WILMINGTON — City of Wilmington has announced a new solid waste services director since reorganizing departments in its ranks.
Heather Cashwell will join the Wilmington’s new Solid Waste Services Department on May 4 and brings 15 years of experience in the industry, according to a release. The department will oversee residential and commercial collection, downtown-specific services, yard waste and bulky item collection, and provide customer support in a dedicated call center.
She previously worked for the Town of Apex, N.C. State University and was section chief of recycling and materials management for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. While at DEQ, Cashwell handled recycling infrastructure, managed grant funding, and supported local governments in building efficient and resilient waste systems.
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City Manager Becky Hawke praised Cashwell’s vast experience with “data-driven decision-making to enhance efficiency, improve customer service, and strengthen long-term program sustainability.”
“Heather has a wealth of experience in solid waste operations and providing exceptional levels of customer service,” Hawke said in a release. “We are thrilled to welcome her to Wilmington to lead our dedicated staff in the delivery of this vital service.”
Cashwell steps into the role as the city has undergone a restructuring of sorts. Formerly Dave Mayes was the director of public works, which included recycling and trash, streets, stormwater, and building maintenance. However, he was terminated in January, according to WHQR reporting, after serving as the public services and facilities director for more than a decade, and before that the stormwater services manager.
According to the city’s human resources department, Mayes violated several city policies, including failure to establish internal control of his division and respond to reported concerns and hold his staff accountable. He also failed to “prevent, correct, and address misconduct regarding timecard fraud” and address “substance-abuse-related behavior and performance concerns” that had been brought to his attention.
Since his departure, the city has moved streets and stormwater under the new Department of Transportation, building maintenance is under Asset and Property Management, and solid waste is now run separately and renamed from recycling and trash, according to a city spokesperson.
“By establishing Solid Waste Services as its own department, we’re recognizing the importance of this work and giving it the focus it deserves,” Hawke said in the release.
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