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Wake County

Wake County: Heather Cashwell named Solid Waste Management director

A Friday county post says she starts Oct. 30 and is leaving the City of Wilmington. John Roberson retired July 31.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

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File photo: Abhiram Juvvadi (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • Wake County announced Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, that Heather Cashwell has been chosen as director of the Division of Solid Waste Management.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The same post says she will start Oct. 30 and is leaving her job as the City of Wilmington's solid waste services director.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • Commissioner Safiyah Jackson, quoted in that post, said Cashwell shows strong leadership and a commitment to environmental conservation.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The appointment follows the July 31 retirement of former director John Roberson. The county says he joined the staff in 2005 in Facilities Design and Construction and became director in 2012.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • Friday's write-up says Cashwell has worked on waste and recycling issues since 2008, including as the Wake division's outreach and education manager from 2016 to 2018.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The county also lists her work launching the Town of Cary's Spruce environmental program, opening N.C. State's Compost Facility and Research Cooperative, and managing recycling grants at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The post says she serves on the N.C. chapter board of the Solid Waste Association of North America and on its policy committee, and on the Wake County Solid Waste and Recycling Technical Advisory Committee.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • Wake County says the Wilmington office has a staff of 65 and a yearly budget of more than $13 million.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The same notice says the Wake division runs 17 sites, including a landfill, a transfer station, convenience centers, and drop-offs for household hazardous waste and mixed recycling.Confirmed by Wake County news post, Oct. 23, 2026
  • The City of Wilmington announced on April 15, 2026, that it had appointed Cashwell as Solid Waste Services Director, with a start date of May 4, 2026.Confirmed by City of Wilmington news article, April 15, 2026
  • That Wilmington release said she had most recently been section chief of recycling and materials management at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, and that her background also included work for the Town of Apex and N.C. State University.Confirmed by City of Wilmington news article, April 15, 2026
  • Wake County's Solid Waste Management page, checked Friday evening, lists the same Oct. 23 appointment and gives customer support at 919-856-7400, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and recycling@wake.gov.Confirmed by Wake County Solid Waste Management department page

Still unknown

  • Cashwell's salary in the new job
  • Whether commissioners took a public vote or this was a staff appointment
  • Who will lead Wilmington's office after she leaves

What this means for you

Instructions from Wake County Solid Waste Management

This site is not Wake County. For the announcement, use the county news post. For dump hours and drop-off sites, use wake.gov. Customer support is 919-856-7400, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or recycling@wake.gov. This site is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Wake County, Heather Cashwell will become the next director of the trash and recycling division.

A Friday post on the county site says she starts Oct. 30. The same notice says she is leaving the Wilmington director's job.

Commissioner Safiyah Jackson, quoted there, said Cashwell shows strong leadership and a commitment to environmental conservation.

The opening follows John Roberson's July 31 retirement. Officials say he joined the staff in 2005 in Facilities Design and Construction and took the top job in 2012.

Friday's write-up says Cashwell has worked on disposal and recycling issues since 2008. From 2016 to 2018 she was the Wake division's outreach and education manager. The county also lists work launching Cary's Spruce environmental program, opening N.C. State's compost research facility, and managing recycling grants at the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

She sits on the N.C. chapter board of the Solid Waste Association of North America and on its policy committee, that post says, and on the county's Solid Waste and Recycling Technical Advisory Committee.

Wilmington named her its Solid Waste Services Director on April 15, with a May 4 start. That city release said she had been the state's recycling and materials-management section chief and had also worked for Apex and N.C. State.

Wake's Friday notice says the Wilmington office has a staff of 65 and a yearly budget of more than $13 million. It also says the local division runs 17 sites, including a landfill, a transfer station, convenience centers, and drop-offs for household hazardous waste and mixed recycling.

The division page, checked Friday evening, lists the same appointment. It gives customer support at 919-856-7400, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and recycling@wake.gov.

What we don't know yet

The county has not posted a salary. It has not said whether commissioners took a public vote or this was a staff appointment.

What happens next

Cashwell's start date is Oct. 30. For dump hours and drop-off sites, use wake.gov. This site is not the county. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No county or city photos are used here.

Why it matters

The county has named the next person to run trash and recycling after the July retirement. Residents need the start date and that dump hours have not been changed in this notice.

Updates

  1. Oct 23, 2026, 8:16 PM

    Wake County says Heather Cashwell will become Solid Waste Management director on Oct. 30. Wilmington named her its solid waste services director on April 15.

Sources

  1. Wake County names Heather Cashwell as new Solid Waste Management director (Oct. 23, 2026: chosen as director; start Oct. 30; leaving City of Wilmington solid waste services director; staff of 65 and budget over $13 million; Commissioner Safiyah Jackson comment; outreach and education manager 2016–2018; Cary Spruce program; N.C. State Compost Facility and Research Cooperative; N.C. DEQ grants; SWANA N.C. chapter board and policy committee; Wake County Solid Waste and Recycling Technical Advisory Committee; John Roberson retired July 31, joined 2005, director since 2012; 17 waste facilities)

    Official sourcePublished by Wake County Government · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 8:15 PM

  2. Solid Waste Management department page (lists the Oct. 23 Cashwell appointment; customer support 919-856-7400, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; recycling@wake.gov; facilities on normal schedules)

    Official sourcePublished by Wake County Government · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 8:15 PM

  3. City of Wilmington Names Solid Waste Services Director (April 15, 2026: Heather Cashwell appointed; start May 4, 2026; most recently N.C. DEQ section chief of recycling and materials management; prior work for the Town of Apex and N.C. State University)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Wilmington · Checked Oct 23, 2026, 8:15 PM

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