Kathryn A. Garcia serves as Director of State Operations for the State of New York. She previously served as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation, appointed in March 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, DSNY is the world's largest municipal sanitation department and has 9,700 uniformed and civilian employees. Under her direction, the department keeps New York City healthy, safe and clean by collecting, recycling and disposing waste, cleaning streets and vacant lots, and clearing snow and ice.
After her appointment as the 43rd commissioner of DSNY, Kathryn set an ambitious long-term goal for New York City: contribute zero waste to landfills. To achieve this goal, DSNY has developed the nation’s largest curbside organic waste collection program, collected and properly recycled more than 15 million pounds of electronic waste, and launched DonateNYC to help New York City residents and businesses give goods, find goods, and do good.
A lifelong New Yorker, Kathryn launched her career as an intern at the Department of Sanitation. Before returning to the Department as Commissioner, she served as Chief Operating Officer at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, where she was responsible for the operation of the City’s water supply, water and sewer system, and wastewater treatment plants.
Garcia also previously served as interim chair and CEO of the New York City Housing Authority. In that role she focused on improving lead paint compliance, safety, and quality assurance, as well as long-term financial stability. On March 22, 2020, Garcia was named "food czar" for New York's emergency food program during the COVID-19 emergency response, tasked with ensuring that every New Yorker in need had access to food and securing the city's food supply.
Kathryn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.