Carl Michaud, Hennepin County's environmental services director, has been named the National Solid Waste Professional Manager of the Year by the American Public Works Association.

Michaud has worked for more than 34 years in the environmental and public health field and nearly a quarter-century for Hennepin's Environmental Services Department, starting in 1987 as a recycling coordinator.

He has been the department's director since 2007, where he has led efforts to shrink landfills by expanding recycling throughout the county, encouraging composting of food waste and increasing incineration at the downtown garbage burner.

Michaud recently spearheaded efforts to develop a master plan to recycle 54 percent of the garbage in Hennepin County by 2030. County commissioners have approved the plan, which aims to make recycling simpler overall and to focus attention on boosting recycling by apartment and townhouse dwellers.