Kathryn Garcia,
Director of State Operations and Infrastructure
New York State
Kathryn Garcia serves as Director of State Operations and Infrastructure for Governor Kathy Hochul, where she oversees over 70 state agencies and authorities, including the MTA and Port Authority. She has over 14 years of government experience delivering services that New Yorkers rely on every day. Previously, she served as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, leading its 9,700 uniformed and civilian employees through nearly 15 feet of snow, expanded environmental programs from e-waste collection to the largest curbside organics program, and implemented innovative technology solutions to manage both its personnel and fleet. In addition to her duties at the Department of Sanitation, she served as the City's Lead Czar, developing a plan to eliminate childhood elevated blood lead levels, and during the winter of 2019, she also stepped in as the interim Chair of the New York City Housing Authority. During the pandemic, Kathryn Garcia served as the COVID-19 Food Czar, delivering over 1 million meals a day to hungry New Yorkers. Before serving at the Department of Sanitation 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, wastewater treatment plants, and served as Incident Commander during Hurricane Sandy. She earned her B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.