Michele Raymond, was the founder of Raymond Communications Inc., which publishes State Recycling Laws Update and Recycling Laws International; offers monitoring, analysis and seminars in recycling legislation; and conducts the annual "Take it Back!" conference, which focuses on the latest developments in recycling legislation, environmental packaging issues and producer responsibility.

Ms. Raymond, who passed away in April, 2005, covered recycling legislation for 14 years, and plastics and packaging for seven years; and she launched four newsletters for other publishers. She was a columnist for Plastics News and Packaging Magazine. Clients have included Association of Rotational Molders, the U.S EPA and Fortune 500 clients.

Bruce Popka, Vice President, has had various responsibilities at Raymond Communications since its founding in 1991. Mr Popka has more than 20 years of diverse experience in the communications, marketing and publishing. He received a M.A. degree in Communications from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and a B.A. degree in Communications from Purdue University.

Lorah Utter has been the Editor of State Recycling Laws Update and Recycling Laws International since May 2004. Ms. Utter has written newspaper articles, news stories for radio stations, and edited a newsletter in Mexico, where she once resided. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton where she majored in Communications.

Mary Robbins is a writer/editorial assistant at Raymond Communications. She is a senior at the University of Maryland, pursuing a degree in journalism. Prior to joining Raymond Communications, Mary worked in the editorial department of the National Education Association.

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS & CONSULTANTS

Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson is Recycling Laws International's freelance Latin American correspondent and has lived in Brazil since 1999. She has reporting experience in a broad range of business and environmental issues in Latin America. Ms. Johnson's many academic degrees include an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas and B.A. in Hispanic Languages and Literature, Political Science and Latin American Iberian Studies from the University of Wisconsin. She also studied at the University of Sao Paulo.

Christian Molinari

Christian Molinari, who resides in Chile, is Raymond Communications' second Latin American correspondent. When not reporting on new recycling and environmental laws, Mr. Molinari works as an editor for Business News Americas. He is fluent in Spanish and has a B.S. in Political Science from Santa Clara University in California.

Kris Pollet

Kris Pollet, Raymond Communications' European correspondent, was the head of the EU environment law and policy practice at the Brussels office of global law firm White & Case. He is now running his own environmental advisory company, Pollet Environmental Consulting.

Mr. Pollet also writes a monthly column on REACH developments for Recycling Laws International.

Ming-Shen Lai, Ph.D.

Dr. Ming-Shen Lai, Raymond Communications' Asian correspondent, has more than 14 years of experience working in the environmental management field. He has been writing extensively for government and NGO publications in Taiwan on issues such as waste management, green procurement, ecolabelling, energy efficiency and GHG emission reductions. Dr. Lai is fluent in Chinese and has a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from SUNY-Buffalo.

Kim Leslie

Kim Leslie is a consultant to Raymond Communications, playing a role in the firm's annual Take it Back! Conference and audio/web conferences conducted throughout the year. She has a broad writing and publications marketing experience, including 4 years at Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. Ms. Leslie received a M.S. degree in Communications from the University of Tennessee and a B.A.degree in English Literature from Maryville College.

Perchards

Raymond Communications has been working with Perchards in St. Albans, U.K. since 1995. Perchards has been following European recycling policy issues for 15 years.

Note: Our working relationships and exchanges help us research our newsletters. It should be explained that none of our clients, sources, or advertisers or sponsors has any influence on the content of the newsletters. Raymond Communications provides no lobbying services, and will not accept work from certain associations.