Lexington County Director of Solid Waste Management
Lee McIntyre has been serving the Lexington community for over 12 years. Before beginning his career with the county, much of his early work experience involved agriculture and construction. During high school and college, he worked on farms in row crop and cattle operations. He also worked for a construction company performing land clearing and grading, where he gained experience operating heavy equipment. He graduated from Dillon High School in Dillon, South Carolina, and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Mechanization and Business from Clemson University.
McIntyre stated that a career in solid waste management was not originally the plan. After visiting friends in the Midlands several times, the area stood out as a place he wanted to live. While searching for work that matched his skills, he found a position as a heavy equipment operator at the Lexington County Landfill. From there, his career steadily progressed. Over the years, he had several roles within the department, including Collection Center Coordinator and Deputy Director, before assuming the role of Director. Each position provided new opportunities to learn and contribute to the services that support the community.
Lexington County Solid Waste Management provides crucial waste disposal and recycling services to residents and businesses throughout the county. The Department manages the Lexington County Landfill, Transfer Station, and Composting Facility. It also oversees 11 collection centers for resident use and manages curbside collection services across the county. The philosophy guiding the Department reflects Lexington County’s mission: to provide quality services to residents at a reasonable cost. This mission drives the team’s work as they manage the many aspects of waste disposal and recycling for the county.
“Solid Waste Management is much more complicated than most people realize,” said McIntyre. “Being able to help a resident with a difficult item to dispose of, or to educate someone on how to properly dispose of their items, is really satisfying. On occasion, a resident will have a disposal request that I don’t know the proper way to dispose of. I enjoy doing research and being able to solve their problem. Proper disposal is critical to protecting the environment, and recycling is critical to conserving the resources that we have available to us. I encourage everyone to recycle and dispose of their items responsibly so that our community continues to be a great place to live.”
Outside of his work, he continues to serve the community. He works part-time as an Advanced EMT Crew Chief for Orangeburg County EMS, where he lives. He has also spent 19 years in the volunteer fire service and currently serves as Captain for his local fire department. In his limited free time, he enjoys traveling, especially on trips that involve flying. He is currently completing training to obtain his private pilot’s license and hopes to finish by the end of the year.