Executive Leadership

Kevin McCarthy served as the first Executive Director of this twelve-member public joint powers agency (SBWMA) in California, representing nearly 500,000 residents and 10,000 businesses. He led all aspects of the organization over a nine-plus year period. His key accomplishments are summarized below:

Organizational Assessment:

Transformation of JPA organization including development of the agency’s vision, mission, and values; creation of employee and board member handbook; updating purchasing and ethics policies and other procedures to effectively guide the day-to-day operations of the $40+ million enterprise. He also guided the agency through a transition from having contract staff to becoming the employer of record, and from a board governed by staff to one comprised of elected officials.

Financial Management and Rate Analysis:

Overall responsibility for developing and managing the Agency’s $42.5 million annual budget to produce net income to meetagency cash reserve obligations, meet bond indenture requirements and support capital projects. The Agency also set tipping fees for franchise and public customers using its publicly owned, privately operated, transfer station. Managed the annual compensation adjustment process for the franchise collection services provider and for the Shoreway facility operator. Prepared separate compensation review reports and collection and facility operations reports and made recommendations for annual adjustments in compensation. Participated in and presented solid waste rate adjustments at member agency public meetings.

Franchise Procurement Process:

Led a multi-year RFP process resulting in the award of 12 separate franchise agreements for collection services (weekly solid waste, recycling, and organics collection), with a total contract revenue of over $1 billion over ten years. The new franchise agreements resulted in significant increases in recycled and composted tons, with a 26% year-over-year increase in recycled tons, a 35% increase in composted tons and a 21% reduction in disposed tons. The measured diversion rate for the residential sector increased from 54.7% to 66.7%.

Shoreway Environmental Center Facility Operations:

Managed a multi-year RFP process resulting in the award of a new operations agreement for the Shoreway Environmental Center which handles nearly 450,000 tons per year. The selected operator’s costs were $2.3 million per year lower than the previous operator’s cost, a savings of 17% per year (or $23 million) over the ten-year contract life.

Shoreway Environmental Center Master Plan:

Developed and managed a facility master plan resulting in $46 million in capital improvements, including a new 70,000 SF MRF, a 20,000+ SF addition to a transfer station, traffic improvements, new public recycling center, and an education enter which hosts over 5,000 visitors per year. The master plan was completed $1 million under budget and produces significant ongoing operational savings. Facility improvements were LEED Gold certified.

Long Range Plan:

Managed the development of a long-range plan for the agency to increase its measured diversion rate from 49% to 75% by 2020 through a series of collection program, public education, policy, and infrastructure enhancements.