KANSAS CITY, Mo. –Public Works Deputy Director, Elvira I. Alonzo, CPM, was recently named the Professional Manager of the Year in Administrative Management by the American Public Works Association (APWA). Alonzo, along with nine other public works professionals, received their award on August 31 in Phoenix.

The primary focus of this award is recognition of exceptional management, operation, and maintenance of public sector solid waste operations. Alonzo’s professional background includes 32 years working in administration, management and finance, in which she provided leadership in a variety of areas including supervising, planning, directing, managing and overseeing activities and operations of assigned functions within public works.  

As deputy director of the City of McAllen Public Works, Alonzo heads a staff of 269 full time and part-time employees.  She provides oversight on operations such as solid waste, recycling, composting, “Keep McAllen Beautiful,” streets and drainage, fleet maintenance, materials management, and strategies in developing education programs. Overall, the department has an operating budget of over $29 million and over $80 million in assets.

Alonzo started her career with the City of McAllen Public Works in 1999, when the city began to implement waste management programs in response to legislation directed at Texas counties.  In her 16 years at public works, she has worked in all aspects of federal, state and local regulatory compliance and requirements relating to Texas Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Texas Commission on Environment Quality. Alonzo started as a recycling manager, and was promoted as interim public works director, and eventually to Deputy Director in 2007. She received her Bachelor’s Degree of Applied Technology-Technology Management from South Texas College.

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