HOUSTON – Mayor John Whitmire has named the new director of Houston Public Works (HPW).
Randy Macchi was appointed to lead HPW as its next Director.
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He replaces Carol Haddock, who retired earlier this year. She’s been with the city for nearly 19 years and spent the last seven as director of public works. That job ended under a cloud of complaints about water billing issues. KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis exposed several failures within the system under Haddock’s leadership and was able to get more than $110,000 returned to water customers who’d been overbilled.
Randy, who has nearly 24 years of experience as a corporate executive and attorney, joined Houston Public Works in March 2023 as Houston Public Works’ Chief Operating Officer (COO). He has served in an expanded role leading the department alongside interim director and city engineer Richard Smith since April 2024.
Randy graduated with a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University.
”As mayor, I pride myself on the appointments I’ve made. You find talent in watching people working in other positions,” said Mayor John Whitmire. “As Randy led the department during Hurricane Beryl and the Derecho, I observed how responsive he is during emergencies and every day. He was resolving issues during the storm and in the many days that followed. Randy exemplifies the leadership we expect. He’s going to make Houston Public Works better and I’m excited to see him serve Houstonians for years to come.”
Macchi’s appointment is effective immediately. It follows a unanimous City Council vote today approving an ordinance change that removed the requirement for the Houston Public Works Director to be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). It’s now part of an optional qualification for the role.
Macchi will work alongside the city engineer, who will sign off on engineering-related decisions. The mayor’s office says the ordinance change broadens the pool of qualified candidates, enabling the city to select the best person for the role based on leadership, expertise, and vision.
“I’m honored and grateful for the mayor’s confidence in my leadership. I want to thank the 3,900 public servants within Houston Public Works whose dedication sets the strong foundation for Houston to thrive. I’m grateful for their support,” Macchi said. “We’re going to deliver on the challenges we face, and we know we have a lot of work to do. I’m excited for the opportunity in front of us to deliver substantial change.”