When Marissa Heffernan took a job covering recycling, friends said it seemed like the perfect fit — technical, nerdy and environmentally focused. At Resource Recycling, she dove into recycling policy in particular, writing in-depth stories and starting a monthly newsletter that reached over 11,000 readers in the first year.
That policy focus brought Heffernan to the stage and webinar screen, moderating panels, running workshops and sharing insights from years of policy coverage.
Now, as a freelance journalist, Heffernan is still covering recycling policy for various publications, in her own weekly newsletter and going back to her roots of bread-and-butter local politics coverage.
Heffernan also serves as a stringer for the Associated Press, reporting primary and election results for Clark County since 2022.
Before Resource Recycling, Heffernan was a general assignment reporter with the Daily News in Longview, Wa. on the education, port and environment beats. There, she won numerous awards, helped unionize the newsroom and delved deep into vital local topics.
In addition, she is involved in her local community tool library, serving on the Green Lents board as Co-Chair, as a steward to the Malden Court Community Orchard and as a volunteer tool librarian.
