Circular Arizona hosts 2026 annual meeting, recognizes leaders and elects new board members
Phoenix, Arizona — Circular Arizona convened members, partners, and community leaders at its Annual Meeting on Feb. 26 to celebrate progress toward an equitable circular economy and recognize individuals and organizations advancing sustainability across the state.
The event featured keynote speaker Yolanda Soto, Founder and CEO of Borderlands Produce Rescue. Yolanda shared the story of transforming surplus produce into a powerful solution for food insecurity and climate impact — demonstrating how circular systems can address both environmental and social challenges.
The program also included recognition of Circular Arizona’s 2026 award recipients, grant and scholarship honorees, and the election of new board members.
2026 Award Recipients
Individual of the Year — Sibia Torres Padilla
Large Business of the Year — Mayo Clinic Arizona
Municipality of the Year — City of Flagstaff, Arizona
Nonprofit of the Year — The Children's Museum of Phoenix
School of the Year — Tucson Unified School District & UofA School Garden Workshop
Small Business of the Year — The Bra Recyclers
Read more about our 2026 award recipients at CircularArizona.org/News.
2026 Grant Recipients
FABRIC Tempe — Sew-cular Exchange textile reuse hub
Bold Reuse in partnership with Walter Where?House — durable cup reuse system
2026 Scholarship Recipients
Lola Kolodisner — Northern Arizona University
Jaafar Ballout — Arizona State University
Newly Elected Board Members
Traci Conaway, City of Chandler (reelected)
Brynn Katz, Nackard Pepsi
Deanna Gogol, Bold Reuse
John Fedyski, We ReUse
Kenzie Jackson, University of Arizona Office of Sustainability
Kiley Westergaard, Town of Gilbert
Matt Huang, Aevium Advisory LLC
Michael Lipton, Arizona Pacific Plastics
Tim Torres, Stardust
Karen Jayne, Roberto Shapiro-Heredia, Alyssa Knowles, Alyssa Tarpley, and Alexandra Craig continue their terms on the Circular Arizona board of directors. Meet the full Circular Arizona board at CircularArizona.org/Board.
Circular Arizona also honored former Vice Chair Alexis Yaple with Lifetime Member recognition for her four years of board leadership and longstanding commitment to advancing zero-waste systems in Arizona.
Through celebration, collaboration, and leadership, the Annual Meeting reaffirmed Circular Arizona’s mission to foster an equitable circular economy and connect Arizonans through innovation, education, and partnership.
Circular Arizona envisions an equitable circular economy for a sustainable Arizona. Learn more about our mission and programs at CircularArizona.org.
Media Contact:
Ryan Gurr
Circular Arizona
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Photo Gallery
Photos courtesy Alyssa Tarpley, Circular Arizona board member.
