Welcome Kelly Doordan Trash Free Maryland’s New Executive Director!
Meet our New Executive Director!
Kelly Doordan began her new role with Trash Free Maryland on September 3, 2024. Kelly brings deep experience in the place where science, policy and advocacy meet. A biologist by training, Kelly also holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and a Law Degree from Indiana University. Most recently, she chaired the environmental impact working group of the Montgomery County Food Council. Convening stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities for an environmentally sustainable food system, she worked tirelessly to organize opportunities for community participation in decision-making and facilitated public meetings showcasing community-led projects.
Kelly's passion for reducing trash and litter shows itself throughout the arc of her career from her work with the East Silver Spring Elementary School Green Team as part of the PTA to her work for EPA Region 9 on the west coast where Kelly served as a Tribal Solid Waste Team Leader and Tribal Liaison in EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Solid Waste.
“In our two year search for our next leader, Trash Free Maryland has taken its time to find just the right person given the critical needs to reduce trash and litter, clean up our neighborhoods and reduce plastic. Kelly stood out,” said Board Chair, Sean Cosgrove. “Her experience and drive, and passion for creating strong relationships, emphasis on learning from others and dedication to creating smart policy make Kelly just the right fit.”
Trash Free Maryland leads a Coalition of over 80 partners to advocate for policies to reduce single use plastics and create systemic change to get litter off of our streets and out of our waterways. Our Coalition has successfully advocated for single use product bans like banning polystyrene foam food containers, supporting local plastic bag bans and are working toward a systemic wide policy for Maryland to reduce trash and litter. Passing a bill to bring 'Producer Responsibility for Packaging' to Maryland in 2025 will reduce the volume of packaging brought to our state, modernize our recycling system and get more trash off of our streets. Packaging is nearly a third of the waste we create.
“I’m excited to connect partners and advocate for effective solutions. I look forward to working together toward a future free of trash for all Marylanders.”
Trash Free Maryland collects data to support all of this work. The organization's annual 'Cheers to Clean Water' will be held in Baltimore on September 21st. Register here to help collect data that changes policy, support small independently owned Baltimore businesses and meet Kelly!
“Trash Free Maryland is the only advocacy organization in Maryland dedicated solely to reducing trash and waste and plastic. There are enormous public health, climate, societal and economic benefits to getting this done. I am very grateful to have Kelly leading this work.”
