Washington Forest Protection Association, consultant 

Wrote the article, "Linking with community to reclaim natural areas for education" in Clearing magazine (Fall 2002), which provides environmental education resources for K-12 teachers.

Prepared grant materials and a database to tally interdisciplinary environmental education test scores.

Radian Corporation, Sacramento CA and Bellevue WA 

As the manager of Radian Sacramento's Technical Communication group, I hired and managed our team of writers and editors. I also helped create our Community Relations team in response to new public involvement laws enacted in the mid-1980s. When I returned from graduate school in Ireland, I worked as a technical communication consultant for Radian's Sacramento and Bellevue offices. Projects I worked on include:

Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY 

Kodak was at the center of a media storm when a manufacturing chemical stored at its tank farm was detected in the groundwater under surrounding neighborhoods. Our Radian Corporation community relations team prepared videotapes and newsletters so neighbors could better understand the nature of the chemical that spilled, the environmental investigation that was planned, and cleanup scenarios that were considered. We also held one-on-one interviews to prepare homeowners for extensive in-home environmental monitoring and conducted public meetings where stakeholders could discuss their concerns with company representatives, health officials, and environmental scientists.

McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento, CA 

In the 1990s, this Air Force base was recognized as the worst hazardous waste site in the nation. Chemicals used in aircraft maintenance had migrated through the soil and into groundwater so neighbors near the base could not use their well water. As the manager of Radian's Technical Communication team, I conceptualized many aspects of Radian's community relations response and hired and managed staff to implement our campaign. Our goal was to reestablish communication between the Air Force and people living near the base. Communication tools at the heart of our award-winning public involvement campaign included a videotape shown to base neighbors and Pentagon officials that highlighted new technologies used at the base to prevent further contamination, brochures, fact sheets, press packets, and regular public meeting to explain the cleanup work being done.

World War II-era airfield, Galena, AK 

My job was to facilitate communication between Native Alaskans in Galena, a small community near the Arctic Circle, and Air Force officials in Anchorage. I worked with a community whose way of life was adversely affected by environmental contamination at a remote WWII airfield and who felt forgotten by the Air Force. After many one-on-one interviews, I compiled the community's concerns and relayed them to Air Force officials. I then prepared a public information and education plan to address those concerns and describe how the contamination would be mitigated.

Governor’s Diesel Fuel Task Force, Sacramento, CA

When the State of California introduced its "environmentally friendly" diesel fuel in the mid-1990s, representatives from trucking, engine manufacturing and repair, petroleum manufacturing, and labor organizations threatened to sue the California Air Resources Board about the safety of this modified fuel. As the communication liaison on a team of environmental scientists from Radian, I mediated discussions among 39 political, industrial, agricultural, and consumer groups appointed to the Governor's Diesel Fuel Task Force. The Task Force studied the environmental and economic impacts of this fuel, then prepared a report for Governor Pete Wilson that defined problems users had with the fuel and identified studies needed to address these problems.

Sacramento Community Awareness & Emergency Response Group

I prepared a community relations plan to educate the public about how Sacramento area manufacturers and Department of Defense installations were taking precautions to avoid and respond to incidents of environmental contamination.