Ken Wheeler is the Director of the Department of Solid Waste Management for Highlands County Florida.  He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson College (now University) located in Potsdam, NY. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the States of Florida and New York, and has over 30 years of professional experience in public works.     

Prior to Highlands County, Ken had experience in solid waste with two other counties. He has been responsible for operating two landfills and establishing a successful recycling operation. Ken has directed the site selection, design and permitting of a new landfill; the design, permitting and construction of five highly efficient recycling / waste transfer facilities; and the development of closure/ post closure plans for nine municipal landfills.  He was also responsible for administering the primary service contract for a 550 tons per day municipal waste to energy incineration facility.
     
Ken has a diverse background, with both county government and private sector design firm experience.  He was with Essex County, NY for twelve years and was fortunate to be there during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games held in Lake Placid. Ken worked for twelve years with Washington County, NY where he was the public works director and served one elected term on the County Board of Supervisors, which also included serving as town supervisor. He has also operated his own consulting practice plus operated a contracting business working residential and commercial. Ken was later employed by The Sear-Brown Group and then by Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, design consultant engineering firms where for over five years he was a senior project manager and specialized in county government projects. Ken and his wife moved to Ocala, FL in July of 2003 where he worked as an assistant county engineer for Marion County.