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Ginger Spencer: The Woman Paid to Talk Trash [Episode 7]

As public works director for Phoenix, Ginger Spencer is trying to make her city the most sustainable in the world.

Ginger Spencer, the public works director for Phoenix
Ginger Spencer
(City of Phoenix)
Ginger Spencer is an unapologetic trash talker. 

As public works director for Phoenix, she oversees all things waste for the nation's fifth-largest city.

It may be a smelly job, but it's certainly not small. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wants to make the city the most sustainable in the world and to achieve zero waste by 2050. To get there, it's largely up to Spencer. 

A south Phoenix native, Spencer has been a passionate public servant in her hometown for two decades. As she explains in our interview, the federal level is for people who want to write policy, the local level is for people who want to make policy happen.

Listen to the latest episode of "The 23%: Conversations With Women in Government" below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, and check out our archives.

 


Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.