Eco-Cycle's Board of Directors

Board President

Judith Wong

Judy Wong is an environmental professional with 35 years of public service, retiring in May 2014.  Her most recent position was Assistant Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver. She was responsible for budget and finance, grants and contracts, IT, human resources, facilities and laboratory services.  As the zero waste champion at EPA; she launched compost collection, a green meetings policy and other innovations to achieve a waste diversion rate of 82% for the 800-person office. She has had assignments in Superfund, water quality, solid & hazardous waste, pollution prevention, toxics and environmental policy. She was the first recycling coordinator for EPA Region 8.  Judy’s support of Eco-Cycle dates to the early 80s. 

Board Vice President

Dan Benavidez

Dan Benavidez is a bilingual Colorado native, a marathon running enthusiast and an avid reader. He received a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Northern Colorado on the G.I. Bill.  Dan is a former City Councilman at Large for Longmont, Colorado. He also served as Mayor Pro-Tem for the City of Longmont and was the first Latino in the history of the city to rise to this political level. He has also served on numerous boards and commissions in Boulder County ranging from mental health to the Longmont Symphony Orchestra (LSO). 

Dan was one of the original founders of El Comite, a Latino activist organization. He was one of the first members of LatiNoticias, a Northern Colorado Spanish Language Newspaper. Amongst the many other Community activities he is involved in, he is presently a member of the Longmont Police Department Latino Advisory Council, a member of the Board of Directors of the Longmont Housing Development Corporation (LHDC) and a volunteer for Longmont Community Justice Partnership. He has been in the field of international business for more than 20 years, has traveled and done business throughout the world and is presently an independent international consultant presently conducting the majority of his business in Mexico, and South Africa.

Board Treasurer

Joe McDonald

Joe McDonald is a CPA with five years' experience with the international accounting firm Ernst and Young and 10 years in various management positions in not-for-profit healthcare organizations in the US and in New Zealand. He served as the Vice President Finance and CFO for Boulder Community Hospital for 25 years, retiring in 2008. He has served on various not-for-profit boards, including The People's Clinic, the Center for Resource Conservation, and a founding member of the City of Boulder's original Transportation Advisory Board. Under his environmental leadership, Boulder Community Hospital was named the premier green hospital in the country.  

Board Secretary

Pat Shanks 

Pat Shanks is chair of the PLAN-Boulder County board of directors. He is interested in a broad spectrum of issues related to land use, transportation, conservation and a clean environment. Pat is a resident of Boulder and is a research geochemist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Some of Pat’s current research involves potential toxic elements in the environment, mine drainage issues and harmful effects on ecosystems.

Additional Board Members

Steve Bushong 

Steve Bushong lives in Louisville with his wife Katy, their sons Ryan and Jack and their two dogs.  Steve moved to Boulder in 1989 to attend law school at the University of Colorado and is currently a partner at the law firm of Porzak Browning & Bushong, where he practices primarily in the area of water rights, the environment and land use.  Prior to moving to Colorado, Steve was a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University studying water quality issues. Before that, he obtained a master's degree in limnology/ecology and bachelor's degree in biology at Iowa State University.

Crystal Gray

Crystal Gray served on the Boulder City Council from 2003-2011 and prior to that served on the Affordable Housing Alliance Board, Historic Boulder Board, Boulder Parks Foundation and the City of Boulders Open Space Board, Parks Board and Downtown Design Advisory Board. Crystal has a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture and worked professionally in the Parks and Open Space field for 24 years. She currently serves on the Sierra Club Indian Peaks Group Executive Board, City of Boulder Planning Board, Studio Arts Boulder Board and the Whittier Neighborhood Association. She was first involved with Eco-Cycle when they had the big yellow buses picking up neighborhood recycling and is happy to see how Eco-Cycle has grown and thrived.

Ian Jacobson

Ian Jacobson is the President of Eco-Products in Boulder, the country’s largest provider of environmentally responsible foodservice disposables.  With a professional and personal commitment to Zero Waste initiatives, he brings a broad perspective on national and regional initiatives around waste diversion from both the public and private sectors.  Prior to joining Eco-Products, Ian was responsible for growth equity investments in the natural and organics segment for Winona Capital Management in Chicago, IL following an early career in transactional finance and investment banking in Seattle, WA.  Ian lives in Boulder, CO with his wife and three children.