Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental science, planning, and design firm headquartered in San Francisco and with offices on the West and Gulf Coasts, marked its 50th anniversary on July 3. To commemorate the half-century milestone, the firm will inaugurate an annual scholarship fund to support higher education in related environmental science and planning fields for students in groups that are underrepresented in the environmental profession. The program is in development with the firm’s Diversity Committee, and final details will be announced in the fourth quarter as the grand finale of the year-long 50th anniversary celebration. In addition, ESA also unveiled a new website featuring in-depth industry insights and project information and emphasizing the ethos of being a part of ESA.
Founded in 1969 by three scientists in Foster City, Calif., ESA became quickly renowned for its top-quality environmental impact analyses and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation. The firm moved its headquarters to San Francisco in 1984 and has since greatly broadened its services and geographic reach, growing to 19 offices across California, Oregon, Washington, and Florida with more than 500 employees. This growth has included several notable mergers and acquisitions that have deepened ESA’s technical service capabilities.
“Having been with ESA for over 35 of its 50 years, I view this anniversary as a celebration of a remarkable past, present, and future,” said ESA President and CEO Leslie Moulton-Post. “It’s a clear testament to ESA’s value that we have thrived for 50 years. Since the beginning, ESA has focused on quality and always adding value for our clients, our employee-owners, and the broader communities we serve. Reducing environmental impacts, protecting our natural resources and supporting development of healthy, livable communities – these are tenets of sustainability and resilience to which ESA is dedicated. We’ve laid a strong foundation for our future. On behalf of my ESA colleagues, it’s immensely gratifying to look back on a body of work that has helped shape the world we live in. We wholeheartedly thank our clients, project partners, and industry colleagues for their trust and support.”
Working with federal, state, and local agencies; private developers; municipal utilities; non-profit organizations; and the public, ESA assists clients from the earliest phases of project conception, through environmental review and regulatory approval, to project implementation and follow-through. Its award-winning projects have raised industry standards by providing enduring restoration, resilience, and growth solutions from coast to coast. These projects have included Sacramento’s Central City Specific Plan, Oroville Spillways Emergency Response, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority Purple Line Extension, the Riley Ranch Nature Reserve in Bend, Ore., Paine Field Airport in Everett, Wash., Portland’s Thomas Cully Park, the Old Tampa Bay Water Quality Improvements, and the Florida RESTORE Act State Expenditure Plan, to name a few.
“ESA has always been deeply committed not only to its work and the environment, but also to its people,” said Moulton-Post. The firm instituted an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) in 1994; in 2000 it became 100% employee-owned. Today, it is one of the West Coast’s largest independently owned environmental consulting firms.
“Our industry is ever-changing, and the work is consequential, giving us all a multitude of opportunities to grow and sharpen a diversity of skills and expertise,” added Moulton-Post. “More than anything, this anniversary is a celebration of our people, and I’m incredibly proud of the long tenures and friendships that have been fostered here.”
In addition to in-office celebrations on July 3, the firm is celebrating its employee-owners with a special commemorative gift and with regional family picnics during the summer months. The staff themselves have even curated a special Spotify playlist for these events composed of songs that have particular meaning and relevance to the environment. Readers are invited to download it here.
About Environmental Science Associates
ESA is a prominent environmental services firm with offices on the West and Gulf Coasts, leading the industry in environmental science, planning and design, regulatory compliance, and restoration. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2019, ESA works to improve the sustainability and resilience of communities and the natural environment, providing responsive client service and tackling complex environmental challenges. A 100% employee-owned firm, growing thoughtfully and deliberately, ESA invests in its employee-owners across 19 offices in California, the Pacific Northwest, and Florida. Visit www.esassoc.com. Follow: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
# # #
