Emily has dedicated her career to public service. She has a deep love of connecting with people and place, which has shaped her schooling and career development over the years. Two of her core values are building community and feeling tangible impacts of her work. She has been with the City of Arcata for over eight years, and previously served the County of Humboldt and the Providence Housing Authority for four years combined. In her current capacity as Deputy Director of Environmental Services, she supports programs across recreation, parks and facilities management, restoration, climate adaptation and mitigation, solid waste management, and public art, as well as supporting a diverse staff team. She has led or supported a variety of grant application submittals, and has been successful in receiving over 25 grants totaling roughly $7.5 million.
Emily finds her greatest fulfillment through working in teams, building consensus, and bringing stakeholders together to tackle local and regional climate- and community-based challenges. She regularly partners with other jurisdiction and JPA staff, non-profit organizations, consultants, and broad range of stakeholders. She loves to learn from others’ perspectives and lived experiences, and seeks to align perspectives and strengths to achieve common goals. Currently, she is serving as a regional leader for the implementation of the Short Lived Climate Pollutants Act, including working regionally to develop infrastructure for organics recycling. She is also leading the City’s role in developing a regional Climate Adaptation Plan. She continues to support a variety of the City’s sea level rise adaptation planning efforts in the Humboldt Bay Region, which experiences the greatest rate of sea level rise in the state.
In addition to being a dedicated public servant, Emily has been a dedicated member of the Humboldt community for over a decade. She volunteered for the Surfrider Foundation, including serving as Chair, for several years. She has also volunteered for community-based groups, such as Rotaract; and served on the board of Housing Humboldt, a nonprofit dedicated to construction and management of affordable housing, for several years. Emily has taught regular yoga classes since 2018, and finds joy in connecting people with themselves through mindful embodiment. She is an avid cold water surfer and spends time backpacking in the mountains as much as possible. Emily aims to bring an open mind and heart with her wherever she goes.
