Glass Recycling Foundation appoints executive board president

Scott DeFife, president of the Arlington, Virginia-based Glass Packaging Institute (GPI), has been appointed as the president of the Glass Recycling Foundation’s (GRF) executive board. Jennifer Cumbee of Ardagh Group, which has headquarters in Ireland, has also been appointed as the newest member of the GRF board of directors.

DeFife succeeds Lynn Bragg as board president and joins Ron Holmes of Diageo, which has headquarters in London, and Laura Hennemann of Strategic Materials, Houston, as officers of GRF’s executive board, GRF reports in a news release on the leadership appointments.

“I am honored to serve as president of GRF’s executive board,” DeFife says. “I am grateful for the time and talent that Lynn Bragg contributed to the board and thank her for her years of leadership. I look forward to continuing her work and driving forward GRF’s mission to promote and preserve glass recycling across America. GPI and GRF already work closely together to address gaps in the glass recycling supply chain and increase glass recycling access through education and industry collaboration. I am eager to continue building upon this important work.”

“First, I would like to thank Lynn Bragg for all her work in leading the GRF and getting the foundation to where it is today,” adds Holmes, treasurer of the GRF's executive board. “I am very excited to have Scott take on the role as president. With his background and expertise, he will be able to continue to grow the GRF and its mission to positively impact glass recycling around the U.S.”

GRF, a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Virginia, was founded in April 2019 to provide and raise funds for localized and targeted assistance, demonstration and pilot projects that address gaps in the glass recycling supply chain across the U.S. According to GRF, DeFife is taking the helm as board president just as the organization has received the foundation’s first $50,000 to its endowment. Owens-Illinois (O-I) Charities Foundation and Diageo North America each donated $25,000 to support GRF through pilot projects, GRF reports.