Beyond Plastic: Problems and Solutions in Puerto Rico

Judith Enck

President, Beyond Plastics

A dynamic community leader who has spent her expansive career working to protect public health and the environment, Judith began as an environmental advocate and has held influential positions in state and federal government. Appointed by President Obama, Judith served as a regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing environmental protection in New York, New Jersey, eight Native American nations, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Judith is a senior fellow and visiting professor at Bennington College, where she teaches courses on plastic pollution, and was a visiting fellow at Pace University's Elisabeth Haub School of Law.

Megan Wolff

Policy Director, Beyond Plastics

Megan is a public health historian who aims to use history to inform policy. After receiving her master's and doctoral degrees in public health from Columbia University, she spent over a decade at Weill Cornell Medical College, where she developed a mental health policy initiative within the Department of Psychiatry. She believes that climate change is the greatest threat to health and well-being in contemporary life, and that the overproduction of plastics touches on every aspect of the climate struggle. She lives with her family in New Paltz, New York.

Brenda Torres

Executive Director, San Juan Bay Estuary Program

A professional in the field of sustainability, she has extensive experience in environmental management, corporate social responsibility, and public policy development through empowerment and multi-sector partnerships. She has held leadership positions in Puerto Rico and the United States. She is a LEED-accredited professional for green building development. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Brenda's passion is managing nonprofit organizations dedicated to habitat conservation and restoration. She was part of the New York State Department of Environment team, where she advised Governor Andrew Cuomo. She also directed the Puerto Rico Government Office for Federal Affairs in New York. In California, Brenda served as Executive Director of the state's third-largest Audubon Society chapter, serving 4,000 active members and over 100 volunteers. In addition, she worked as a Public Policy Analyst for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C. At the end of 2016, Brenda returned to Puerto Rico with her family to contribute her skills to the island. Currently, Brenda serves as Executive Director of the San Juan Bay Estuary Program.

Kaira Fuentes

Program Manager, Syracuse University

Originally from Puerto Rico, Kaira Fuentes is an environmental scientist, community planner, and researcher. She received her bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), a master's degree in Environmental Planning from the UPR School of Planning, and a doctorate in Environmental and Community Planning from the College of Environmental and Forestry Sciences at the State University of New York. Her areas of expertise include collaborative planning, governance, integrated watershed management, resilience, and sustainable materials management, and she works at the Center for Sustainable Community Solutions at Syracuse University. Kaira believes in empowering communities through collaborative practices that lead to sustainable governance.

Francis V. Aquinas

CHANGE/Circular Generation

Francisco is an attorney and policy analyst. As an attorney, he has worked on environmental compliance, community economic development, small business services, and intellectual property. As a policy analyst, he has primarily contributed to the development and implementation of strategies for achieving a circular economy in Puerto Rico. He is currently part of CAMBIO, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable solutions for the energy and waste management sectors in Puerto Rico. He is also an advisor and researcher at Circular Generation. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico and a master's degree in psychology from Albizu University.