Natalie Jakub has been with Green Living Science since 2013, growing with the organization from an AmeriCorps VISTA as the Volunteer Coordinator to Executive Director. With over a decade of experience in environmental education and advocacy, she has helped shape the organization’s vision and impact. Under her leadership, Green Living Science remains committed to a future where all Detroit residents have the tools and knowledge to thrive in a greener city. Natalie’s passion for sustainability is rooted in the belief that a cleaner, healthier environment benefits everyone—now and for generations to come. 

In addition to her work at Green Living Science, Natalie chairs the City of Detroit’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Committee as part of the Green Task Force and serves as Vice Chair of the Michigan Recycling Coalition. She is a dedicated advocate for policy that supports stronger recycling systems and works to expand access to waste services across the state. Her leadership bridges grassroots education and statewide policy, helping move the needle toward a more sustainable and equitable future. 

Canton Township strives to provide a sustainable, thriving, and equitable community that benefits from, and supports, clean energy; preserves and responsibly uses the earth’s resources; and cares for ecosystems. For the past three years, Canton has been recognized by the statewide Michigan Green Communities program for environmental leadership. Canton achieved gold status for exemplary action in multiple categories, most notably for recycling, composting, and waste diversion. Promoting waste reduction and recycling through increased composting is part of the Canton Board of Trustee’s strategic Plan. 

Under the direction of the Township Board, Canton’s Municipal Director Dave Norwood and Public Works Manager John Selmi, started investigating local composting programs and how best to offer it to Canton residents.   As a result, Michigan Consulting and Environmental was contracted by Canton to help start a pilot program. Canton launched a residential Food Compost Pilot Program in January of 2023.  The goal of the program was to help reduce the amount of food waste being sent to landfills. In just its first year, the program successfully diverted 166,674 pounds of food waste with an additional 180,931 pounds diverted the next year.    

Due to the success of the program, Canton now accepts volunteers on a rolling basis.  To date, they have over 1,200 residents who actively participate.  All participants receive a 2.5-gallon bucket with a lid, a sticker displaying the list of acceptable food waste, and a welcome email with detailed information on the program. Due to the size of the community, there are currently five designated drop-off locations for volunteers to use.  

Food waste from drop-off locations is collected weekly and taken to Spurt Industries, a commercial compost processing facility located in Wixom. At the facility, the waste is converted into a nutrient-rich, biologically stable soil amendment or mulch.  As a thank you to all participants, Canton offers a free compost pickup each spring.  Feedback from the program has been overwhelmingly positive and Canton looks forward to diverting even more food waste from the landfill this year.  

Mike Albu has an incredible tenure as an analytical chemist in the environmental world that can be best described in his own words:
After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1974 with a microbiology degree, I worked for 12 years as a Medical Technologist and a Clinical Microbiologist for 12 years. I worked at various hospitals and laboratories throughout the Detroit area, In 1982, I secured a position with a pharmaceutical company, Smith Kline and French (later changed to GlaxoSmithKline) as midnight laboratory supervisor.

In 1987, I was employed by PPG Industries as an Analytical Chemist and later as a Research Associate.  I was technically in charge of their wastewater treatment product line and their biocide products.  While at PPG Industries, I obtained my MS degree in Macromolecular Chemistry. It was during this time that I was introduced to the EMA.  In 2006 I was fortunate to win the EMA Environmental Achievement Award for an environmentally friendly wastewater flocculant that replaced petroleum-based products in the automative painting industry (BC4200NP).  The product was made from waste products of food production, namely shrimp, crap, and lobster shells.

In this same year I won the Environmental Protection Magazine’s Certificate of Honorable Achievement for contributions in protecting the environment. In 2007, I was nominated for the Presidential Green Chemistry Award and received Second Place Honors in Ford’s Environmental Leadership Award Competition.

Then in 2008, I was winner of the Automotive News PACE Award as well as an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine. In that year I also won the inaugural Automotive News PACE Environmental Award.  Lastly in 2009, I was nominated again for the EPA Presidential Award and won the 2009 Michigan Governor’s Green Chemistry Award. I hold several patents in this area as well as one in paint stripping technology and one another in treating paint sludge wastewater with bacteria.  I retired from PPG in 2012.

After leaving PPG I taught for a year at the University of Windsor, worked as a Senior Analytical Chemist at Avomeen Laboratories in Ann Arbor and then, in 2014 I became Laboratory Director at Somnio Global in Novi, MI, and set up an EPA certified drinking water laboratory for them.  I worked there until 2019. After that I worked as a consultant helping some associates to set up a Cannabis Laboratory in Ferndale, Mi. I retired from the laboratory business in 2021 after 46 years.

With the EMA, I have judged the Detroit Science Fair a number to times, served on the Board of Directors for several years and served as Vice President for a time. Additionally, my wife Alice and I owned an EPA Certified Water Testing Laboratory, from 2004 through 2014, which we eventually sold. Alice and I now do a bit of traveling and cruising (Alaskan, Mediterranean, and Danube) and hang out with our 12 grandchildren. We also volunteer at the New Hope Center for Grief Support in Northville that we became involved with in 2018 with the death of our youngest daughter at the age of 37.  I am on the Board of Directors and Alice successfully writes grants for them.