Bert Ball is the founder and Executive Director of L.A. SHARES, the world’s largest non-profit materials reuse program. L.A. SHARES takes business donations of reusable materials and makes them available free of charge to the thousands of non-profit organizations and schools located throughout Los Angeles County.
Since 1994, L.A. SHARES has redistributed more than $180,000,000.00 worth of items to local schools and nonprofits and has become the largest single donor of goods and materials to the Los Angeles School District, the Recreation and Parks Community, the Arts and Theater Community, the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Community, After School Enrichment Programs, Senior Centers, the Domestic Violence Prevention Community and the Charter School community, among others. For more information please visit their website: www.lashares.org
Mr. Ball has received numerous commendations for his work with L.A. SHARES. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored him with an “Outstanding Environmental Achievement” Award and the E.P.A Administrator named L. A. SHARES as “the model reuse program for America.”
Along with serving as an advisor to the State of Hawaii, Mr. Ball has consulted for the cities of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Francisco to create materials reuse programs that replicate the successful L.A. SHARES model.
Mr. Ball received a Bachelors degree from Lehigh University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television’s Producers Program. L.A. SHARES became the basis of his thesis.
With an extensive background in business and arts management, Mr. Ball has created and managed numerous art galleries, film and reading series, nightclubs and video bars in New York and Los Angeles.
Mr. Ball has also served as a Board member of the Nissan Foundation, the charitable arm of the international automobile and truck maker; an Advisory Board member of the International House of Blues Foundation, an Advisory Committee Member of the California Arts Council’s Adopt a School through the Arts Program and an Advisory Board member of the Riordan Volunteer Leadership Development Program.
Mr. Ball resides in Marina del Rey, California and San Jose Del Cabo, BCS, Mexico.