In this episode, Cory Connors sits down with Delegate Jackie Hope Glass of the Virginia House of Delegates to talk about the road that led her from community organizing to the statehouse, and what that experience has taught her about building real partnerships between policymakers and the packaging industry. Jackie shares how a habit of "minding other people's business" turned into a grassroots homework program for neighborhood kids, then a school board run, and eventually a seat in the General Assembly. She and Cory also dig into their shared experience at See Change Sessions in Vermont, the case for a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, and why she believes industry has a bigger role to play at the policymaking table than most people realize.

Key Topics Discussed:

•  Jackie's path from Navy veteran and community organizer to Virginia state legislator
• The origin story of her neighborhood "homework house" and how it led to public service
• Reflections on See Change Sessions in Vermont and why the event felt different from a typical industry conference
• How packaging and sustainability professionals can build real relationships with state legislators
• California's SB 54 and the challenges of getting states aligned on Extended Producer Responsibility
• Why Jackie sees packaging waste as a design and systems issue, not a moral one
• Jackie's "6 Cs" framework for guiding her legislative focus (creative, circular, coastal resilience, crime aversion, care, and cyber)
• CitizenU, Jackie's summer civic education program and policy pitch contest for constituents of all ages
• The realities of serving as a citizen legislator in Virginia's part-time General Assembly

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction to Delegate Jackie Glass
02:14 Journey to Politics: From Community Service to Delegate
04:31 The Impact of C-Change: A Unique Policymaking Experience
08:54 Bridging the Gap: Industry and Politics Collaboration
11:19 The Six Cs: Guiding Principles for Policy
13:34 CitizenU: Empowering Citizens Through Education
15:55 Legislative Projects: Making a Difference in Virginia
19:39 Extended Producer Responsibility: A National Perspective
23:06 The Urgency of Environmental Action
26:06 SSP intro animation v1.mp4

Resources Mentioned:

• Delegate Jackie Hope Glass, Virginia House of Delegates, 93rd District
• See Change Sessions, Burlington, Vermont
• Packaging Matters at See Change Sessions

Contact:

Listeners interested in connecting with Delegate Glass's office about legislation, community programs, or CitizenU can reach out through her official Virginia House of Delegates page.

Support our Sponsors:
3M https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/packaging-shipping-fulfillment-us/applications/sealing-recycled-corrugate/ 

Specright: https://www.specright.com/ 

Forest: https://www.forest-pkg.com/

https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approved

Connect with Cory

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn here: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/

I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. 

This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.