Women in Circularity: Diane Cohen

A warm welcome back to “Women in Circularity”, where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. This month, I was pleased to connect with an expert in reuse: Diane Cohen. Diane is the chief executive officer of Finger Lakes ReUse, a New York nonprofit that provides its community with triple-bottom-line benefits through a variety of reuse services and social programs. She has more than 23 years of experience in nonprofit management, strategic partnerships and workforce development. 

How has your career changed as you have developed new initiatives and partnerships?

As a kid who could never sit still, I think I found my match in the reuse industry. I started my career in reuse as program manager for an architectural salvage program for a building preservation organization, then was asked by our county to develop a reuse center. So I went from management, to planning and fundraising, back to management, donor stewardship and networking, and these professional challenges and new skills development continue to this day. Now a $4 million organization, the growth we have experienced over the last 15 years has certainly inspired continual transformation, both in terms of the ways to approach various issues and the skills I need to employ along the way. I have always enjoyed exploring collaborative partnerships, which can be quite complex, and have shifted my expectations and become far more empathetic and diplomatic with my communication skills.

As a multi-faceted organization, can you tell us a bit more about Finger Lakes ReUse’s core services and their impact? 

Finger Lakes ReUse, based in Ithaca, New York, has partnered in its development with Tompkins County. Our mission is to enhance community, economy and environment through reuse. We operate two community reuse centers which accept a broad array of materials by donation, and sell an average of 2,200 items daily. We began deconstructing whole buildings in 2009, started a computer refurbishing program in 2010, and in 2013 we started a job training program and a fixer collective. In 2015, seven years after we opened our first location, we opened a second location five miles away. While we now have 84 employees, we actively rely on volunteers and our organization has really evolved based on the energy and resources the community contributes. Recently, we have been delighted to partner with Ithaca Rotary Club volunteers who come in weekly to cheerfully help us process the overwhelming amount of materials that are donated on a daily basis.

How are your innovative social programs and workforce development initiatives contributing to the fabric of your local community?  

Our workforce development program is called ReSET, Reuse Skills & Employment Training, where we offer a range of paid skill-building opportunities from basic job-readiness, to soft skills development to cashiering, customer service, warehouse work and computer refurbishing. We started the program because we realized how labor-intensive reuse can be, but there are skills to be learned and a mutual benefit can result. Last year we worked with 19 paid apprentices and successfully helped connect eight trainees to permanent, unsubsidized employment. After 10 years of informally giving away and discounting materials for families and organizations in need, in 2017 we formalized our Reuse Materials Access Program, ReMAP, where we work with more than 40 local human service organizations to provide store credits for their clients. Last year we provided more than 800 local households nearly $200,000 in gift cards that can be used for furniture, housewares, electronics, computers and offer one free delivery service per family per year. 

In your opinion, why are cities around the globe embracing the repair movement?

I believe repair is an emerging economic opportunity, not to mention an environmental imperative. We currently sell most materials in “as-is” condition and for the most part only accept materials in good, working condition. We recognize that with minor repairs, an enormous amount of materials could avoid disposal and even more people would have access to affordable materials. As a result, we refurbish computers with support from our job training program, and are the proud host and founders of the Ithaca Fixers Collective, a volunteer-run free repair program that meets weekly on Saturday afternoons.

What is a great piece of wisdom you once heard that resonates with you year after year?

Maya Angelou once said, “I believe every person is born with talent,” and I wholeheartedly agree. The reuse industry is extremely people-intensive and we are working to make it a people-first movement. Year after year, I have the honor of witnessing people from vastly diverse backgrounds, whether economic or cultural or educational, demonstrating inspiring ingenuity and commitment, not to mention compassion and grace, when faced with the challenges of reuse. I think that’s why the reuse industry is such an important balm to soothe these trying times: people discover themselves, they find empowerment and they find community in the seemingly simple act of reuse.

MaryEllen Etienne is the creator of “Women in Circularity.” Etienne works on the Market Transformation and Development team for the U.S. Green Building Council. She has over 20 years of experience in sustainability and is a champion of the circular economy.