Kathleen Woods-Richardson oversees the largest government-owned and operated waste collection and disposal system in the southeastern United States. With over 1,000 employees and an annual budget of $400 million dollars, the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) provides collection, disposal and recycling services to more than 340,000 households, operates three landfills, three transfer stations, 13 neighborhood trash and recycling centers and one of the largest waste-to-energy facility of its kind in the world. Ms. Woods-Richardson is the first woman to lead the Department of Solid Waste Management.

Before becoming the DSWM Director, Ms. Woods-Richardson was a Miami-Dade County Administrator for more than two decades, including eight years with Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) and 14 years with the DSWM.   Beginning in 1982, Ms. Woods-Richardson held progressively responsible administrative positions in the MDT and was the Project Manager for the MDT Private Enterprise Participation Program. She joined the DSWM in January 1990, as Chief of the Administrative Services and Contracts Division and was later promoted to Assistant Director of Collections Operations, serving six years in this position.  Ms. Woods-Richardson served as Director for the City of Miami's Department of Solid Waste in 2004.

Since becoming the DSWM Director, Ms. Woods-Richardson led the department's efforts to automate its garbage collection service.  Automated garbage collection is projected to realize long-term substantial cost savings by using fewer employees and decreasing job injuries and was accomplished without dismissing any County employees.

Ms. Woods-Richardson has been certified by the Solid Waste Association of North America as an Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Manager and a Collection Technical Associate. She holds a Bachelor of Public Administration degree from Florida International University and an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Miami-Dade Community College.