Who We Are

OUR AMAZING STAFF!

Repurpose Project and Reuse Planet Staff photo in Gainesville Florida - creative reuse center architectural salvage used furniture thrift store

Our staff is an amazing group, tirelessly working to keep usable items out of the landfill so they can be reused by you!  When you buy from us, not only is it good for the planet, but you are supporting these hardworking folks and contributing to the green jobs that our organization has created.  Thank you for buying used!


Repurpose Project – Board of Directors

SARAH GOFF – Co-Founder and Artist

Sarah Goff grew up on the island of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands where she spent her childhood collecting trash on the beach along with shells to make art.  She saw firsthand the issues of trash and plastic in the ocean.  The photos (warning – images are disturbing) by Chris Jordan where taken not too far from The Marshall Islands and perfectly illustrate the harm to wildlife caused by plastic in the ocean.  After graduating from Kwajalein High School, Sarah moved to Sarasota, Florida and earned a BA in Natural Science and Fine Art from New College of Florida. She then moved to New York City and earned a degree from Parsons School of Design and embarked on a fashion career there with the hopes of becoming a costume designer.  Eventually, her concern for the world she lives in and a desire to be closer to family led her to South Florida where she fell in love with a creative reuse center, Trash to Treasure, and all the hard working folks there.  She served on the Trash to Treasure Board of Directors for four years learning the ins and outs of the creative reuse business.  Her desire to live in the woods brought her to north Florida where she, her husband(Brian), and now their two daughters Betsy and Georgia enjoy living in nature. In January 2012 she and Mike Myers decided to start The Repurpose Project, almost on a whim, and it has quickly grown into a full time thriving reuse store.  Sarah is extremely proud of the work they are doing there, the green jobs it has created, and the popularity of the establishment and feels strongly that a resource like The Repurpose Project should be available in every town across America.  She is working towards that goal by sharing her knowledge with others pro bono to get new centers up and running.  She is very excited about the community center initiative and is looking forward to all the fun, creative, waste reducing, and community building events on the horizon.
Contact Sarah: sarah@repurposeproject.org


MIKE MYERS – Co-Founder and Artist (Retired)

Mike has been involved with recycling for the past forty years.  In the past ten years he has noticed a welcome awakening of consciousness towards the diverting of recyclables and other valuable resources from the nation’s landfills.

As a self taught artist Mike has blended his decades long construction/woodworking techniques with the reuse/repurposing of discarded and found objects. He likes to think of the local dumpsters as his shopping cart. This wealth of materials allows him to explore new and exciting multi-media art forms. Mike has exhibited in juried art shows from Myrtle Beach to West Palm Beach and west to Lafayette, LA including Gainesville’s Spring Arts and Downtown festivals. He has classroom collaborations of intarsia type art on permanent display at local Alachua County schools and in the past has displayed his art in the Alachua County Commission chamber.

As a co-founder of Bearded Brothers deconstruction and salvage in 2005 Mike has developed a love for the use of historic architectural elements and has found local outlets for recycled materials which sometimes involve other artists and sometimes involve chicken coops.

In 2012 Mike helped to co-found The Repurpose Project, a community based non profit creative reuse center in Gainesville, FL.  Around The Repurpose Project, Mike is affectionately known as UNCLE MIKE!! Today Mike is turning his “forever young spirit” and recycled art in the direction of education.  He hopes to develop a collaborative spirit of learning with future generations, fostering a focus on rethinking what we throw away.
Contact Mike: mike@repurposeproject.org


TOMMY BAKER 

tommy bakerTommy is an artist and carpenter. He has lived in Gainesville for 10 years and is inspired by the creativity and activism of this community. Born in Miami, he went to Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH) and found his passion for painting and exploring the creative process. He pursued a secondary education in engineering and worked as an engineer before focusing on a career that allows him to pursue activism and the arts. The Repurpose Project was a perfect fit. Tommy started volunteering and participating at the Repurpose Project just a few months after its founding at the South Main location in 2012. He started working here full time in 2016. He plans to help further grow the Repurpose Project by developing its infrastructure and continuing its mission through his art and by being active with local environmental causes.


Amanda Rice Waddle – she/her

Amanda is a Zero Waste advocate, educator, and consultant. She has a Master of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida and lives in Gainesville, FL. Amanda is the Director of Zero Waste at The Repurpose Project, where she works with k-12 schools, small businesses, and events to get them on the path to Zero Waste. She is also the Co-Chair of Zero Waste Gainesville (ZWG). ZWG is an advocacy and outreach organization on a mission to help Gainesville, FL, be a Zero Waste community. Amanda works for Zero Waste USA as Program Manager for their Zero Waste Associates and Introduction to Zero Waste courses. She also helps plan and implement the National Zero Waste Conference. As a Zero Waste consultant, Amanda works with a team and prepares Zero Waste master plans for communities wanting to work towards Zero Waste. Amanda is driven by her love for animals and connection to nature, where nothing is wasted. 
Contact Amanda: amanda@repurposeproject.org


NKwanda Jah

Co-founder and Executive Director for Cultural Arts Coalition. NKwanda created the Annual 5th Ave Arts Festival (which is part of a permanent exhibit in the Library of Congress in Washington DC), tours to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Black History programs, Kwanzas, African American Men in the Public Schools, Girl Power, Environmental Youth Summit, the Environmental Ambassadors (a 30 year old teen job training program) and presently 7 Science Clubs for Elementary students in East Gainesville. Science clubs are at; Caring and Sharing School, Clarence Kelly Center, Library, Wilhelmina Johnson Center Boys and Girls Club at Sugar Hill and Resilience School.

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