The Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast

Rhonda Mace, affectionately known as "Recycle Rhonda," is a passionate environmental educator and school outreach coordinator for the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) in Vermont. With a background in entomology—once aspiring to teach high school science as a self-proclaimed "bug-ologist"—Mace pivoted her love for nature into a dynamic career promoting sustainability. She visits schools acros...

"Richard is a nationally recognized expert in workplace safety training. He has served as the AGC/VT Safety Director for more than a decade and is an OSHA/MSHA certified trainer. His skills have been acknowledged by many Vermont companies who have sent employees to the extensive safety courses taught by Richard over the past 15 years.  Richard also assists AGC/VT members before federal and state g...

Joe quizzes Erin on the age old question? Do you Trash it? Or Recycle it? Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally owned company with 12 years of industry experience. Every week here on the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, we highlight local heroes and organizations that are doing great work in our community.

“Mark has been Spectrum’s Executive Director since 2003. He has worked with homeless and at-risk youth since 1981 – in New York City; Westchester, NY; and Stamford, CT. Before going to Spectrum, Mark was the Associate Executive Director of the Domus Foundation and helped start the city’s first charter school for low-income middle school children. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Villanov...

Lisa Fitzgerald is a dedicated advocate and volunteer with the American Cancer Society in Vermont, where she channels her passion for community health into supporting cancer patients and their families. Based in the Green Mountain State, Lisa plays a key role in local initiatives, including fundraising events like Relay For Life and awareness campaigns that promote early detection and access to ca...

Jeffrey R. Myers, President and co-founder of Myers Container Service Corp. (The Red Can Family), has led the Colchester, Vermont-based waste management and recycling company since 1994. Starting with construction debris removal, Myers expanded the family-owned business to serve residential, commercial, and industrial clients across Northern Vermont, emphasizing sustainability and reliability. Wit...

In this episode of the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, hosts Erin and Joe welcome Sara Vizvarie, a licensed realtor specializing in residential and manufactured housing in Vermont. Sara discusses real estate trends, emphasizing the popularity of clean, airy aesthetics like gray and white color schemes, while advising homeowners to personalize their spaces for themselves, not just for resale...

Milne Travel is an independent, family owned, travel management company. Originally founded by Marion Milne in Barre, Vt in 1975, we have continued to grow; out of more than 30,000 travel agencies nationwide, Milne Travel ranks among the top 100 in annual sales. As Marion originally established, we have a culture of caring here at Milne Travel. We care for our clients by providing them the best va...

In this podcast, hosts Erin and Joe interview Ted Tomlinson, owner of The Spanked Puppy Restaurant & Pub in Colchester, Vermont. They discuss the etiquette of keeping mistakenly delivered food, with Ted supporting a "finders keepers" stance. He shares updates on the restaurant’s football season pick-em pool, new video wall, and popular brunch, alongside their food scrap management with Myers C...

In this episode of the *Trash Talking and Giving Back* podcast, hosts Erin Cofield Barker and Joe Sinagra interview Tim Mack, president of Tankout, a Vermont company specializing in residential oil tank removal. Tim discusses his environmentally conscious business, which recycles scrap metal and repurposes used oil for heating or maple syrup production. With an estimated 100,000 to 110,000 oil tan...

Erin Cofiell Barker and Joe Sinagra are back! Joe updates on Myers Containers’ hiring success and recycling efforts in Colchester, while Erin shares a daycare dirt-throwing tale and poolside summer fun. They dive into Vermont’s construction debris laws, banning sheetrock, cardboard, wood, concrete, and metal from the state’s only landfill for large projects. Learn how - Myers recycles these into d...

This week Joe and Erin discuss composting. Listen in and learn something new! Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally owned company with 12 years of industry experience. Every week here on the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, we highlight local heroes and organizations that are doing great work in our community.

Kurt Wright (born February 7, 1956) is a former American politician and radio host from Burlington, Vermont. A Republican, he served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2001 to 2019 and on the Burlington City Council intermittently between 1995 and 2020, including as president from 2007 to 2009 and 2018 to 2020. Born in Middlebury, Vermont, Wright graduated from Vergennes Union High Schoo...

Ed Boldwin is a Winooski, Vermont native and co-owner of the Dumb Luck Pub & Grill. Originally from the car-sales industry in Vermont and New Hampshire, he transitioned to the restaurant business, driven by a passion for customer service. In the early 1990s, he worked for about a decade with the Ground Round Grill & Bar chain in Boston and New Hampshire and took on occasional bartending gi...

Anson Tebbetts was appointed by Governor Phil Scott to be the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets in 2016. Anson grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Cabot, where they raised Jersey cows, kept sheep, and operated a Vermont maple sugaring business. Alongside farming, Anson built a long and successful career in broadcasting, working in both radio and television. An award-winning reporter and...

Tom O'Keefe is the past president of South Burlington Rotary Club and chair of the 2025 Rotary Golf Tournament at Vermont National Golf Course.  He is retired and lives in South Burlington with his wife Beth and has two college-age kids.  Tom has been a Rotary member since 2018. Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally ow...

Joe and Erin catch up, talk a little trash and sponsorships. Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally owned company with 12 years of industry experience. Every week here on the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, we highlight local heroes and organizations that are doing great work in our community.

Tim Smith has served as the mayor of St. Albans, Vermont, since 2018, having been re-elected most recently in 2024 for another term. A lifelong resident with deep community ties, he is the executive director of the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation. . Smith has focused on sustaining downtown revitalization, supporting local businesses, and improving neighborhood conditions through...

A 1992 graduate of Rice Memorial High School and 1996 graduate of Keene State College, C.J. was named 2003 New York-Penn League Executive of the Year Award and 2006 recipient of the Robert Julian Community & Baseball Service Award. After leaving Vermont in 2009, C.J. spent 10 years as Senior Vice President of the Connecticut Tigers. After serving as the Lake Monsters Assistant General Manager...

As Estimating and Purchasing Manager at O’Brien Brothers since July 2019, Brandon manages subcontractor and vendor relationships, project budgets, and database systems. With extensive experience in custom home building and building sciences, his expertise in construction management and architectural drafting shines through in projects across New England, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Cape C...

Meghan Masterson started her career supporting children and families in 2008 at a small public school in New Hampshire, ultimately joining KidSafe Collaborative in September 2021. She fundamentally believes that all children deserve to be loved, cared for, and celebrated for who they are.  Meghan received her undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire, a masters degree from Ball Sta...

Mike Billado is a skilled race car driver from Grand Isle, Vermont, known for his competitive edge in regional stock car racing. In 2019, he won the final 75-lap race of the Myers Container Triple Crown Series in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers division at Thunder Road Speedbowl, showcasing his talent by outlasting rookie Stephen Martin. Beyond the racetrack, Billado works as an emplo...

Founded in 2019, Dad Guild is a Vermont-based nonprofit organization that is home to a growing network of over 1,000 dads across the state. We believe that when dads and masculine-identifying caregivers are engaged in their caregiving roles, children experience positive outcomes, dads experience positive mental health benefits, large steps towards gender equality are taken and cycles of generation...

Dan Osman is a seasoned youth development professional with over two decades of experience in summer camps, serving as a camper, counselor, and director. Renowned as a leading expert in creating impactful camp experiences, he has been the Director of Development at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in South Hero, Vermont, where he leverages his expertise to enhance programs for children with cancer and their familie...

Rob Coburn is a Sales Representative at Myers Container Service Corp. in Winooski, Vermont, where he leverages his networking skills to grow the company’s commercial and residential client base. With two years at Myers, Rob brings experience from retail management and 14 years as a Case Manager and Crisis Worker in Vermont’s social services, excelling in customer relations and community engagement...