25 Years of Listening First and Navigating Constraints.
When I started with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, I worked on a day-to-day basis at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP) and eventually worked on all radioactive remediations in the Greater St. Louis area. I worked closely with contractors, regulators, and stakeholders to ensure projects were done safely and in accordance with approved work plans. Those experiences shaped how I approach problems: by listening first, understanding goals, and helping navigate technical and/or logistically challenging situations.
As those projects wound down, I transferred to the Water Protection Program where I issued and renewed NPDES permits and approved construction plans for wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects, as well as providing field oversight of state-funded construction projects, again to ensure projects were done safely and in accordance with approved work plans.
Lessons from Outside the Framework: House, Mats, and Campsites.
Outside of work, my free time was spent fixing up and maintaining a 130-year-old house. Anyone who has lived in a fixer-upper while they are fixing it up can tell you that old homes are great teachers of safety, patience, flexibility, grit, and budgeting. From knob and tube wiring to lath and plaster walls, to plate glass double hung windows, to balloon construction, the house had it all. In retrospect it wasn't an obstacle to overcome, but an adventure to enjoy. These experiences directly influence how I approach difficult technical situations today.
That perspective is reinforced by the one thing I did just for me: earning a black belt in judo from the Korean Judo Association. In Judo, the first lesson is free—it is 50% falling down, 50% getting choked out, and 50% being sore. The two core philosophical pillars of Judo are Jita kyoei (Mutual Benefit) and Seiryoku zenyo (Maximum Efficiency). These principles teach that individuals should use their mental and physical energy in the most efficient manner possible to attain a goal, while ensuring that the outcome benefits both themselves and society. When things get difficult, I've come back to this concept time and time again.
Finally, as an assistant scoutmaster, I completed Wood Badge training—an advanced organizational management and executive leadership program focused strictly on team dynamics, strategic planning, and project execution. Alongside other adult leaders, I regularly worked to help the scouts plan outings and camping trips, spending approximately 120 nights camping with the troop. Helping scouts build leadership skills, resilience, flexibility, and self-confidence was something I took seriously. Those experiences directly influence how I train, mentor, and support my professional colleagues when navigating uncertainty.
Navigating Uncertainty and Sharing Institutional Knowledge.
Upon earning my professional engineer's license, I served as the only professional engineer in the group that manages hundreds of complex underground storage tank sites at any given time and was the State's expert on Petroleum Remediation systems. In that role, I became a go-to resource for difficult cases involving bedrock impacts, petroleum recovery, and corrective action planning. I took particular pride in helping others work through uncertainty—whether that meant guiding staff, supporting consultants, or explaining complicated technical issues in practical terms.
I finished my career with the State supporting the Waste Management Program, specifically RCRA subtitle C facilities with an emphasis on efficiency, consistency, and mentoring. I enjoy helping teams develop confidence in their work, improving how programs function day-to-day, and ensuring institutional knowledge is shared rather than siloed.
Across my career, I've learned that strong technical skills are important, but people are what make work meaningful. Whether mentoring staff, collaborating with project teams, or helping people address environmental challenges, my focus remains the same: solving problems in a practical manner, supporting others, and leaving things better than I found them.
Complex Scenarios. Practical Answers.
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