ENVIRONMENTOR
THE
Association of Environmental Professionals | San Diego Chapter
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD BY melanie tylke, county of san diego and erin phillips, dudek
Winter 2021
We'd like to kick off our first quarterly newsletter of 2021 by highlighting our top-notch members. Last fall, 10 San Diego Chapter members presented at the State AEP Conference which was held virtually. Our members put their zoom skills to the test and participated in a variety of conference sessions during the three day conference. Thank you for you to the following members for their participation in making this year's State Conference a success! Poonam Boparai, Ascent Environmental Jennifer Campos, RECON Environmental Carey Fernandes, Dudek Mike Grim, City of Carlsbad Haley Johnson, Woodard & Curran Sally Johnson, Woodard & Curran Joe Monaco, Dudek S. Wayne Rosenbaum, Environmental Law Group LLP Kristen Stoner, Ascent Environmental Diane Sandman, Harris & Associates We'd also like to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning members! Our local chapter is stronger than ever with over 335 active members, can you believe that? If you’re wondering who some of your fellow members are, we would like to recognize those who recently joined or renewed between December and February - see next page! In order to continue celebrating our members, we will be doing monthly raffles for some surprise AEP swag throughout 2021. Winners will be announced each month in our weekly SDAEP e-mails, so keep a look-out! Questions about membership can be directed to VP of Membership, Melanie Tylke at melanie.tylke@sdcounty.ca.gov.
THE ENVIRONMENTOR, WINTER 2021 | {{page}}
Welcome New Members! > New members between December 2020 and February 2021
membership news
First Name
Last Name
Member Type
City of San Diego
Planning Department
Agency
William
Graham
Emeritus
Christina
Bustamante
Full
Maria
Miller
Nick
Larkin
Caitlin
Jafolla
Trina
Abbott
Justin
Castells
Katherine
Duncan
Ban
Yahya
Elizabeth
Bradley
Mulika
Musyimi
Student
Melinda
Janecek
Jordan
Ritchie
Emma
Schmitt
Ashley
Gonzalez
Brighton
Hedger
Grant
Hassinger
Ellie
Flint
Shelby
Bocks
Josh
Capito
Hunter
Collins
Ranielle
Cunanan
Michael
Hoke
Felipe
Morfin Martinez
Jameson
Morrin
Michelle
Navarro
Nicholas
Urry
Jade
Woll
Aaron
Abrams
Pierce
Che
Edward
Chen
Kaylie
Hague
Julia
Humphrey
Oscar J.
Sanchez
Sarah
Wagner
Mia
Westphal
Kyle
Mezrahi
Young Prof
Federick
Pinongcos
Cassie
Weinberg
SANDAG
County of San Diego
Planning & Development Services
Sweetwater Authority
City of Del Mar
Transportation & Storm Water Dept.
ASM Affiliates
Corporate
Lisa
Wood
Stella
Acuna
Felicia C.
Brechtel
Kristin
Carlson
Fortin
Darin
Neufeld
Erin
Phillips
Katie
Basinski
Lorrie
Jennifer
Campos
Dalope
Joanne M.
Dramko, AICP, GISP
Jane-Marie
Fajardo
Grim
Chris
Kaiser
Adrian
Olivares
Kara
Palm
Rich
Quasarano
Shawn
Shamlou
Vanessa
Toscano
Suzanne
Varco
Karen
Waller
Ryan
Waterman
James
Westbrook
Summer
Adleberg
Carey J.
Fernandes, AICP
Sally
Johnson
Derek H.
Langsford
Deborah
Mosley
Emily
Pacholski
Nicole
Poletto
Narasimha
Prasad
Ruggels
Sidhu
Melanie
Tylke
Yee
Joey
Vink
Shane
Connell
Mary
Cozy
Cooper
Holland
Kari
McCollum
Gabriella
Whittaker
Courtney
Holowach
Annie
Lee
Sydnie
Margallo
Renewed Members < Membership renewals between December 2020 and February 2021
Avneet
University of San Diego Student Resume Workshop March 23, 2021 | 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
The University of San Diego student chapter of AEP is hosting a resume workshop for student members! This workshop will be formatted as a drop-in "office hours" style event, offering students the opportunity to sign up for a 15-minute timeslot to have their resume reviewed by a professional. Professionals will dedicate an hour of time, reviewing around four resumes total. Students looking for feedback and professionals interested in mentorship are encouraged to sign up below! Where: Virtual (Zoom) Date: March 23, 2021 Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm Students Register Here Professionals Register Here
upcoming events
March Webinar: Federal Regulation Change March 25, 2021 | 12 to 1 p.m.
Betty Dehoney, CEP, PMP, ENV SP, the current NAEP President, and Owner of Dehoney Consulting, LLC, will be providing an update on potential federal environmental regulation changes that may be coming with the new administration! Over the past four years, there have been significant changes to more than 100 environmental regulations including, but not limited to NEPA (rulemaking and executive orders), Waters of the U.S., Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Clean Water Act, Clear Air Act, and limitations on data needed for rulemaking. Some of these changes may be modifiable by the new administration through issuance of new executive orders, new rulemaking, or rolling back some of the rules under the Congressional Review Act. Many of these actions have litigation pending and more litigation has been threatened. What does this mean to you? Register below to find out! Where: Virtual (Zoom) Date: March 25, 2021 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Click Here to Register!
Register for the Winter Book Club March 18, 2021 | 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Join us for our winter session of the SD AEP Book Club led by volunteer Michelle Balk of Balk Biological, Inc! We will be discussing Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country, named one of the best books of this year by the New York Times Book Review, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. Where: Virtual (Zoom) Date: March 18, 2021 Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm Click here to register! If you have any questions or want any more information, please don’t hesitate to contact Chapter Director, Corinne Lytle Bonine at clytle-bonine@chambersgroupinc.com.
meet a board member: MELANIE TYLKE, county of san diego
Melanie Tylke (she/her) is an environmental project manager at the County of San Diego with 8+ years of progressive planning experience. She has worked in both private and public sectors, providing land use and environmental planning services to multiple departments at the County including Planning & Development Services, Parks & Recreation, and her current Department of General Services. These positions have offered her the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects ranging from discretionary permits, Climate Action Planning, open space/resource management, habitat and species conservation, trail planning, and environmental documentation for public facilities including fire stations, libraries and more. Melanie is passionate about connecting students and young professionals to the environmental profession and has been an active member of SDAEP for over a decade. Joining as a student member and re-establishing the UCSD student chapter opened her path to becoming a ‘CEQA nerd.’ As a generalist Melanie enjoys learning new things on the job every day, that’s the wonder of the environmental profession. When she is not working from home and baking sourdough bread you can find her on the trails enjoying the extraordinary biodiversity San Diego County has to offer. You’ve recently taken a new position on the board. What made you want to get more involved and take a leadership position with AEP? At the beginning of 2021, I assumed the position of Vice President of Membership. After seeing the direct benefits of AEP membership and the support our AEP community provides for us professionals over the years, it seemed like now was the perfect time to get more involved and give back. AEP membership provides great educational offerings, networking opportunities, and general all-around support - I want to make sure all our members feel the same way I do. What advice would you give a recent graduate or young professional in the industry? Without AEP I wouldn’t have had the network connections that helped me land my first full-time position fresh out of college. My advice would be to become a member and stay active and involved! Student memberships are currently free, and the young professional reduced-price membership offers all the same benefits of our regular memberships but provides significant discounts to our events. As we recover from the pandemic, we will safely transition back to in person events and can make those in-person connections, and who knows it may lead to an internship or future job opportunities. Also, stay current with our training opportunities like the CEQA workshops and luncheons, they provide a wealth of information you typically won’t get in your standard curriculum. What have you enjoyed most about working in the environmental field? Growing up spending weekends camping in the San Gabriel Mountains fostered my love for nature and the environment. I’ve been blessed to work in the environmental field to help preserve and protect our natural resources, but also allow for important spaces to be developed for us humans to sustainably live, work and play. Seeing projects bring that balance together is probably what I enjoy the most about the field, and how down-to-earth most of us are.
SDSU Field Botany Course field visit atop Cuyamaca Peak.
Cedar Creek Falls Trail, Cleveland National Forest.
Michael Page, AICP has provided environmental planning and project management services in San Diego and throughout California for the past 30 years. Mr. Page is currently the Senior Vice President of RECON Environmental where he oversees the Environmental Division, a group of 22 environmental planners, biologists, archaeologists, and noise, air quality, and GHG specialists. He has served as a Principal Environmental Planner at Mooney & Associates, Tierra Environmental, AECOM, and RECON Environmental. His favorite projects have included the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area General Plan Update, Olivenhain Water Storage Project, Marshall Middle School Project, Campo Wind Energy Project, Portside Pier Iconic Restaurant Project, and San Diego Symphony Bayside Performance Park Enhancement Project. Mr. Page is on the County of San Diego’s List of Approved Consultants for Privately Initiated Projects as an EIR Preparer. He is also a past-Board Member and President of I Love A Clean San Diego and served on the Scripps Ranch Community Planning Group and the Miramar Water Treatment Plant Community Advisory Group for 10 years. How did you get started in the environmental industry? I have always enjoyed exploring the natural world, which led to majors in Biology-Environmental Science and Geology/Biology at Colby College, in Waterville, Maine. But I was unaware of Environmental Planning as a possible future profession. Upon graduation I moved to San Francisco to join my fiance, who was studying immunology at UCSF. I began working for Scanmar International in Sausalito, manufacturing windvane self-steering systems for open ocean cruising and single-handed racing sailboats. During the five years I worked for Scanmar, I attended conferences and hearings for the proposed Bay/Delta Peripheral Canal project and learned about CEQA and NEPA. I was also learning sales and marking, customer service, and the management of subcontractors and vendors at Scanmar. In 1990 we moved to San Diego where my wife began a Post-Doctoral research position at UCSD and I visited over 50 local firms listed under Environmental Consulting in the Yellow Pages with a resume and cover letter in hand. On the day that I visited Mooney & Associates in Scripps Ranch, Bill Graham interviewed me on the spot and had me return the next day to meet Brian Mooney. Once Brian heard that I was from New England and had lived on Martha’s Vineyard, I was hired on the spot. What advice would you give a recent graduate or young professional in the environmental industry? Get involved in the environmental community any way that you can. Some suggestions are through professional organizations like AEP, non-profit environmental organizations, and internships with public agencies and consulting firms. Be prepared to provide writing samples from research projects and be familiar with CEQA and NEPA, even if you have no direct experience. Establish connections, request informational interviews and arrive prepared with questions. Finally, identify how you can contribute to the success of the organizations you contact and remain flexible and open to a wide variety of opportunities before choosing a set path. (Continued on the next page.)
meet a member: michael page, recon environmental
What are you favorite San Diego activities or places to visit? The great thing about living in San Diego is that there are so many opportunities for exploration! I love hiking, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, and exploring the entire county. From the beaches, coastal canyons and mesas, mountains, and the desert there are endless possibilities. But highlights for me are the Whale Peak and Sheep Canyon areas in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Mount Laguna and the Noble Canyon Trail from Sunrise Highway to Pine Valley, the trails in Penasquitos Canyon and on Del Mar Mesa, and the beach in Coronado. What do you enjoy most about your work? I love the diversity of clients and projects! That and the ability to work with a diverse group of planners, architects, engineers, and other development professionals, non-profit organizations, resource agency representatives, and the public towards the preservation of our most sensitive resources while accommodating the need for new and improved infrastructure, development and redevelopment projects. It is great to see projects that you worked on be built and for them to become part of the San Diego landscape.
We are very excited to announce that our 2019 Student CEQA Practicum was selected for the Outstanding Chapter Activity Award at the 2020 AEP State Conference Awards Ceremony!
student membership news
USD AEP Student Chapter Hosts Virtual Speed Networking Event for San Diego Students and Professionals By Jordan Ritchie and Milena Labarbiera with assistance from AEP USD liaison Kirstin Skadberg On February 23rd, the University of San Diego (USD) Student Chapter of AEP hosted a virtual speed-networking event where 22 professionals and 42 students had a chance to connect and get to know each other. Participants met via Zoom, and the USD AEP Student Leadership team worked some magic to keep participants moving from one virtual "room" to the next for about 45 minutes. In the breakout rooms, local environmental professional volunteers shared information about their own career paths, and gave suggestions to students interested in an environmental career. As part of the event, students received a follow-up email with suggestions for following up with professionals. One professional who attended reported that 6 students followed up to set up a call to learn more. AEP Student Outreach events like this provide many benefits to students and local professionals alike, by creating connections and encouraging the development of promising future environmental professionals. The notable turnout provided inspiration to many in times where connections with others can feel lackluster and even forced. President of the USD AEP Student chapter, Milena Labarbiera, commented "it was incredible to see so many students take the initiative to help prepare themselves for their careers, especially given how difficult it can be to attend an event like this virtually. We were also so appreciative of how many professionals volunteered, and this event showed us how supportive of a community AEP has created.” While the success of the event is something to be celebrated, the people that compose this community are what deserve the real praise. Without fail, the unrestrained gumption and selflessness of the San Diego AEP community is why even in the midst of a pandemic, people continue to show up and get things done!
UC San Diego Extension Courses
announcements
California Environmental Quality Act 3/29/2021 - 5/8/2021 (online) 5/3/2021 - 6/11/2021 (online) Advanced CEQA 4/12/2021 - 6/11/2021 (online) CEQA in Practice 4/19/2021 - 5/29/2021 (online) CEQA Project Management 4/12/2021 - 6/11/2021 (online) Writing Effective CEQA Documents 4/12/2021 - 5/22/2021 (online) Air Quality Management 4/12/2021 - 6/12/2021 Resource Management 6/26/2021 - 8/28/2021 (online) Sustainability Leadership 4/5/2021 - 6/5/2021 (online)
SDAEPBoard@califaep.org President Katie Laybourn Harris & Associates katie.laybourn@weareharris.com Co-Vice Presidents of Programs Janelle Firoozi ESA jfiroozi@esassoc.com Natalie Smith Michael Baker International Natalie.Smith@mbakerintl.com Vice President of Membership Melanie Tylke County of San Diego melanie.tylke@sdcounty.ca.gov Treasurer Emily Pacholski ICF emily.pacholski@icf.com Communications Director Libby Fortin Chambers Group efortin@chambersgroupinc.com Student Membership and Outreach Director Kelsey Hawkins Harris & Associates kelsey.hawkins@weareharris.com Chapter Director Corinne Lytle Bonine Chambers Group clytle-bonine@chambersgroupinc.com Newsletter Editor Erin Phillips Dudek ephillips@dudek.com
Chapter Contacts
sd.califaep.org
Text
Contact the Newsletter Editor at: sdaepnews@gmail.com
2021 chapter BOARD
