ENVIRONMENTOR
THE
Association of Environmental Professionals | San Diego Chapter
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD: 2021 Awards and Scholarship Event BY erin phillips, dudek
SUMMER 2021
Each fall, the San Diego Chapter holds an Awards and Scholarship Event to provide scholarships to student members who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the environmental field. The event is also an opportunity to recognize exceptional technical and environmental documents and celebrates the accomplishments of local agencies, firms, and professionals. Since the inception of this event, our chapter has awarded more than $56,000 in student scholarships. In addition to recognizing our peers, we'll be awarding at least 4 scholarships! The 2021 Awards & Scholarship Committee is excited to announce this year’s fantastic keynote speaker, Kirstin Skadberg of Skadberg Consulting! Kirstin will be discussing this year’s theme, Continuous Learning and Growth, and providing an engaging and inspiring presentation about the personal, professional, and community benefits of incorporating teaching into our career goals. Help us celebrate another great year for environmental professionals! For more information regarding the event, including submitting your photographs for the Environmental Photography Contest, and how to become a sponsor, visit our website. Who: Open to everyone When: October 7, 2021 from 12noon-1:30pm Where: Zoom
Photo by Kelsey Hawkins, Harris & Associates
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2021 Awards and Scholarship Event October 7, 2021
Photo by Ryan Binns, Harris & Associates
Photo by Lee BenVau, REC Consultants, Inc.
To enter the contest: submit an environmental-related photo (limit one per person) that has been taken within the last year (2020–2021). Include in your submission a title of your photo, your name, and what firm or agency you are with. Please email all submissions to Kelsey Hawkins, kelsey.hawkins@weareharris.com. Below are some photographs entered in last year's contest for inspiration.
There's still time to submit your photographs for the environmental photography contest!
Photo by Kathryn Cartaino, AECOM
Photo by Katie Laybourn, Harris & Associates
Understanding the Context and Legislative Intent of the Statute and Guidelines Guiding Principles and the CEQA Process How to Prepare Effective Project Descriptions and Initial Studies Mitigated/Negative Declaration Documents Types of EIR Documents How to Stay Current Findings Notices
2021 CEQA Essentials Workshop: Webinar for Early Stage Practitioners October 13, 2021 or October 21, 2021 | 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
upcoming STATE event
The Association of Environmental Professionals invites you to register for the CEQA Essentials Workshop, which is a 4-hour webinar offered on two different dates for your convenience. The curriculum provides a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the California Environmental Quality Act and the State Guidelines and includes practice pointers and case studies for early stage practitioners. These webinars feature a curriculum developed specifically for people involved in the environmental review process including consultants, regulators, applicants, or industry professionals, and will benefit those new to the field as well as practicing professionals who would like a refresher on the essentials (AICP-CM credits available). The webinars will be abbreviated to 4 hours of content and interactive Q&A plus networking time thereafter. The webinar recordings will be made available to attendees afterward for reference. For more information and to register, click here to visit the workshop webpage. Topics will include:
The AEP University of San Diego (USD) student chapter participated in USD’s Alcala Bazaar, a student clubs tabling event. For information on upcoming USD student chapter events, students can subscribe to their emails here.
STUDENT NEWS
San Diego AEP & San Diego APA Student/Emerging Professional Kickball Event
Student CEQA Practicum October 27, 2021 | 4-8 p.m. via Zoom Stay tuned for more information and to register. Details to be provided through email and our website.
SAVE THE DATE
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Thank you to all our webinar presenters this year - we are truly grateful for the time and energy you spent providing educational content to our membership! Andrea Bean, LSA Barbra Calantas, ESA Deanna Cummings, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kyle Dahl, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Betty Dehoney, Dehoney Consulting LLC Nicole Kang Ferraiolo, Council on Library and Information Resources Hannah Gbeh, San Diego County Farm Bureau Jayna Harris, LSA Shanti Santulli, Rocks Biological Consulting
Thank you to our 2021 Webinar Presenters!
We are excited to annouce our book club won the outstanding award for chapter activity at the state conference this past august!
The SDAEP Board introduced the book club and solicited interest from members in March 2020. Specifically, we compiled our list of interested participants, suggestions for selecting our very first book. After counting the votes, the membership selected “The Devil in the White City” for the first novel. The SDAEP chapter held a virtual (because 2020) discussion and were joined by environmental professionals from our chapter to have an engaging discussion answering questions like “Could building permits, environmental review, and/or municipal planning have saved the lives of Holmes’ victims?” and “What would your rough order of magnitude budget and schedule be to complete CEQA compliance for a fair of this size?” Building on our chapter’s promise to use our platform to bring about positive change in our communities, we launched our 2020 Awards and Scholarship Benefit to carry the theme “Racial Justice is Environmental Justice”. Our book selection followed suit as we solicited nominations for a book related to Environmental Justice. We selected “Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country” and, for the first time, our discussion was led by a member volunteer! We've continued our book club into 2021 and plan to do so for 2022 as well. If you are interested in joining the book club, stay tuned for more the next chosen book in future emails and on our website.
meet a BOARD member: Natalie smith
Natalie Smith (she/her) is an environmental project manager with over 20 years of experience throughout the southwestern United States, Australia and the South Pacific Islands. She has extensive experience working on a broad range of complex and highly controversial environmental issues with an emphasis in regulatory compliance, infrastructure, and natural resource management in the private, public and non-profit sectors. In addition to her strong scientific and regulatory background, her interests include the human dimension of the environment and the important role that social and economic considerations play in long-range planning, policy development and solving environmental problems. She serves on the Board of Girls Inc. of San Diego County, which is an organization committed to assisting underserved girls overcome gender, economic, and social barriers. She is also currently a volunteer with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on a global campaign related to equality. 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? I really appreciate the opportunities that AEP programs provide for continued learning, professional growth, and networking with industry professionals. I wanted to join the SD AEP Board as a Co-Vice President of Programs to take a more active role in developing programming to stay connected and current on regulatory and industry trends during a time of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in approach for CEQA compliance, and significant regulatory changes at the Federal level. What advice would you give a recent graduate or young professional in the industry? There are many different paths you can take when you are just starting out in the industry. Explore different options until you know what path is best aligned with what you are most interested and passionate about. Stay curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find a mentor or advocate within the industry that will support you on your career path. Maintain a professional network inside and outside of the company that you work for. Always continue learning. AEP can assist you with all of this advice! Become an active member, network at organization events, and utilize the resources that AEP offers like resume workshops, CEQA trainings, and the CEQA portal. What have you enjoyed most about working in the environmental field? I have enjoyed so much of the work that I have done over last 20 years or so. I have researched Middle Rio Grande River endangered species issues in New Mexico, supported the EPA emergency response efforts in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina, characterized contaminated land and public health concerns in Australia and the South Pacific, surveyed for endangered dragonflies in Chicago, evaluated abandoned mining sites in Arizona, recommended remediation and development strategies for brownfield sites, studied recreational user activities and behaviors, advocated for safe drinking water and better infrastructure in disadvantaged communities, and read tens of thousands of public comments related to management of California’s water resources. What I have learned along the way is that there are really tough decisions that need to be made regarding the management of public trust resources and the environmental impacts that come with growth and development. Now, I most enjoy advising clients and decisionmakers about the regulatory requirements, risks, impacts and benefits to people and the environment, and CEQA/NEPA defensibility associated with such tough decisions.
I am originally from upstate New York and moved out to Southern California a bit over three years ago. Prior to moving, I attended Paul Smith’s College, a local Liberal Arts College and studied Natural Resources Sustainability. I enjoyed being from a small rural area on the east coast but knew there was more for me and eventually wanted to move west. I ended in San Diego and worked for a temporary staffing company doing service industry jobs around the County. Eventually, I was making stable enough income to participate in the CEQA Certificate Program at UCSD Extension. I enjoyed learning about the policies and relationships between the environment and developing landscape of California, and decided to pursue a career in planning. Now, three years in, there is still so much to learn and see. I have grown a love for people and environmental communications and consulting and enjoy the ever-changing political atmosphere of the state we call home. I have been incredibly thankful for my networking opportunities, especially with AEP, and the thirst for knowledge that the members of the field and organization share. When I am not busy at home working five feet from my bed, I enjoy doing Tabata at my local F45, hanging out with my cat, Diego, walking, and (attempting) gardening. What/who inspired you to pursue your career in the environmental industry? In high school, I participated in a program called “New Visions”, where interested environmental science students spend half of their class days during senior year at a nature preserve for hands-on environmental learning. My teacher, Tim Sandstrom, also known as Two-Ton Tim, was always inviting and willing to have fun. From sledding and winter BBQ’s to accidentally almost burning down our maple sugar shack, he encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone in order to learn, and to not be afraid to ask questions. He is now retired, but we remain close friends. What advice would you give a recent graduate or young professional in the environmental industry? Network and join as many extracurriculars as possible! AEP is a great example of a local and affordable professional membership where we have regular opportunities to meet other people in the field and discuss the industry. Although it can be daunting, the environmental world is smaller than we think and the more people you know the better the outcome! What are you favorite San Diego activities or places to visit? San Diego Airport parking lot, I can’t spoil the secret spot, but I love watching the planes land at sunset! What do you enjoy most about your work? I love that I get to learn more about the place I live every day! There are so many different agencies, jurisdictions, regulations that you are always on your toes!
meet a member: Anna millar
Welcome new and returning members! Our local chapter is stronger than ever with over 352 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 June and the end of August. Please join us in welcoming:
membership news
First Name
Last Name
Member Type
City of
National City
Agency
Hilary
Brinegar
Full
Shannon
Davis
Natasha
Dulik
Tom
Edgemon
Bryn
Evans
Sarah
Lozano
David
Mizell
Sean
Oberbauer
Nicole
Ornelas
Jamie
Owens
Jenny
Vick
Brian
Williams
Kandiss
Wise
Garret
Arrieta
Student
Molly
Chamberlain
Nicholas
Cirrito
Jacob
Ferrall
Keyshawn
Ford
Mariel
Garcia-Chamier
Ian
Hamill
Fiona
Hotchkiss
Claire
Levesque
Max
Liebergesell
Sheridan
Madeline
Shute
Christine
Stontz
Sujung
Yi
Emily
Grady
Young Prof
Lindsay
Moore
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Additional information on membership can be found on our AEP website here with benefit information in this pdf. Questions about membership can be directed to VP of Membership, Melanie Tylke at melanie.tylke@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Renewed members:
County of San Diego
Dept. of Public Works
San Diego
Betty
Dehoney
Emeritus
Shawna
Anderson
Adrianne
Beazley
Marion
Borg
C. Woody
Hays
Haley
Johnson
Robert
MacAller
Camille
Merchant
Michael
Nieto
Page
Eric
Ruby
Schwerin
Kirstin
Skadberg
Kristen
Stoner
Scott
Vurbeff
Claudia
Watts
Lisa
Woeber
McKenna
Avery
Angelena
Leone
Christian
Mejia
Carmen
Tahmahkera
Tayler
Tharaldson
As a token of appreciation, we have been celebrating our members through our monthly membership appreciation raffle. Members who renew or join for the first time are entered into the raffle and the winners receive surprise AEP swag. Winners are announced each month in our weekly AEP Newsletter e-mails, so keep a look-out! Interested in what benefits your membership provides? Access to the CEQA Portal, which provides informative topic papers and a case law database. Check out these case law summaries for the first half of 2021 Legislative Updates: See what the legislative team has to say in their June-July 2021 Update Local Chapter Activities: Our chapter provides monthly activities ranging from webinars (that provide continuing education credits), book clubs, trivia nights and more. More information on upcoming events can be found throughout this newsletter. Awards Recognition: Register for our SDAEP Virtual Awards & Scholarship Event held October, 7th from noon -1:30pm as we will be recognizing local work and providing scholarships to deserving students. Annual CEQA Workshops: CEQA Essentials will be offered virtually on two different dates (10/13 or 10/21), a great resource for our new members! Registration and more information available here. Access to other AEP Chapter Activities: Scroll through the Events tab on califaep.org to find other webinars of interest, including Central AEP’s presentation on OPR’s new Site Check tool which helps us determine if a housing project might qualify for CEQA streamlining based on its location. More information on this free event can be found here.
announcements
UC San Diego Extension Courses
UC San Diego Extension’s Environment & Sustainability programs meet the growing demand for skilled professionals who can address the challenges of sustainable development. US San Diego programs provide cutting-edge training in areas of sustainability, environmental management, urban planning, facilities management, behavior change, sustainability science, and energy and waste management. Visit the UC San Diego Extension website for information on upcoming environmental management, sustainability, and urban planning and preservation courses.
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 SDAEPevents@gmail.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
