INCC Board Members
Gowri Somasundaram (she/her/hers)
President
Gowri Somasundaram is the founder of Eco Circle LLC, an environmental consulting firm specializing in environmental and climate education. She currently serves as the Resiliency Coordinator for the City of Carmel through Earth Charter Indiana, where she supports community-driven climate action and sustainability initiatives. She is a proponent of zero waste and circularity and advocates for the circular economy as a critical solution to waste management. She also serves on the board of Circular Indiana. With a strong educational background in soil microbiology and a passionate supporter for soil health, she champions its role as one of the most effective natural tools for carbon sequestration. Her expertise in compost quality and market development, combined with intensive training through the Compost Operator Training course, transformed her from an avid backyard composter into someone focused on developing commercial-scale composting. She is also pursuing her Doctoral Degree Research at Indiana University, Indianapolis, focusing on “Alternative Sustainable Protein studies” as a solution for food-feed cycle and waste management.
JaCoby Coombs
Vice President
JaCoby Coombs serves as Vice President of Business Development at Caldwell’s Inc., where he leads growth initiatives across the company’s divisions, including depackaging, composting, transportation, and event services. With a strong focus on sustainability and circular economy practices, JaCoby works closely with partners ranging from Fortune 500 food manufacturers to local municipalities to deliver tailored waste and recycling solutions. Known for his relationship-driven approach, JaCoby has helped position Caldwell’s as a leader in organics recycling and environmental services throughout Indiana. He is actively engaged with industry organizations such as the Indiana Composting Council and local solid waste districts, promoting education and collaboration around sustainable waste management. Beyond his professional work, JaCoby is deeply involved in his community. He coaches youth baseball with the Indiana Bandits, organizes fundraisers and events, and enjoys spending time with his wife Jill, their sons Keegan and Caydon, and their family pets.
Keri Marrs Barron
Treasurer
kbarron@portercountyrecycling.org
Keri Marrs Barrón is the Executive Director of the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County, where she drives innovative solutions to waste challenges and fosters collaborative networks. She owns KMB Consulting, offering creativity training and facilitation, and serves on the boards of the Center for Creative Solutions and the Indiana Composting Council (Treasurer). With a background in biological sciences and creativity leadership, her career spans education, public health, and environmental advocacy. Passionate about helping others achieve their goals, she blends science and creativity to inspire mindful living. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, traveling, music, and time with her family and dogs.
Audra Boarman
Secretary
Audra Boarman is the founder and owner of Indy Go Green, a small and growing composting company located in Indianapolis, IN. Indy Go Green is focused on organic waste diversion for residential and commercial members while working hard to educate the Indianapolis community on the importance of composting and converting to a circular economy. Always turning passion into purpose, Audra also serves as the Program Coordinator for a national non-profit that focuses on food rescue and distribution. A born and raised Hoosier, her work with individuals, schools, restaurants, large events, and farmers and growers provides a wide perspective on the issues of food waste. She believes community, connection and collaboration are key to a sustainable future throughout Indiana.
Bruce MacDonald
Board Member
bmacdonald@advancedcomposting.com
Bruce MacDonald represents Advanced Composting Technologies in the Midwest. Based in Indianapolis, he works with livestock growers to create compost from daily mortality, and various organizations to compost food waste. Bruce is also a USDA Composting Subject Matter Expert. He has a Bachelors from Warren Wilson College and worked for the NC Forest Service for 28 years.
Glamary Salsbery
Jason Gearheart
Jason Gearheart is the owner and operator of Integrated Elements Compost, LLC. The focus is on making biologically active compost and worm compost. He began taking Soil Food Web courses, under Dr. Elaine Ingham, in 2020 and after completing the Foundation courses completed training to be a consultant. His final project focused on using biological methods to improve pastures. This program includes making high quality compost, testing and application methods, as well as making extracts and teas. He is a certified lab tech through the Soil Food Web school, which requires a yearly recertification process, to assess for beneficial and not so beneficial microbes in soil and compost. He is also in the process to be a licensed drone pilot. The decision to learn and become drone pilot certified is to add another level of assessing soil and plant health to be able to improve soil and plant health in a more timely and economical manner. His passion for composting comes from a love of being outside, the feeling of being in and connected with nature, and how good compost can transform dirt into soil.
Hobbies include natural building, which involves strawbale housing and natural plastering, gardening and cooking and is constantly trying to figure out the perfect loaf of sourdough bread.
Logan Waddle
Logan Waddle is the Sustainability Program Leader at Penske Entertainment. A Hoosier native from Warsaw, Indiana, Logan has always been passionate about motorsports and the environment. Growing up, he spent the majority of his free time outdoors on his family farm, and he often spent weekends camping, where he developed his deep rooted passion for nature and sustainability. Waddle graduated from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis in 2018, and started working at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as an intern in the College Program in 2016. As the Sustainability Program Leader, Logan manages all environmental programs for INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway surrounding waste diversion, energy reduction, emission tracking, and transportation solutions. He describes Indianapolis 500 race day as “the best day of the year,” and encourages anyone who has not attended yet to come to Indianapolis to see it in person!
Brooke Alford (she/her)
Brooke is a landscape designer, consultant and educator. She focuses on sustainable landscapes founded in native plant communities, ecological garden management, green stormwater infrastructure, such as rain gardens, and urban ecological restoration. She earned both her BS in Urban Forestry and Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington in Seattle and serves on the board of the Indiana Native Plant Society. Brooke has been a backyard vermicomposter for over 25 years and provides public workshops for beginners. In her free time, she loves gardening, propagating plants, trying new recipes and playing with her dogs, Cash and Lucy.