Alumni Spotlight

Read the Interview with Micah:

1. You work as the Solid Waste and Sustainability Administrator for the City of Redmond. How would you describe your day-to-day?

In a day’s work, I will hear directly from residents, answering questions about recycling, or resolving service complaints about our contracted waste company. I could be out helping a multifamily property find locations for dumpsters or determine the right garbage and recycling service level for a large City event. I also spend time in the office managing vendor contracts, and drafting City policy statements on waste related State legislation or advising on regional waste policy at the County level. I love being able to help residents and businesses with their questions, and I also love being involved in State and County policies that shape waste management in the region. 

2. What excites you about your field of work? 

I have been working in the solid waste field for almost 20 years, but I feel like the momentum right now is to make progress in sustainable packaging, materials management, and reuse has really been accelerating over just the last 5 years. Between extended producer responsibility legislation for packaging, and requirements to compost food waste, and deconstruction and building material reuse there is so much exciting work being done to reduce waste and conserve resources. Our understanding of how past waste practices have impacted the environment is only just beginning to be understood, and there is so much opportunity to help monitor or cleanup available to students. I find great satisfaction in trying to untangle some of the big, complicated issues involved in creating a more sustainable waste and materials management system. 

3. What are some of the critical sustainability issues the City of Redmond focuses on?

I feel fortunate to work for a city where the Council and Mayor strongly support sustainability action. A great deal of my work is driven by our Environmental Sustainability Action Plan that lays out important City work to advance sustainability over the next 30 years. The main goals are to reach 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 through reduction in transportation and building emissions, supporting green energy, preserving and enhancing green spaces, protecting and conserving water resources, and moving towards more sustainable consumption and zero waste. The plan breaks these goals down into specific policies and actions the City staff are working to implement.

4. What actions can individuals take to move these issues forward? What role can/should a higher education institution such as SU play to promote sustainability and advance sustainability goals set by City governments?

All individuals can help move sustainability forward. You certainly don’t have to work in the sustainability field to make a difference, every career can be a sustainability career. We all make choices every day that involve consumption of resources in our individual lives, and the impact of those choices across society are cumulative. We also can shape the practices of the places we work to move sustainability forward on a sometimes-larger scale than individual action. I believe higher education institutions should weave sustainability education through every major, just as SU weaves the belief in compassion and service to community through every program. For me, these are one in the same; sustainable communities are resilient communities, and sustainability benefits everyone in that community. 

5. How did your Seattle University education prepare you for your work?

I believe all of my work has benefitted from the breadth of my SU education. The interdisciplinary approach to environmental education that covered hard science, and the social sciences has really provided a backbone for critically reading studies and policy papers and the skill to distill that material down for decision makers. I have definitely grown more appreciative of all the material I read at SU as I grow older; I reflect back on the writings of Thoreau and Aldo Leopold in particular as I seek to ground myself in a sometimes-chaotic world. Work on class presentations, and oral finals in the Honors program really taught me to think on my feet and provided skills I use when presenting to City Council and the public.

6. What advice do you have for students who are considering environmental-focused careers?

It is an exciting time to be working in the field of sustainability. There are so many different directions you could take; non-profits, government, or private sector work. Whatever direction you choose, I would say to always remain open and flexible to new opportunities. I started straight out of college working on habitat restoration and salmon recovery projects, and never imagined I would work in solid waste and recycling. I was offered the opportunity to move positions and absolutely love where I ended up.

7. What is your fondest memory from your days as a student at SU?

At the top of my list has to be that I met my wife of 22 years at SU! I also really enjoyed the community of friends that I built living in the residence halls (shout out to Xavier Hall), many of whom I still spend time with today. I certainly miss being able to yell down the hall and get enough people for a pickup midnight glow in the dark ultimate frisbee game.