Board of Directors
Toward Zero Waste is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in North Carolina focused on helping individuals, families and communities move toward zero waste by minimizing waste of all kinds, one step at a time.
Kathleen is a registered dietitian with a bachelor of science in Nutrition from Appalachian State University. She worked at Rex Hospital in Raleigh,North Carolina, as a clinical dietitian until she transitioned to the nonprofit sector working as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Step Up Organization. At the same time, her passion for sustainability was sparked by reading Bea Johnson’s book Zero Waste Home. Kathleen joined the Toward Zero Waste team as it became a non-profit in January 2020 and established the volunteer program as its first Volunteer Director. In February of 2023, Kathleen stepped into the role of Executive Director for Toward Zero Waste. In the last two years she worked with a North Carolina General Assembly representative to file eco-conscious legislation and she has facilitated a public private partnership between the county and a local realty corporation to implement the first free compost drop-off site in Raleigh. In addition, she worked to obtain grants from various entities to provide funding for the organization’s programs.
Shriya is a junior at UNC Chapel Hill double majoring in Environmental Science and Public Policy and minoring in Engineering. She first started working at Toward Zero Waste for her Girl Scout Gold Award, where she made the Toward Zero Waste Kids Page. Since then she has helped with multiple projects including the Teens Talk Webinars and a youth grant. Shriya is passionate about helping the environment and is interested in pursuing a career in clean energy, environmental policy, or the circular economy. Shriya is thrilled to be working with TZW as she believes the organization is making a positive impact on the environment and is proud to help in any way she can.
Dawn Comfort is a software developer by trade. She combines her technical know-how with her passion for the environment to educate and inspire her fellow community members and advocate for sustainable change. As an environmental leader in her faith community, Dawn came to understand that individual change is not enough and we need our organizations, businesses and communities to embrace sustainable change. She would love to see Raleigh step up and become a leader in this space and works within the community with this end goal in mind.
Leigh Williams lives in Cary, NC with her husband, two teenage daughters and a Basenji named Millie. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clemson University in1996 and enjoyed several years exploring the western United States as a travel nurse. She later moved with her husband to Europe where they spent 6 years as expats in Switzerland, Italy and England.
Leigh started moving “toward zero waste” in September of 2015 after reading Bea Johnson’s book Zero Waste Home. Bea’s single jar of trash a year for a family of four didn’t seem possible for her own family, but she knew she could do better and was inspired to try.
Wanting to share the journey, Leigh teamed up with Dargan Gilmore after they met on an international zero waste Facebook group. Together, they formed Toward Zero Waste and began to inspire others to move toward a zero waste lifestyle.
On January 1, 2019, she started her own version of a trash challenge to see how long it would take her family to fill up their 95 gallon curbside bin. They pulled their bin to the curb that year at the end of November!
Though no longer working directly on TZW projects, Leigh continues to grow her knowledge and share her passion by speaking, teaching, and engaging with others in the community.
Previous Board Members
Patty works at NC State University’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Extension program. Patty turned a passion for the environment into her organization called Greenish Neighbor and has partnered with Toward Zero Waste since 2016 to help others take realistic steps in their journey to reduce waste. She enjoys sharing helpful information about how to be kinder to the planet and helps connect eco-friendly businesses and organizations with environmentally conscientious consumers through the NC Green Business Directory. She lives in Cary with her husband and has two sons in college.
Greg is a freelance graphic designer, specializing in providing affordable design services to nonprofits and small businesses. His passion lies in helping organizations create visual branding that reflects their identity and purpose. He grew up in Raleigh, NC, attended college at Appalachian State University, and currently lives in Cary, NC with his wife and two children.
Greg began volunteering with Toward Zero Waste way back in 2016, when Dargan Gilmore and Leigh Williams enlisted his help with creating a logo and website. Through his involvement with TZW, he has gained a deeper understanding of waste and its environmental impact and is constantly amazed at the kind of change a small, but dedicated and passionate group can achieve. With his background as a business owner and previous involvement on nonprofit boards, he is thrilled to bring his wealth of experience to Toward Zero Waste, and considers it a privilege to serve on the Board of such an incredible nonprofit.
