Optimist Handbook. As a workshop host and communicator, Anne Therese focuses on shifting the narrative on climate change so that we can act from courage and excitement, not fear.

With a background in environmental communications and a passion for emotional resilience, Anne Therese created The Climate Optimist to help people reconnect with their sense of purpose and possibility in the face of the climate crisis. Her mission is to inspire action through hope — not by sugarcoating reality, but by encouraging individuals to face the truth with courage, compassion, and creativity.

For more than a decade, she has been promoting climate optimism to help people cope with climate change and make decisions to create the climate-just future she believes awaits us. She has brought her message to schools, companies, and organizations, including Harvard, Columbia University, BMW, Tetra Pak, and the United Nations Global Compact.

ANNE’S KEYNOTE: “The Power of Perspective: Maximizing Influence in the Circular Economy”

The landscape of resource recovery is shifting faster than ever, and for those on the front lines of local government, the weight of climate change can feel like a constant, uphill battle. Between managing complex infrastructure and navigating the nuances of plastics and recycling, it’s easy to lose sight of the "why" behind the "work."

In this opening keynote, Anne Therese Gennari invites us to step back from the daily grind and reconnect with the profound importance of our roles. She challenges the traditional narratives of scarcity and struggle, offering instead a framework of Climate Optimism — a resilient practice that transforms uncertainty into a catalyst for innovation.

Drawing on tangible examples of how we can shift the story around waste and materials, Anne Therese explores what it means to move beyond simply minimizing footprints to truly maximizing our influence. Attendees will walk away with:

A Shift in Narrative: Moving from "managing a crisis" to "architecting a future."
Big Picture Energy: Tools to bring a renewed sense of purpose and positivity back to their communities and teams.
Inner Leadership: Practical insights on staying curious, connected, and energized while wearing the many hats required by public service.

This isn’t just a talk about what we do; it’s a session on how we choose to show up for the work that matters most. Let’s stop fearing the future and start building the one we actually want to inhabit.

MICHAEL MARTINEZ

Michael Martinez is a former elementary school teacher, the author of the children's book Composting for Community, and the founder of LA Compost. During his tenure at LA Compost, he built a decentralized network of community compost hubs across the country’s most populous county. Currently, Michael serves as a Program Manager at the 11th Hour Project, where he directs the foundation’s national composting and organics recycling strategy—focusing on innovative capital, creative land access, and public-private partnerships. A co-founder of the California Alliance for Community Composting, Michael sits on the Board of Directors for both the U.S. Composting Council and the Los Angeles Community Garden Council. He was also appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles to serve as a Commissioner for the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office.

MICHAEL’S KEYNOTE: “Composting for Climate and Community Resiliency”

Just as healthy soil relies on a complex, interconnected web of life below the ground, sustainable climate solutions depend on strong, equitable networks above it. In this presentation, we explore composting not just as a waste diversion tool, but as a foundational driver of soil health, human health, and localized climate resilience.

By centering community perspectives, lived experiences, and grassroots leadership, we have an opportunity to build human systems that reflect the wisdom of the living soil. Together, we can reimagine how honoring local knowledge and fostering deep collaboration can transform organics management into a direct path toward community empowerment and environmental health.

Key Takeaways:

The Living Network Framework: A fresh perspective on how ecological soil systems can inform resilient human and community networks.
Community-Centered Leadership: Practical approaches for incorporating local lived experiences and grassroots expertise into regional composting strategy.
Holistic Impact: Insights into connecting technical organics infrastructure with tangible public health and climate benefits.