The Basics
How long have you been at City Light? Since January 2024
Division: Vegetation Management
Can you describe your role and what it involves day-to-day? My role here at Seattle City Light is dynamic, diverse, and fast-paced. I serve as a subject matter expert on a variety of topics that seek to find system improvements for operations, guide wildfire mitigation work, drive community engagement, and increase customer satisfaction. I enjoy the ability to serve my coworkers, my community, and work to combat climate impacts by focusing on environmental restoration and forestry.
What inspired you to pursue a career in urban forestry and what continues to inspire you in your role? I have always been compelled by nature. When I moved west from Oklahoma and Texas, I was blown away by the size and scale of redwood forests. I became involved in environmental activism and found off-season work doing forest restoration and wildland fire management focusing on prescribed burning in Northern California. During that time, I fell in love with trees, forestry, and fire management, which led me to pursue higher education in geographic information system (GIS), forestry, and urban planning. I have a deep commitment to serving others and fostering a sense of belonging through work that connects community and the environment. I am inspired by the ability to have a significant positive impact working for City Light.
What is the biggest challenge and the greatest reward of working in urban forestry within a utility setting? Rights-of-way (including roads, sidewalks, and the open space under power lines) are particularly complex spaces with multiple departments and jurisdictions overlapping, often interacting with competing mandates. Growing a successful urban canopy requires proper planning, precise implementation, and consistent coordination to ensure both sustainability and essential service goals are met. I enjoy getting to work across policy, programming, and operations to find ways to optimize these efforts.
Why is urban forestry important, especially in the context of a utility like City Light? Trees and vegetation are essential assets. When managed properly, they offer sustainable solutions as we face the climate crisis to both reduce energy demands, build resiliency, and improve our daily lives.
Background
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Alma mater: Portland State University
Discipline/Trade of study: Forestry, urban planning, geography, GIS
Tell us about your family/pets: I am grateful for my blended family; participating in this capacity has been one of the greatest joys of my life. My partner and I are grateful to have parents and siblings nearby. We have a dog named Frankie and a cat named Hugo.
Just for fun
What’s your favorite tree or plant species and why? My answer changes regularly because I am truthfully in full spectrum appreciation of flora. Today’s answer would be bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). It reminds me of home in Texas. It is a deciduous conifer (yep you read that right – an evergreen that loses its leaves), hardy, tough, and highly adaptable.
What’s a fact about trees or urban forestry that you think most people don’t know? Trees are fascinating – their natural history spans millions of years dating back to the Carboniferous Period. They are epic record holders – here are a few facts:
- The oldest living specimen on Earth is a Great Basin bristlecone pine tree named Methuselah, located in the White Mountains of California, and is almost 5,000 years old!
- The largest living organism on Earth by mass is named Pando, a clonal stand of quaking aspen trees in Utah that covers over 100 acres!
- The tallest living specimen on Earth is Hyperion, a coast redwood measuring almost 400 feet tall!
- There are an estimated 73,000 species of trees on Earth, with 9,000 still unknown to science!
What’s your favorite green space or outdoor spot in the Seattle area? That is tough – we have so many excellent natural places to recreate! Nearest to me, I feel most inspired when I am at Martha Washington Park, a hidden gem south of Seward Park along the western shore of Lake Washington.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Mexico City. The climate is incredible, and it’s an inspiring, vibrant, and bustling city rich in culture, community, trees, and incredible architecture. I also appreciate the relatively quick access to so many landscapes – desert, shrublands, mountains, and sea.