Great Forest Staff

Born in Australia and educated at Melbourne University, Richard founded several non-profit environmental groups in his hometown Melbourne while pursuing a successful career with IBM Australia. In 1989, he started Great Forest Inc, based in New York City, now one of the most successful sustainability consulting companies in the U.S. In 1999, he started Blacksmith Institute; a not-for-profit organization dedicated to solving pollution related environmental issues in developing countries.

He is currently a member of the Environmental Task Force, the Energy Committee, and the Codes and Regulations Committees for the Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, a member of the Special Committee of New York's Trade Waste Commission, a member of the New York Energy Buyers Forum, and the National Recycling Coalition amongst others.  He serves on the board of the Children’s Environmental Health Center of Mount Sinai, the Kapadia Education Foundation, and is an advisor to the Goldman Prize.  He is also a LEED Accredited Professional. 

Barbara has been with Great Forest since 1992. She runs the suburban office out of Armonk, NY, "the Northern Woods of Great Forest", as she likes to say. Barbara estimates she has set up several hundred recycling programs, bid out almost as many contracts for trash and recycling. She has a Masters Degree in psychology from The New School for Social Research plus post-graduate work at Columbia University. In addition, Barbara is a Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, a certified Horticultural Therapist and Chairperson of the Steering Committee of The Native Plant Center in Valhalla, NY.

Since 1997 Ken has used his extensive knowledge of the waste industry in New York City and beyond to foster relationships with the top waste haulers and local officials, which allows Great Forest to offer our clients the most reliable waste removal services. Ken ensures each client's unique waste and recycling needs are addressed efficiently and cost-effectively.

Since 2001 Michael has managed all aspects of Great Forest's energy services. He sits on the Board of Directors at the New York Energy Consumers Council and on the Energy Committee at BOMA NY, and founded the Sustainability Committee at BOMA NY. Michael previously ran a NYSERDA Energy Efficiency "Train the Trainer" program and performed energy audits at the Association for Energy Affordability. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse.

At Great Forest, Anna manages the sustainability projects including LEED-EB certification, carbon footprints, ISO 14001 and sustainability management systems focusing on best environmental practices for businesses.  Anna volunteers with New York City's Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE).  She also regularly works with a Brooklyn public school group through New York Cares and has been a "Big" with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program since 2005.  Anna is LEED accredited through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and holds a B.A. from Smith College.

Maya has worked on promoting numerous environmental initiatives in New York since 1992. She joined Great Forest staff in 1995 and is now working on managing all aspects of marketing, recycling, waste management and conservation for hotel clients throughout the city. In addition, Maya assists Blacksmith Institute with coordination and administration of projects in Eastern Europe.

Amy handles a variety of projects at Great Forest including the
implementation of LEED-EB for commercial buildings, recycling and waste assessments, and sustainability management systems.  Prior to joining Great Forest, Amy worked as a journalist and filmmaker. She is from Seattle and holds a BA in Communications from Western Washington University, and a MA in International Affairs from The New School. She is LEED accredited through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 

Erwin has been managing waste removal accounts through GFMS for over seven years. He handles accounts payable and receivable for clients all over the country with professionalism and courtesy. Erwin is also responsible for assisting our office with IT issues.

Gabriel brings extensive accounting experience to our staff. He is responsible for accounts payable and receivable and is the account manager for many of our top clients. Gabriel assists clients with waste removal services in a prompt and cost-effective manner.

Jonathan works with various companies managing sustainability and recycling projects, ISO 14001 EMS’s and sustainability management systems.  These initiatives focus on continual environmental performance improvements and result in a reduction of the client’s environmental footprint.  Jonathan is an ISO 14001 certified auditor, and has a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Olivia is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  She holds a degree in Communications and in Political Science and is LEED accredited for Commercial Interiors.  At Great Forest she is part of our sustainability consulting team.  Olivia manages recycling systems and advises on sustainable practices at several properties throughout Manhattan and New Jersey.  

As a sustainability consultant, Tommy designs recycling programs, helps clients achieve LEED certification, and creates and implements general sustainability initiatives for properties in the New York area. Thomas holds a BA from Fordham University with a major in economics and a minor in marketing.  He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.  

As a sustainability consultant, Kevin helps to design and execute sustainability initiatives for Great Forest’s many clients.  Kevin has spent a year studying anthropology and urban environmental issues at the University of Complutense in Madrid and holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Kevin is a LEED Accredited Professional. 

As the DC-area representative for Great Forest, David consults on recycling and waste management initiatives for commercial properties in VA, MD and DC. David provides assistance with recycling systems design and implementation, competitive bidding for waste removal services, and program monitoring and reporting.  His extensive experience with business operations and management, and his passion for the environment make David a welcome addition to the Great Forest team.

Melissa has been consulting on environmental issues in various capacities since 2003. As a Sustainability Consultant at Great Forest, Melissa helped expand our donation assistance program, as well as our newsletter The Waste Paper. Prior to working at Great Forest, Melissa studied and implemented waste management programs in Poughkeepsie, New York. Melissa currently works remotely from Burlington, Vermont and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Vassar College.

Katie is the office manager and personal assistant to Richard Fuller.  She handles most of the office's administrative needs but steps in to do just about any odd job, as well.  She holds a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.

Magdalene manages strategic communications and publicity for Great Forest, handling all press inquires and outreach to get the word out about our clients and projects.  She has spearheaded numerous national PR campaigns for some of the country’s leading nonprofit and arts organizations and corporations, and she is also a seasoned film/video producer.  Magdalene holds an M.S. in marketing communications from Boston University. 

Yovelice brings extensive customer service and accounting experience. She is responsible for maintaining clients' day to day waste removal services, as well as all accounting matters.

Michelle is the receptionist.  She also supports the office with general administrative work including collections of accounts receivable, certificates of insurance, and metrics data.