Meet Bill Beadie, Principal Industrial Hygienist

Your Journey So Far

What path led you here, and what first sparked your interest in this field?

When I was in college, I knew I liked science and interacting with people outside of a laboratory setting. As a typical college student, I was convinced that everyone would line up to pay for my advice, so I figured being an environmental consultant was perfect. The first job I landed was advertised as environmental consulting but was more like OSHA consulting. My favorite parts were collecting measurements to evaluate worker exposure, which I didn’t even know at the time was called industrial hygiene. After a year of learning some basics, I moved to Portland and found a job with an exceptionally good industrial hygienist (Paul Carlson), where I worked for 14 years. As his retirement horizon neared, I found my way to MFA, where I finally fulfilled my objective to work at an environmental consulting firm. 

The Why Behind the Work

What drives you in your role at MFA, and what makes it fulfilling?

When I first started, my satisfaction came from doing a great job on the tasks that were assigned to me. As I gained more experience, I figured being great meant being able to connect with important work without waiting for someone to assign specific tasks to me. Now, I think being great means all of that, but more importantly, I feel like the measure of my professional success is primarily determined by the extent to which I can help everyone around me be successful. 

Making an Impact

Why does your work matter — for your team, your clients, or your community?

It doesn’t require a lot of imagination to see the impact of health and safety work. We work hard to prevent people from getting sick or hurt. I think the question, “Is it safe, and what should I do?” is endlessly fascinating, and people care deeply about the answer. I frequently use a phrase that sounds a bit like a bumper sticker, but I believe it’s important. It’s about people, not paperwork.

Words That Stuck with You

What’s the best piece of advice a colleague has shared with you?

This is hard to answer because I’ve fortunately received so much great advice from so many smart people. Things like “start with the end in mind” and “less is more” are powerful ideas that figure prominently in my day-to-day professional decision-making. However, as I reflect on this question, I keep coming back to some version of “understand the why.” Taking some time at the start of an effort to clearly understand the purpose of our work is time well-spent, and it’s not always as obvious as it first seems.

Projects That Shaped You

What are a few memorable projects, whether for the joy, the challenge, or both?

The ODOT wildfire recovery project was both the most challenging and gratifying project on which I’ve worked. It was so stressful to be under immense, unrelenting pressure for months and months. It probably took years off my life. However, we found creative ways to quickly solve problems that didn’t have a roadmap. Everyone on that team worked so hard and produced great work. Most importantly, we found ways to play a role in helping thousands of people throughout Oregon recover from devastating wildfires.

Who Inspires You

Is there someone who motivates or influences the way you work or live?

This is a difficult question because I’ve so many good mentors and role models. Paul Carlson helped shape my thinking about practical approaches to complicated problems, which was further influenced by people like Ted Wall and Steve Taylor. However, at the end of the day, I think I have to give a somewhat cheesy, cliché answer and say my dad is probably the most significant influence on my professional life. From my earliest memories until the time he passed away, I recall that he stayed curious and engaged, he built and maintained relationships, and he valued consistent, hard work with the goal of solving problems. I still have moments where I consciously think about what I believe my dad would do in certain situations, and that has influenced the way I’ve approached some things.

Hidden Talents and Hobbies

What’s a side of you most people don’t get to see?

I think a lot of people know about “my guitar thing,” but maybe some don’t. After I did industrial hygiene for five years, I quit my job for six months to build guitars in England. I came back and apprenticed with an amazing luthier named John Greven for about five years while I was working again as an industrial hygienist. I stopped apprenticing when we were expecting our first child, but I still look forward to getting back to it one day.

Your Superpower

What’s that special skill or trait you bring to the table that makes a difference?

I don’t know if I have anything you could justifiably call a superpower. The closest thing might be the ability to simplify complicated ideas and communicate effectively. 

Learn More About Bill