Mary Garwood is a proud Carlsbad community member, joining at age 9, having moved from Evansville, Indiana, when her dad was hired in 1990 as an elevator mechanic at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where he worked for 22 years. Mary brings over 16 years of experience in sustainable practices/environmental education outreach and municipal solid waste/recycling management experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University and a Sustainable Resource Management Certification from Penn State Altoona/New Mexico Recycling Coalition.
Before taking on her current role as CEHMM’s Public Relations Manager in April 2023, Mary served as the Keep Carlsbad Beautiful program director for the City of Carlsbad for eight years. Prior to that, she oversaw operations for Carlsbad’s recycling centers, CARC, INC. Rainbow Recycling, and Document Destruction Services for eight years there as well. Currently, she also serves on the State of New Mexico’s Clean and Beautiful Advisory Committee, Carlsbad Main Street Board, Pearl of the Pecos Arts and Culture District Committee, Carlsbad Rotary Club, the City of Carlsbad Arbor Day Tree Board and is the Executive Treasurer of the Carlsbad Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition.
Mary has a huge passion for serving the residents and visitors of Carlsbad and volunteers to assist in some shape or form with many community events. She knows firsthand that one caring person can make a huge difference when they put their mind to it and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, even literally, as she continues to oversee the planning of the annual Pecos River cleanup event, River blitz. In line with this, she looks to improve solid waste management operations and support code enforcement/beautification efforts during her time on the city council.
In her spare time, Mary and her family enjoy traveling and attending concerts when possible. She is the mother of two, Clarissa and Reazon.