Mark Wilfalk
City of Houston
Director, Solid Waste Management
City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Director Mark Wilfalk has nearly three decades of experience in the field of solid waste resource and environmental management.Throughout his career, Mr. Wilfalk held various positions within the field of solid waste management. He began his career as a Waste Alternative Specialist with the Alachua County Public Works Department in Gainesville, FL. Shortly afterwards, Mark worked as a front-line supervisor with Kimmins Recycling Corporation in Tampa, FL. In July 1994, he began his 23 year career with the City of Tampa’s Solid Waste Department where he advanced to become the Department Director. As the Director, he successfully led the organization's administrative and managerial processes to provide comprehensive collection, disposal, and environmental services to approximately 85,000 residential and commercial customers.On November 4, 2021, Mayor Sylvester Turner selected Director Wilfalk to lead the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) for his ability to develop long-range planning goals to improve the SWMD's organizational and operational efficiencies. As an accomplished municipal leader with extensive experience in solid waste resources and environmental management, Mr. Wilfalk, accepted the tremendous task to lead and transform the nation’s fourth largest city’s Solid Waste Management Department to one that is more sustainable and environmentally sound. During his brief time with the City of Houston’s SWMD, Director Wilfalk has capitalized on opportunities to improve operational efficiencies related to various forms of curbside collections. In collaboration with the Houston Recycling Coalition (HRC), he recently led the City’s efforts to implement its first advanced plastics recycling collections program in north Houston. Due to the success of this waste diversion program, the department is developing plans to offer similar services in additional areas of the city. By the year 2025, Director Wilfalk is seeking to expand the city’s current recycling operations towards accepting miscellaneous plastics and films as part of the city’s curbside collection program. Director Wilfalk holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida. He is the recipient of the 2014 Solid Waste Association of North America Excellence in Recycling Award and the 2016 Clean Cities Award for carbon emissions reduction.
