Our Mission:
“Cleaning up our World, one piece of trash at a time.”
Our Values:
Love | Conservation | Collaboration | Leadership | Innovation
MEET OUR BOARD:
JUstin Imamura | President
Justin is a San Jose native who is known for his explosive performances on the drums! Justin started The Trash Punx as a response to the overwhelming amount of litter and trash accumulating in the Bay Area. His passion for music and the community has blended together to create The Trash Punx that hosts monthly events cleaning up trash around the Bay Area, electronic waste recycling events, Freecycle events, educational outreach and spreading love to all!
justin@thetrashpunx.org
TJ Lauters | Vice President & SECRETARY
Born and raised in the South Bay, TJ has always felt a sense of pride for his community. As a kid he spent a lot of time playing and riding bikes in local creeks and playing street hockey at local parks. Witnessing the rise of illegal dumping in our rivers, creeks and parks he wanted to help make a safe place for his son to play and have fun like he did. He met Justin while working at Great America and they have been backing each other up ever since that day. At Trash Punx events, he truly enjoys talking with the volunteers and getting to know them. Making the events a fun and safe experience for the volunteers is his number one priority.
TJ@thetraspunx.org
Vanessa Rogier | CFO & CONSERVATION MANAGER
Vanessa is a ‘lifer’ for conservation. Growing up across the globe she experienced life in remote natural environments which served to fuel her passion for animals, people and protecting the Earth. She was the Conservation Director for a Bay Area attraction for 25 years where she created several global programs for the protection of endangered species. Joining Trash Punx was a no-brainer for Vanessa as it paralleled her desire to give back to the community while protecting the planet and its inhabitants.
Vanessa@thetrashpunx.org
Heather Bedy | BOard Member
Heather grew up watching her grandmother reuse everything from clothes to the same bike all of the grandkids used when they visited. What she didn’t realize was the seed she planted in her and how it sprouted her passion for environmental sustainability. She has always recycled based on the options available to her, however, in 2014 that seed blossomed and she knew it was time for change. Since then, she has been on a zero waste journey and has immersed herself in information to better the planet from finding ways to recycle hard to recycle items like toothbrushes, eating clean to reducing her carbon footprint, swapping usable items to encourage a circular economy, and volunteering at events that support the health of the planet and the humans that reside here. During that journey, she was blessed to find others that are just as passionate about our planet, being part of the solution, and driving change. She is proud to be part of The Trash Punx team!
Andre Meggerson | BOard Member
Andre is born and raised in San Jose, CA. When he’s not cleaning up trash he’s either dancing, drumming or crocheting. In fact Andre is one of the fastest crocheters in California. Andre loves to volunteer and serve our environment and community. Not only is Andre physically strong, he has one of the kindest hearts for people. His love for people and the environment is expressed through his words and actions.
Derik Vo | BOARD MEMBER
If you’ve been to a Trash Punx event you’ve seen Derik dancing and waving the flags. Derik is one of the very first volunteers of The Trash Punx and started in 2017. The first event was in the Alum Rock neighborhood of San Jose, CA. After the floods of 2017 in San Jose, Derik participated in a neighborhood cleanup and hasn’t stopped coming! Derik is also a vital part of The Trash Punx team serving at our data analyst.