{"id":7713,"date":"2022-05-17T13:47:18","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T20:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/blog\/blog-be-a-sponge-atlanta-native-thrives-on-soaking-up-knowledge-being-a-force-for-good\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T14:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T18:45:16","slug":"blog-be-a-sponge-atlanta-native-thrives-on-soaking-up-knowledge-being-a-force-for-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/blog\/blog-be-a-sponge-atlanta-native-thrives-on-soaking-up-knowledge-being-a-force-for-good\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Be a Sponge\u2019: Atlanta Native Thrives on Soaking Up Knowledge, Being a Force for Good"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s American Public Works Week, and we’re celebrating public works leaders in solid waste on our blog. Check back for a new profile feature each day!<\/em><\/p>\n

Every day is a new adventure for Kanika Greenlee.<\/p>\n

Greenlee is the Executive Director of the Keep Atlanta Beautiful Commission<\/a> and the Interim Solid Waste Director and Program Management Officer for the City of Atlanta<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She spends her days leading environmental and sustainability initiatives for the city\u2019s public works department; acts as a liaison between other city departments, the mayor\u2019s office, and external partners; oversees Atlanta\u2019s collections operations for garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings, as well as enforcement teams, the landfill, a yard debris processing facility and four closed landfills \u2014 and there\u2019s more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stay pretty busy,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

Her dedication to her community and the planet shine through in all that she does. These qualities paired with her readiness to help and her resilience to champion even more work are some of the many reasons to celebrate Greenlee and others like her this week, in tandem with the American Public Works Association\u2019s National Public Works Week<\/a>, running this week May 15-21.<\/p>\n

How it started<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Atlanta native has let her experience and her knowledge snowball since she began her career more than 20 years ago with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs\u2019 Office of Environmental Management.<\/p>\n

There she also became a program assistant with the state affiliate of Keep Georgia Beautiful. \u201cKinda just by happenstance, my aunt was on the Keep Atlanta Beautiful board at that time, and you know, it’s kind of a full-circle moment here,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her aunt had told her the organization was looking to fill the role, and she thought Greenlee might be a good fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI applied, and the rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, Greenlee worked to climb the ranks, gain responsibility and the knowledge she needed to make a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a sponge, really, because I was so interested about the environment and solid waste, and so every opportunity for training and growth, I took advantage of it,\u201d Greenlee says. \u201cI said \u2018yes\u2019 way more than I said \u2018no,\u2019 and I guess I’m still doing that today, considering how much I have on my plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenlee spent 10 years in the Office of Environmental Management with the state, and among its functions, \u201cwe reviewed the solid waste management plans for all the local governments in Georgia, so I got a first-hand opportunity to look at rural, urban, and suburban communities and how they manage their solid waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also gave her insight into how various communities manage solid waste, the infrastructure they need to do so, and how it affects communities in the long run. Because of this experience, Greenlee was able to then work for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, \u201cwhich is the state organization for all county governments in Georgia,\u201d Greenlee says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere I worked with a legislative and policy team and was a registered lobbyist. \u2026 I learned a lot about legislation and the state capital, and how the \u2018sausage is made,\u2019\u201d she says. While she enjoyed that work, she saw an opening at the City of Atlanta, and it \u201cwas something that really excited me, and I took advantage of the opportunity. And here I am, now.\u201d<\/p>\n

How it\u2019s going<\/b><\/h3>\n

Prior to the beginning of her career in sustainability and the solid waste industry, Greenlee says she did not have any background in the work \u2014 and it wasn\u2019t a field she ever truly thought about until she \u201ckind of just fell into this career.\u201d<\/p>\n

But once she got her feet wet, she realized, \u201cI really enjoyed it and learning, and I\u2019m still learning today,\u201d she says. \u201cThe industry is ever-changing and ever-evolving. \u2026 I think this is an amazing field (that) often gets overlooked. The work that we do, a lot of people know that their solid waste is being handled \u2026 and it goes away, but no one knows where \u2018away\u2019 is,\u201d Greenlee says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my job to figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

At work and at play, Greenlee says she is a curious person, \u201cjust about life \u2014 period.\u201d She always wants to uncover the \u201cwhy\u201d and learn the backstory. This natural inquisitiveness paired with her passions for the environment, sustainability and responsibly handling solid waste is really what inspires her work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I think about the environment, sustainability and managing our waste and doing it responsibly, and knowing that the decisions I make today will benefit generations to come? That’s really my \u2018why,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cThat’s what drives me, and knowing that I get the opportunity to do good things every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenlee starts her days around 5 a.m. with a workout, and when her work day begins. \u201cLike a lot of people,\u201d she says, it starts with emails. Then meetings. Oh, the meetings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get to this level, I tell people, it\u2019s more meetings than you care to think about,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

When she can, she enjoys getting out into the community, talking with residents and neighbors about the issues that affect them, participating in community cleanups, and getting to interact with the city\u2019s frontline staff \u2014 \u201cthe real heroes\u201d of the work, she says.<\/p>\n

At work, Greenlee says, \u201cwe are fortunate enough to have lots of projects going on at the same time,\u201d from finishing off a bulky waste project and incorporating digital tools from ReCollect<\/a> so residents can self-serve and schedule bulky item pickups, to carrying out work related to a three-year grant.<\/p>\n

The grant work is in its final phase, she says, and \u201cwe’re excited to see the results. We’ve made some great strides in reducing contamination, and we’re hoping we’ll make some great strides in increasing participation, which was the focus of the grant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city is looking at the feasibility of using more automated side-loaders and other fleet upgrades to streamline routes, capture efficiencies, and better serve the community. Her next project, she says, will improve driver experience and make \u201clife easier for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201clots of exciting things happening,\u201d Greenlee says, adding that \u201cour Commissioner is very focused on us being a part of the smart city initiatives and the ways that we can incorporate technology into solid waste.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all about it \u2014 and working smarter, and not harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ch-ch-ch-changes in technology<\/b><\/h3>\n

Throughout her career, there have been many changes in the waste and recycling industry, but technology seems to be the biggest change of them all. \u201cWe implemented (digital tools from) ReCollect some years ago,\u201d she says, which has been \u201cso useful and helpful.\u201d The city has also been considering robotic mowers, which would be especially handy on the slopes of the landfill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s so many advances in technology, it’s kind of sometimes hard to keep up with and can be very overwhelming at times,\u201d Greenlee says. But she\u2019s up for the challenge.<\/p>\n

Making it \u2014 and making a difference<\/b><\/h3>\n

Personally, Greenlee says she plans to continue being a \u201csponge\u201d and empowering others to join the industry through her work with the city and Keep Atlanta Beautiful Commission. She\u2019s particularly focused on education and outreach efforts with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), \u201cwhich I’m a graduate of, and letting them know about internships and fellowships in the solid waste and recycling industry and as a career opportunity,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about \u201cmaking sure that they understand that this is a career, and that you don\u2019t have to fall into it like I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenlee says there is space for everyone in the industry, especially women and people of color. \u201cI think the beauty of this industry today from where it was 20 years ago \u2014 there’s so many different roles and opportunities that you can take advantage of,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe a sponge and learn as much as you can, because you never know when the right opportunity will present itself. \u2026 This is a male-dominated industry, but there is a place in this space for us, and I think we provide a valuable voice to this industry. Women, you know, can be very compassionate and thoughtful leaders given the opportunity to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her best advice? \u201cBe willing to speak up and be heard \u2014 and don’t always wait to be asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/b>.<\/h3>\n

Are you a solid waste leader who wants to help your organization up its game? Technology from Routeware can help. Let\u2019s talk!<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s American Public Works Week, and we’re celebrating public works leaders in solid waste on our blog. Check back for a new profile feature each day! Every day is a new adventure for Kanika Greenlee. Greenlee is the Executive Director of the Keep Atlanta Beautiful Commission and the Interim Solid Waste Director and Program Management […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resourcetype-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}