Skip to main content

Speaker Information 

The image highlights speakers for the 4th Annual Solid Waste Summit, featuring keynote and guest speakers with their affiliations.
Jennifer Tabanico, Behavior Change & Breakout Session 

Jennifer is recognized internationally as an expert in applying behavioral science and community-based social marketing to foster a wide range of environmental behavior changes, including those impacting waste, water, air quality, biodiversity, and energy.

For over twenty years, she has worked with federal, state, and local government agencies, private companies, and community organizations across the globe. Jennifer is skilled at translating insights from the behavioral sciences so that they are accessible to practitioners who are working to create effective behavior change initiatives. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Social Influence, and Social Marketing Quarterly. She has also contributed chapters to books on hazardous waste management, social marketing, and producer responsibility and is coauthor of the 4th edition of Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing (2025).

Since 2016, Jennifer has served as an instructor for the Behavior Change and Sustainability and the Sustainable Business Practices Certificate Programs at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Extended Studies. 

Emily Coven, Presentation Title to Come 
Christina Westbrook, Textile Recovery 
Kendra Paulding, Public Dumping and Community Beautification 

Executive Director, EcoSlo

Kendra grew up in Sacramento before relocating to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly, where she earned a degree in Business Finance. After graduating, she launched her career at Morgan Stanley and later partnered with her husband to manage their own boutique law practice.

 A dedicated community member, Kendra has enjoyed serving on several local nonprofit boards and organizing volunteer cleanup events throughout SLO County. Her deep roots in the area and commitment to environmental protection make her an excellent fit for ECOSLO, where she seeks to leverage her experience and passion to enhance the organization’s impact on the community.

In her free time, Kendra loves gardening, cooking, and taking daily walks with her husband and their dog, Remy.

Zach Zimmerman, Panel Discussion Leader 
Jessica McGinis, Panel Discussion Leader 
Tom Gratz, Panel Discussion Leader 
Join our mailing list