Richard McHale (City of Austin)
AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin has appointed a new director of Austin Resource Recovery.
Richard McHale has been serving as interim director since former director Ken Snipes was reassigned the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in March.
McHale has more than 30 years of experience with ARR and most recently served as Deputy Director. He helped lead the storm debris collection efforts during Winter Storm Mara, the rollouts of the City’s single-stream recycling and curbside composting programs and the development of the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center.
In his new role, McHale is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and maintaining economical and efficient resource recovery, recycling and reuse services. This includes working closely with the Zero Waste Advisory Commission to continue the department’s mission to provide essential services that protect people and our planet and to support the City of Austin’s sustainability efforts.
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McHale is also a director of the Texas chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (TxSWANA), a member of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) Municipal Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery Advisory Council and serves on the Solid Waste Advisory Commission for the Capital Area Planning Council of Governments.
He has also served as a past President of both TxSWANA and the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Municipal Waste Management Association.
He is a graduate of Texas State University, earning both a bachelor's degree in geography and planning, and a master’s degree in resource and environmental studies.