Trisha Bower

Trisha Bower dedicated herself to improving solid waste management and recycling programs in Rural Alaska for the past 17 years. Prior to joining Zender Environmental Health & Research Group in 2025, she was a Regional Program Manager for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation for four years, where she trained and mentored new Rural Landfill Specialists for ADEC. She represented the State of Alaska on the national level as the Disposal and Conversion Task Force Chair for the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Officials (ASTSWMO) in Washington D.C. Prior to being a Manager, Trish was the Lead Rural Landfill Specialist for Northern and Interior Alaska for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Solid Waste Program for 12 years. She is the Track Lead for the Solid & Hazardous Waste Track at ATCEM and has filled that role for over a decade. Trish began her career in solid waste management within the Office of Environmental Health at Tanana Chiefs Conference, where she assisted TCC’s 38 affiliated tribes with improving their solid waste and recycling programs. Her experience includes over 250 landfill inspections, 70 technical assistance trips to rural Alaska, providing solid waste training to over 1400 K-12 students, and presenting at a least three conferences annually since her career in solid waste management began. Trisha has also been the lead instructor at 37 solid waste trainings held in urban and rural Alaska.