Join us for our 2025 Northern Connection in Sedona — a lunch-and-learn event featuring a delicious meal from local favorite Drewbies and jam-packed with speed speakers who wil highlight circularity efforts in Northern Arizona, including:
How a small business has worked to become circular
The impact of USEFULL, NAU’s reusable container system
Northern Arizona’s award-winning home composting service
How a nonprofit brought a community recycling center to Sedona
NAU’s Arizona Circular Recycling Solutions website & project
An overview of the City of Sedona’s sustainability efforts
Immediately following the event, take an exclusive tour of the Sedona Recycles Community Recycling Center to see circularity in action. Connect with like-minded professionals and gain valuable insights into advancing sustainability in the breathtaking red rocks of Sedona!
Tickets are free for Circular Arizona members and $35 for nonmember guests. Purchase your tickets now, or scroll for more event information.
Meet the Speakers
Eric Glomski is the Founder and Director of Winegrowing at Page Springs Cellars, has been shaping Arizona’s wine industry for over 29 years. Before founding Page Springs in 2004, he worked as an ecological consultant, taught at Prescott College, and helped launch multiple Arizona wineries, including Arizona Stronghold Vineyards.
Passionate about sustainability, he has led initiatives in solar power, wastewater reclamation, and composting to reduce the winery’s footprint. Eric is excited to share what Page Springs is doing to lessen its impact, the journey to get here, and the work still ahead. He lives in Page Springs with his wife, Gayle, and their Arizona-rooted family.
Kathleen Ventura is the co-owner of Compost Crowd, the award-winning compost collection business serving Northern Arizona since 2018. She and her husband, Brock Delinski, are the team providing residential, commercial, and event food scrap collection services in Flagstaff and Sedona. Their mission is to divert organic waste from landfills, engage the community in this diversion, and return valuable nutrients to the earth with a local farm partner.
A passionate environmental advocate, Kathleen was recently named Arizona's Green Leader by Green Living Magazine. Additionally, Compost Crowd earned several accolades in 2024, including Arizona's Best Eco-Friendly Service for Your Home, Best Arizona Company Doing Good for the Planet, and Best Eco-Friendly Small Business in Arizona. To learn more about Compost Crowd's collection services, you can visit CompostCrowd.com/Services.
Doug Copp is the Sedona Recycles board president and has been involved with the organization since 1994. A native Arizonan, he is a lifelong organic gardener and avid cyclist with a passion for sustainability. He holds a B.S. in Physics from Northern Arizona University and an M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Arizona.
Doug is also a mountain bike guide at Enchantment Resort, has volunteered with the U.S. Forest Service building trails in Sedona for three decades, and served as Sedona’s volunteer Bicycle Coordinator for 10 years. He and his wife, Carol, married in 1978 and have two daughters.
Fran Alvarado is a Programs Associate at the Food Recovery Network and a part-time recycling educator and greeter for Sedona Recycles. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Sustainable Communities from Northern Arizona University, where her passion for waste mitigation grew.
As Sustainability Specialist for NAU Campus Dining, Fran introduced the USEFULL reusable container system, which won the Arizona Forward Environmental Excellence Award for Circular Economy in 2025. She also helped establish a recycling partnership with Pepsi Nackard, NAU Athletics, and the Office of Sustainability to collect and recycle single-use plastics at football home games. These experiences inspired her to earn a graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Policy and Leadership from Arizona State University.
More Speakers
Richard Rushforth, Darren Bingham, and Laura Guerrero from NAU will speak on their Arizona Circular Recycling Solutions website and project.
Bryce Beck, Sustainability Manager for the City of Sedona, will speak on the City’s sustainability and circularity efforts.
Sedona Recycles Tour
The Sedona Recycles Community Recycling Center tour is outdoors, so please wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather. Limited parking is also available, so carpooling is recommended! We’ll email you to remind you a few days before the event.
Register Today
Registration is free for Circular Arizona members or $35 for nonmember guests, and includes lunch, all presentations, networking, and the tour.