Andrew Russell
Madera,CA
Summary
Results-driven Principal Scientist specializing in environmental compliance and project management. Led multi-disciplinary teams and developed critical permit applications while managing project budgets and schedules. Ensured regulatory adherence and demonstrated technical expertise in environmental compliance surveys and monitoring.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Parsons Corporation
Principal Scientist
Fresno, CA
06.2016 - Current
- Serve as Environmental Manager and Senior Biologist for a four-billion-dollar infrastructure program, providing strategic leadership for environmental compliance, permitting, biological resources, cultural resources, and natural resource management activities throughout project development and construction
- Developed and oversees implementation of environmental compliance and mitigation programs, monitoring procedures, reporting protocols, and contractor oversight processes to ensure consistent regulatory compliance across complex construction activities
- Evaluates environmental risks and permitting requirements to identify potential impacts to critical-path activities, providing project leadership with proactive solutions that support schedule certainty and regulatory compliance
- Manages multi-disciplinary teams consisting of biologists, archaeologists, paleontologists, architectural historians, erosion control specialists, schedulers, administrators and construction staff
- Oversees project budgets, schedules, subcontractors, and technical teams to align project deliverables with regulatory requirements and expectations of project leadership team
- Drafts formal correspondence to project stakeholders concerning environmental processes, regulatory compliance, changes in project scope, and unanticipated discoveries
- Coordinates with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to address compliance issues, negotiate mitigation requirements, and facilitate timely project approvals
- Coordinates with clients and project leadership teams to provide updates on regulatory compliance, implementation of project mitigation measures, potential impacts to critical path infrastructure schedule, and upcoming project milestones and action items
Parus Consulting, AECOM, Area West Environmental
Biologist
Sacramento, CA
11.2014 - 05.2016
- Drafted, reviewed and edited reports in accordance with the Biological Resources section of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
- Created a formal report detailing the recreational use of Suisun Marsh and compiled data to understand usage fluctuation over time
- Performed pre-construction biological resource surveys for sensitive natural resources, and served as a biological compliance monitor evaluating implementation of mitigation measures and protection of natural resources during construction activities
- Wrote comprehensive reports for clients detailing natural resource survey results and monitoring efforts
- Drafted Initial Study Mitigated Negative Declarations (ISMND) and Biological Assessments (BA)
- Conducted presence/absence and habitat suitability surveys for California tiger salamanders and vernal pool branchiopods utilizing the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) survey guidelines (2003)
- Extensive experience with sensitive biological resources, threatened and endangered species, habitat assessments, invasive species identification and management, biological monitoring, and environmental mitigation implementation
U.S. Forest Service
Biological Science Technician
Camptonville, CA
05.2014 - 10.2014
- Conducted surveys for the California spotted owl and northern goshawk utilizing the USFWS protocol
- Performed presence/absence surveys for willow flycatchers
- Conducted bat flight surveys of historic structures and abandoned mines
Field Crew Leader, Radio Telemetry Technician, Fisheries Biologist Aide
State College, PA
08.2012 - 04.2014
- Surveyed river otter latrine sites to estimate population size and determine the scope of reintroduction efforts
- Ensured sterile collection of genetic material from latrine sites to determine population dynamics
- Tracked venomous snake species to map changes in habitat use due to natural gas development
- Acted as liaison between contractors to ensure compliance with strict biological protocols
- Raised and stocked American shad to restore population levels in native watersheds
- Used random samples to conduct mortality estimates on juvenile American shad
- Captured fish for relocation using electrofishing equipment
Education
Bachelor of Science - Wildlife and Fisheries Science
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PAMBA - Project Management
Colorado Technical University
Colorado Springs, COSkills
- Environmental Compliance Management
- Environmental Permitting
- Regulatory Agency Coordination
- Natural Resource Management
- Construction Compliance Oversight
- Biological Resource Assessment
- Threatened and Endangered Species Management
- Invasive Species Management
- NEPA/CEQA Compliance
- Environmental Mitigation Planning and Oversight
- Program Development and Implementation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Risk Management
- Project Scheduling
- Multidisciplinary Team Management
- Budget, Change Order and Contract Management
Timeline
Parsons Corporation
Principal Scientist
06.2016 - Current
Parus Consulting, AECOM, Area West Environmental
Biologist
11.2014 - 05.2016
U.S. Forest Service
Biological Science Technician
05.2014 - 10.2014
Field Crew Leader, Radio Telemetry Technician, Fisheries Biologist Aide
08.2012 - 04.2014
Bachelor of Science - Wildlife and Fisheries Science
The Pennsylvania State University
MBA - Project Management
Colorado Technical University