Mission: LA Compost restores lost connections to the soil and one another.
About: As a community based non-profit, we support a healthy transition where food is never wasted, but returned to the soil for the next cycle of life. Cooperatively, with a diverse network of partners within LA County, we co-create spaces for local compost access and engagement, restorative practices, and community empowerment.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Ryan Jackson
Executive Director
Ryan Jackson is the Executive Director of LA Compost, leading the organization’s work to build a more connected and sustainable Los Angeles through community-based composting. He previously served as the Director of Public Works for City of Los Angeles Mayors Karen Bass and Eric Garcetti. Ryan has over 15 years of local government experience, advocating for progressive environmental policies and administering innovative environmental programs in both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Gina Vollono
Senior Operations Manager
Gina is a native Angeleno, inspired and dedicated to healing urban environments through meaningful earthwork. She has extensive experience working with local landscape companies, urban farms, and nonprofits to bring beauty and purpose to urban spaces. As the Senior Operations Manager at LA Compost, Gina focuses on optimizing organizational operations while pursuing her passion for composting. She finds joy in watching compost’s transformation from beginning to end, a process that mirrors humanity’s own potential for renewal and growth.
Olivia Salaben
Acting Development Manager
Olivia supports the Development Team with grant writing, reporting, and fundraising projects. As a passionate Earth scientist from Long Beach, CA, she brings her deep love for the outdoors and strong commitment to environmental justice to her work advancing equitable climate solutions through strategic development efforts. Olivia has always been a big fan of dirt – gardening throughout her life and researching desert dust and climate change during her Masters in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA. You can find her building compost piles at Griffith Park and in her free time creating art, basking in the sun, and enjoying a cup of tea.