Lisa A. Skumatz, an economist, is Principal of Boulder Colorado-based research and consulting firm Skumatz Economic Research Associates (SERA). Ms. Skumatz and SERA are best known for pioneering research on pay as you throw (PAYT), user-pay, or incentives programs evaluation, and measuring impacts of diversion and reduction programs. Dr. Skumatz's economics degrees are from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (BA) and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD (MA, PhD). With more than 75 recycling trade publications, she holds the unique distinction of receiving national lifetime achievement awards from both the leading national recycling and solid waste associations (NRC and SWANA).