Dianna Robinson
Juneau,AK
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Environmental Project Specialist
City and Borough of Juneau
11.2022 - Current
- Project manager for a variety of environmental projects, including but not limited to multi-year greenhouse gas emissions inventories for the community of Juneau; research into PFAS containing materials for construction; flood response community debris clean-up; planning, design, and construction of a municipal composting site funded by congressionally directed spending; solid-waste planning for the community
- Write and apply for grants, as well as assist the Department's Grants Manager with subject matter expertise
- Successfully completed a NEPA review for a composting facility; assist other staff with the NEPA process for other projects
- Completed the City and Borough of Juneau's Supervisory Academy
- Create procedures and find efficiencies in current processes and projects
- Establish and nurture relationships with tribal government partners, Extension Services, local and regional non-profits, and State government agencies
- Perform budget preparation, projection, and management for projects and the City’s RecycleWorks operations
- Staff Liaison for the Juneau Commission on Sustainability, a citizen advisory committee to the elected body of Juneau, the Assembly
- Duties include compliance assurance with the Open Meetings Act, coordination between committees and the Municipal Clerk’s office, and technical guidance
- Research and write reports and memo; present findings on several environmental topics, including on-bill financing and other ‘green’ financing opportunities for residential and commercial energy efficiency upgrades, environmentally preferable building materials, and waste reduction and diversion programs and technologies to citizen groups, elected officials, and other City staff
- Applied for a received technical assistance from the NREL for Waste-to-Energy projects
- Created and executed outreach and education initiatives for several environmental topics, including recycling, zero-waste, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, PFAS, and wastewater source control issues
- Assisted the Water and Wastewater Utilities with source control and FOG (fats, oils, greases) reduction for commercial and residential customers
- Worked collaboratively across many City departments and divisions to achieve project objectives
- Collaborated with area and regional partners on planning projects and community engagement initiatives.
Materials Management Specialist
Montana Department of Environmental Quality
10.2016 - 10.2022
- Collaborated with many programs within our bureau to complete the 2018 Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP), a detailed snapshot of waste streams within the state, how they are currently managed, and recommendations based on the available science and stakeholder input.
- Researched and wrote an in-depth guidance document for best practices in the cannabis industry with input from colleagues in other states where marijuana is legalized in some capacity
- After recreational marijuana legalization in 2021, the Montana Department of Revenue used some of my recommendations to change waste disposal administrative rules for the industry to reduce the amount of waste entering landfills from marijuana growing operations
- Attended public meetings; I have been an invited speaker at several County Commissioner and Zoning Board meetings to speak about Montana’s Junk Vehicle Program, proposed facility permit applications, and several other topics related to waste management and reduction
- Assisted groups in Missoula and Helena to provide guidance for their community-driven Zero Waste initiatives, as well as helping volunteer groups in less populated areas start recycling and composting projects
- Acted as project manager for our bureau on the Department’s transition to a new website; our bureau was consistently ahead of schedule during the eight-month project period
- Collaborated often with other programs in our Bureau, including the Hazardous Waste Program, Asbestos Control Program, Underground Storage Tank Program, and the Solid Waste Program. These collaborations cover a range of activities, including creating educational documents, helping to format large documents/EAs, assisting with website modifications, and providing technical information on our program
- Organized and executed several trainings for our stakeholder groups, including County Junk Vehicle coordinators and recycling, reuse, and composting organizations, including a state-wide Materials Management Forum in 2019
- Attended and provided subject matter expertise at quarterly Solid Waste Advisory Committee and Septic Pumper Advisory Committee meetings
- Spearheaded the initiative to help move the Department to Zero Waste; this included taking building-specific waste audits, collecting employee feedback, presenting initiative ideas to upper management, creating a food waste composting pilot project, handling the State government contracting process, and acting as the point of contact for the compost collection contractor
- Head of the DEQ Green Team from 2018-2022. The Green Team was made up of DEQ employees from many sections and multiple worksites
- Answered phone calls and emails from Montana residents and businesses.
Administrator
Antrim Conservation District
12.2014 - 10.2016
- Worked with County, Township, and Village elected officials as well as County administrators on multiple projects including biannual Household Hazardous Waste collection events, waste management, intergovernmental land management issues, water quality, public events, and the creation of the 2016 Antrim County Plat Book
- Organized household hazardous waste drives in a rural community with no year-round access to disposal sites in conjunction with the Antrim County government and the Michigan Clean Sweep Program
- Coordinated the move of the County recycling program from the Public Works Department to the Conservation District
- Created and delivered presentations to various stakeholder groups, including residents and policymakers
- Represented the Antrim Conservation District at the MDEQ Northern Michigan Green Infrastructure Conference, and as a Director of Paddle Antrim and a Committee Member of the Antrim County Petoskey Stone Festival
- Performed all marketing and outreach for the organization including creating and maintaining websites, managing social media, creating monthly newsletters, writing articles for local newspapers, phone and in-office customer service, and advertising
- Liaised with the regional Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) technician about participating farms in the county
- Spearheaded a project to create a multi-use trail system in an underserved area of the county
- Committee oversight with stakeholders from Antrim County, Mancelona Township and Village, NMMBA, MDNR, local HOA’s, the North Country Trail, community development groups, and interested citizens.
Pubtender
Short’s Brewing Company
12.2014 - 10.2016
- Communicated the company’s mission and sustainability achievements to customers
- Facilitated the transition to zero waste at the Pub including an audit of all disposable products and setting up food waste disposal
- Strategized best practice guidelines for waste minimization, storage, and disposal
- Provided guidance on employee and consumer engagement to managers and the executive team
- Shadowed brewers to better learn about the inputs and outputs of the brewing process
- Researched production waste stream issues such as CO2, spent grain and yeast, waste water treatment, and packaging.
Environmental Analyst
Green Restaurant Association
07.2012 - 11.2014
- Performed environmental audits on client restaurants and communicated results to consultants to provide an accurate assessment of the restaurants’ environmental impacts
- Researched several environmental resource and policy issues, synthesized data, wrote technical documents, and applied relevant findings to current certification standards
- Utilized existing Life Cycle Analyses when researching products for clients
- Exhibited at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant Show in Chicago, IL, and the 2013 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York
- Managed multiple databases of products and services for use across the consulting department
- Worked within the certification system’s database for reporting
- Created technical and educational documents using Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint for many audience types.
Regulatory Trainee (AmeriCorps)
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
01.2012 - 07.2012
- Intercepted and directed customer inquiries and complaints to relevant staff members and departments
- Performed data entry and database management in Microsoft Access and Excel for the Division of Mining and Reclamation
- Partnered with the Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation Program to update their mapping system from AutoCAD to ArcGIS
- Fulfilled Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for various environmental watch groups throughout the state.
Field Crew Leader (AmeriCorps)
Montana Conservation Corps
02.2011 - 11.2011
- Successfully led a crew in backcountry conservation projects and coordinated over 50 volunteers for multiple service projects
- Created training and educational modules about regional environmental and natural resource issues and taught them to crew members, fellow field crew leaders, and volunteers
- Developed relationships and coordinated projects with technical advisors from several land management agencies such as the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Education
M.S. Environmental Sustainability -
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland11.2010
B.A. History -
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI05.2008
Skills
- Relationship Building
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Professional Demeanor
- Effective Communication
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Project Management
- Decision-Making
- Continuous Improvement
- Work Planning and Prioritization
- Conflict Resolution
- Cultural Awareness
- Public Speaking
- Public Administration
- Public Works Administration
- High computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, Tableau, StoryMaps, and ArcGIS
Timeline
Environmental Project Specialist
City and Borough of Juneau
11.2022 - Current
Materials Management Specialist
Montana Department of Environmental Quality
10.2016 - 10.2022
Administrator
Antrim Conservation District
12.2014 - 10.2016
Pubtender
Short’s Brewing Company
12.2014 - 10.2016
Environmental Analyst
Green Restaurant Association
07.2012 - 11.2014
Regulatory Trainee (AmeriCorps)
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
01.2012 - 07.2012
Field Crew Leader (AmeriCorps)
Montana Conservation Corps
02.2011 - 11.2011
M.S. Environmental Sustainability -
University of Edinburgh
B.A. History -
Michigan State University