← Back to Info Hub

Executive Leadership Grows at The Recycling Partnership as the Organization Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

New Chief Development Officer, Chief People Officer join team of experts, practitioners, and thought leaders building a better recycling system. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. Nov. 4, 2024 Today, The Recycling Partnership (The Partnership) announced two new members of its executive leadership team. Chris Wirth has been promoted to Chief Development Officer and Billie Wright joins the organization as Chief People Officer. Both appointments come as The Recycling Partnership celebrates its first ten years of impact and plans for future growth as it delivers on its mission to build a better recycling system. 

After joining The Partnership as Vice President of Market Development in January, Chris Wirth stepped into the role of Interim Chief Development Officer in August 2024, bringing a strong vision to the Development team and quickly building trust with The Partnership’s more than 100 partners. Wirth has over 20 years of expertise and has held commercial leadership roles in various venture-backed climate tech startups in the sustainability, circularity, and renewable energy sectors. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for AMP Robotics, a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry. In this role, he oversaw corporate communications and government and regulatory affairs and originated strategic industry partnerships for market development. 

Chris is known throughout our industry and organization as a level-headed problem solver and an excellent teammate,” said Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership. “A positive force for good, Chris is committed to The Partnership’s core values and mission of building a better recycling system. We look forward to seeing his impact as Chief Development Officer. 

Billie Wright holds certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and as a certified SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), along with a Manager 360 Leadership Training certification, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace, and Change Management, among others, and has held several leadership roles including with Washington State cabinet agencies, a public benefits corporation , and most recently with The University Co-Op, the largest national retailer for the University of Texas gifts and apparel. Wright serves on the Board of Directors for the Austin Society for Human Resource Management.  

Our people are at the heart of our organization, said Harrison. Billie brings extensive human resources experience that will be instrumental in maintaining our strong culture and achieving our goals as we head into our second decade of impact. 

For more information about The Recycling Partnership and its leadership, visit: https://recyclingpartnership.org/staff/ 

About The Recycling Partnership     

The Recycling Partnership is a purpose-driven organization committed to building a better recycling system, one that delivers the economic and environmental benefits our communities and the hundreds of thousands of people who work throughout the recycling industry deserve. The Recycling Partnership’s team of experts, practitioners, and thought leaders with real-world experience works with its partners to insist on meaningful change across the recycling system and assist communities, companies, and policymakers in enacting such change. The Recycling Partnership uses its one-of-a-kind National Recycling Database that encompasses more than 9,000 U.S. recycling programs and develops practical and innovative solutions to address critical gaps in the recycling system. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org.