Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and how your path led to where you are today.
I got interested in environmental and civil engineering through two formative experiences in high school.
First, I was named the youth water commission for a day and spent a day at the local water treatment facility, fascinated by how it drew in water from the river and transformed it to clean water at the tap.
Second, I participated in a research program doing field work to count invasive mollusks in that same river, piquing
my interest in ecosystem restoration.
After receiving my environmental/civil engineering degree from Purdue University in 1995 and until about 2007, I became somewhat pigeon holed in municipal water, wastewater and landfill consulting engineering, areas I was not passionate about. I was getting interested in green buildings and renewable energy and left my engineering career to teach middle and high school math and science at Kirby, a local private school, until I figured out my next step.
One day, the head of school, knowing I was searching for the next career move, asked me if I had ever considered pursuing a doctorate. I was excited about the prospect and applied only to UCSC, figuring if I get in, I do it and, if not, I figure something else out. I got in!
And from there, I retooled my technical skill set, developed new skills, and a passion for climate action and environmental justice. In grad school, I began working with the City on a wind turbine project at the Wharf - the first to be permitted by the Coastal Commission offshore the coast of California. This became the focus of my dissertation and ultimately led to my current job at the City over 7 years ago.
In your role as the Sustainability and Climate Action Manager for the City of Santa Cruz, what accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am really proud of our equity based engagement to launch our City’s equity initiative called Health in All Policies (2019) and delivery of an equity focused Climate Action Plan (2022) that we are currently implementing.
I also applaud our City’s leadership in the ongoing lawsuit against fossil fuel companies for the impacts of climate change, our early adoption of a natural gas prohibition in new construction (2020), and standing up the Monterey Bay Regional Climate Project Working Group to secure transformative scale funding (2023).
To me, sustainability means being conscious about the choices we make and consistently re-evaluating what quality of life means in that context; being intentional about living lightly and finding patience and compassion as we all try to work together to ensure we have a livable planet for people and beings to thrive for generations to come.
Is there anything else about the work you do that you would like to share?
We all have a role in this monumental challenge. Visit resilientsantacruzcounty.org/santacruz to learn how to understand your impact and live lightly and resiliently.
Lastly, what do you do for fun outside of work?
I love to be outdoors whether biking, gardening, hiking or seeing live music! I also love being creative, entertaining and cooking for friends and family - essentially drawing on different parts of my brain from my day to day work!
