Elizabeth is a hydrologist and civil engineer with a background in flood management, climate change analysis, and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling. She conducts hydraulic and hydrologic modeling for a wide range of applications including flood management, river and wetland restoration, and climate change vulnerability assessments.
What does it mean to you to be part of an employee-owned company?
It means decisions made for shareholders are made for me and my coworkers I see each day – not nameless, faceless people somewhere – because WE are the shareholders. One of the main reasons I joined ESA in 2019 was it being employee-owned.
What keeps you coming to work here at ESA every day?
Competitive pay & benefits, healthy work culture, and getting to work on restoration projects. I get to make a good living working on meaningful projects AND feel my overall work-life balance is respected? I feel very, very lucky.
What is your hidden or special talent(s)?
I learned how to decorate cookies with royal icing during quarantine. I don’t really cook or bake otherwise, but I can make fancy cookies!
What’s your favorite thing to do when you are out of the office?
Roller skate! Roller skating at a rink, skate park, or just outside clears my mind of the worries of the day. At the rink I can lean into my inner Dancing Queen and disco it up. And at the skate park, I feel like my early-2000’s-alternative-music-listening-to preteen self is living her best life!
If you had one free hour each day, how would you use it?
You know what, for the first time in a long time, I have free time! Until recently, I’ve been busy with PE studying, community college classes, moving, etc. Sometimes I think I should use my free time more productively (like finally learning how to cook). I’m not sure how long this time in my life will last, so I am trying to let myself enjoy the downtime.
What are three skills that you bring to the ESA team? In other words, what should colleagues know to reach out to you about?
- Hydralic modeling
- FEMA
- Team building & inclusion
What’s been your favorite project to work on here at ESA and what impact did it have on the community and/or environment?
I worked in ESA’s San Diego office for a few years before moving to Seattle last year, so I’ve had the privilege of working on projects along the West Coast. Although most of my projects haven’t been built yet, I’d say my favorite projects to work on are those led by Tribes. Getting to do ecological restoration with the long view in mind (checkout to the 7 Generations Principle) is very meaningful to me. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects have on fish (and orca!) populations.
