Waste Management's Fish: Mazzarella 'well positioned to lead our board and provide invaluable guidance to management'

Houston-headquartered Waste Management (WM) announced on May 9 that Kathleen M. Mazzarella is the new chair of its board of directors, according to a press release. 

WM said Mazzarella succeeded the retired Thomas H. Weidemeyer as of its annual stockholders meeting held the same day.

WM President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jim Fish discussed the decision to appoint Mazzarella in the release.

“Kathy has been a key member of WM’s board for many years,” Fish said, according to the company. “Drawing on her vast operational, sustainability and leadership experience, Kathy is well positioned to lead our board and provide invaluable guidance to management.”

He expressed gratitude toward Weidemeyer.

“We thank Tom for his 18 years of service on our board and his leadership as chairman since 2018,” he said. “We appreciate his commitment to WM and its shareholders, and we wish him well in his retirement.”

Per Mazzarella’s biography on the company’s website, she’s the president and CEO of St. Louis, Missouri-based Graybar Electric Company, having been at its helm for more than a decade.

Her lengthy tenure with the Fortune 500 supply chain management services company saw her hold several executive-level positions in different departments, according to WM.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from National Louis University (NLU) in Chicago, as well as earned a master’s degree from Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Mazzarella is very active in the St. Louis community.

She said in the release she’s honored to assume her new role on the board as WM remains focused on “sustainability growth and business optimization.”

“As chairman, I will lead the board in its oversight of the business and these important efforts, helping management to deliver shareholder value while making a positive impact on the communities WM serves,” Mazzarella, who was first appointed to the board in 2015, said. “I have had the privilege of working closely with Tom in recent months to ensure a smooth transition for the chairman role.”