Meet Our Zero Waste Team
Kyle LaRue
Director of Zero Waste and Compliance
Kyle joined CCNB’s Recycling Program as an Assistant Supervisor in 2016 and quickly gained a vast amount of experience in youth development, conflict resolution, compliance management, and the complex and ever-evolving recycling industry. After his tenures as the Assistant Supervisor, Supervisor, Lead Supervisor, and Recycling Program Coordinator, and Zero Waste Program Manager before being promoted to Director of Zero Waste and Compliance in 2022. Currently in his role as Director, Kyle works to develop and support community partnerships between local organizations/municipalities and the Zero Waste Program and ensures CCNB as a whole maintains safety and program compliance with various agencies and funders.
Brandon Benton
Zero Waste Program Manager ★
Brandon first joined CCNB in 2009 as a Natural Resources Crew corpsmember. After completing the program term, he left the Corps to enter in the work world and attend the Santa Rosa Junior College. Brandon rejoined CCNB in a staff role as a driver for the recycling department in 2012, and then grew into the position of Crew Supervisor for the Recycling Program before becoming the Zero Waste Program Coordinator in 2019 and being promoted to the role of Zero Waste Program Manager in 2022. In his role as Zero Waste Program Manager, Brandon leads the application, tracking, compliance, reporting, and execution of CCNB’s annual CalRecycle grant. He also oversees the Zero Waste Program’s partnerships, fee-for-service contracting, and advancement of the events and projects portfolio. Brandon is also key in assisting with the advancement of the program by helping to identify new avenues of growth and opportunities to serve the community. One of Brandon’s favorite parts about working with CCNB is the opportunity to pay his experience forward by assisting youth reach their career and educational goals.
Nickolas Gambonini
Zero Waste Program Coordinator
Nick first joined CCNB in June 2017 as an assistant supervisor for the Zero Waste Program. In 2020 he was promoted to Zero Waste Supervisor, then in January 2022 he was promoted to the Zero Waste Program Coordinator. Nick was drawn to CCNB by the chance to mentor at-risk young adults to help them attain a better life than what they had coming into the program by offering the support, leadership, and positive role model that these young adults need.
Mentoring youth has always been a passion of Nick’s, which began in 2013 when he was a volunteer coach for Special Olympics basketball and softball. He also enjoys volunteering as a coach for both Boys N’ Girls Club and Miracle League North Bay. In the words of his hero, Kobe Bryant, “Others view it as hard work, to me it’s just I love what I do, so I want to do it as much as possible”.
Matt Simmons
Zero Waste Events and Organics Coordinator ★
In 2017 Matthew started his journey with CCNB in late August. After almost a year he applied for an open Assistant Events Supervisor position and was offered the job. Since then, he has climbed the ladder earning the positions of Events Supervisor and then onto the Lead Events Supervisor role. In his time here he has earned the newly opened position of Zero Waste Programs Events & Organics Coordinator. In his free time, he loves spending time with his family and coaching high school football.
Ian Bradford, Zero Waste Events Supervisor ★
Victor Jaimes, Sonoma Zero Waste Program Supervisor
Jerry Souvannalat, Sonoma Zero Waste Program Supervisor
John Walsh, Sonoma Zero Waste Program Supervisor
Nicholas Deleissegues, Marin Zero Waste Program Supervisor
Miguel Perez Castillo, Marin Zero Waste Program Supervisor ★
Benny Thirakoun, Sonoma Zero Waste Lead Supervisor ★
Diana Gonzalez, Marin Zero Waste Program Supervisor
Albert Sedeno, Sonoma Zero Waste Program Supervisor ★
Jimmie Thornton, Marin Zero Waste Lead Supervisor
A star (★) next to a staff title denotes that this staff member is a former corpsmember. We are proud to have so many former program participants among our staff!
Conservation Corps North Bay is the oldest local nonprofit youth conservation corps in the country. Serving Marin and Sonoma Counties since 1982, CCNB has helped thousands of young people achieve their goals through education and job skills, while serving the environment and community.