Cleaning up the Planet: Dr. Derreck Kayongo Named New Executive Director of CPA

Newsletter: January 7, 2025

When Derreck Kayongo came to the United States as a Ugandan refugee, he wanted to make a difference in his new home - but wasn’t quite sure how.

His inspiration came one night while staying at a hotel, when he wondered what happened with all of the used bars of soap. When Derreck found out that they were simply thrown in the trash, he founded the Global Soap Project, which recycles soap and distributes it to underserved communities in nearly 100 countries around the world in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - helping save lives through the simple act of hand washing.

The Global Soap Project gained national media attention, led to a prestigious CNN Heroes award for Derreck, and further demonstrated his commitment to sustainability, public health, human rights, and supporting vulnerable populations. “By changing the way that hotels do business, we also made a significant impact on public health and the environment around the globe,” he explained. Derreck went on to serve as CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and an in-demand speaker and expert.

Now, Derreck will continue to clean up the planet as the new Executive Director of Clean Production Action.

“For years, I’ve admired the team at CPA and the groundbreaking work they’ve done with industry and policy,” said Derreck. “Today, I’m honored to be leading this team of dedicated researchers, and partnering with organizations around the world as we create a safer chemicals economy, together.”

At CPA, Derreck will build on the history of success at CPA, including:

• Setting industry standards for chemicals of high concern with GreenScreen® (recently included in EPA purchasing standards)
• Creating the “chemical footprint” metric; companies recently reported reducing more than 130 million pounds of chemicals of high concern
• Bringing stakeholders together through BizNGO
• Growing the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN)
• Supporting underserved communities
• Collaborating with our partners

“Derreck has spent decades working with some of the world’s largest corporations to find sustainable solutions that help them achieve their business goals,” said CPA Board of Directors Chair and President Julie Gorte, Ph.D. “We are thrilled to welcome him to CPA, and look forward to his leadership.”

Derreck takes the lead from former Executive Director Mark Rossi - a trailblazer who spent 21 years with Clean Production Action.

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