Today, Mayor Freddie O'Connell announced the hiring of Tracey Thurman to be the city's first Director of the Waste Services Department. Thurman, a graduate of Belmont University, comes to Nashville after a decade as the Director of Solid Waste in Lexington, Kentucky.
Thurman's hire marks the first for the new Department which will oversee the city's trash and recycling collection. Thurman has experience managing a 200+ member department in Lexington that executed on a $42 million dollar budget to serve 96,000 residents and 4,000 businesses.
"Trash and recycling collection are vital city services important to the quality of life for Nashville residents. Tracey's leadership and experience in solid waste makes her an excellent inaugural director to stand up a new Waste Services department and deliver the reliability and convenience Nashvillians deserve. This is something I committed to prior to taking office, and I'm glad to be taking the first important step to delivering on this commitment," said Mayor O'Connell.
The formation of the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure resulted in the moving of solid waste services to the Metro Water Services Department, which is otherwise a ratepayer-funded entity. Reliable trash and recycling pick-up is of utmost importance to residents, and moving to a standalone department is the right approach for Nashville for the long term.
"I am excited to be part of such a bold leadership team, dedicated to building a solid foundation to meet the needs of Nashville today and for future generations," Thurman said. "I appreciate the efforts of Mayor O'Connell and the Council to establish a department that is accessible and responsive in meeting the needs of residents and businesses alike. Effectively managing the city's waste stream, while fostering environmental stewardship and increasing landfill diversion opportunities, are an essential part of Nashville's sustainable future."
Thurman has served four terms on the US Conference of Mayor's Municipal Waste Management Association. Her first day will be September 3, 2024.