Top: BioCycle Senior Editor Craig Coker, recipient of the Jerome Goldstein Lifetime Achievement Award.

Craig Coker (top) from his motorcycle riding days and speaking at a BioCycle Conference (bottom).

Craig Coker, principal of Coker Composting & Consulting and BioCycle’s long-time Senior Editor, received the Jerome Goldstein Lifetime Achievement Award at the US Composting Council’s (USCC) annual conference in Austin (TX) on January 26. The Award, created by the USCC in 2009 in honor of Jerome Goldstein, founder of BioCycle, is given to an individual who has achieved excellence in their field of study and who has made significant contributions to the field of environmental stewardship and natural resource sustainability in his or her lifetime. “The Goldstein family is thrilled that Craig received this distinguished honor,” says Nora Goldstein, BioCycle Editor. “Craig has been a long-time contributor to BioCycle, dating back to 1979 when he wrote ‘Bulking Agent Selection in Sludge Composting Facility Design.’ We rely on Craig’s knowledge and insights to guide readers on a wide range of topics related to organics recycling — from why and how fires start at composting and mulch production facilities and how to suppress them to selecting depackaging equipment to composting aeration system design and odor management. And much more!”

Coker’s consulting services include facility design and management, organics collection program development, feedstock assessments, conducting due diligence for investors, and business development. “Craig’s passion for education and training to equip composting and anaerobic digestion facility operators and municipal programs to succeed underlies all of his endeavors,” adds Goldstein.

Other annual award recipients at the 2022 ceremonies include:

• Organics Program: Compost Crew (Rockville, MD), a food waste collection service and small-scale composter
• Large-Scale Compost Manufacturer (facility producing >10,000 tons/year): Inland Empire Regional Composting Facility (Chino, CA), which processes about 200,000 wet tons/year of biosolids with green waste
• Small-Scale Compost Manufacturer (producing 10,000 tons/year or less): Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (Kingston, NY), which composts source separated organics and yard trimmings
• H. Clark Gregory Award (public outreach and grassroots initiatives): Renee Wallace (Detroit, MI), Executive Director of FoodPLUS Detroit, a nonprofit organization advocating for food access and community composting
• Volunteer of the Year: Kellie Kish, City of Minneapolis (MN) Recycling Coordinator
• Young Professional of the Year: Kristine Ellsworth, New York State Department of Conservation’s Organics Reduction and Recycling Section