Meet Jessica Glenn, Senior Environmental Scientist

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I am originally from the coast of Maine, and I currently live in Portland, Oregon. I like to say I moved from one Portland to another, and I love them both.

What do you do at MFA?

I’m an environmental scientist and project manager, working primarily on sediment and waterfront sites. This includes site characterization, remediation, and allocation and litigation support.

What’s rewarding about your job?

I really enjoy working on complex sites and finding creative ways to resolve project challenges. This often involves collaboration, both internally and externally, to find a solution that’s best for our clients and the community.

Why is what you do important?

One way or another, our project work is improving communities. Whether my specific project role supports evaluating sources of contamination or remediating a site, the ultimate goal is to improve environment conditions, benefiting the community.

What’s your favorite restaurant/place to go in your area?

My favorite is getting pizza from Gracie's, but I also eat a lot of burritos from La Bonita.

What skills do you bring to your work?

Big picture strategic thinking and fostering collaboration. I thrive when working on diverse teams and developing strategies to efficiently achieve our project goals.

What do you like to do off the clock?

I love being outside. Backpacking, gardening, cross-country skiing, and biking are among my favorite activities. I also enjoy cooking and fostering rescue dogs.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from a work colleague?

Always have a recommendation. It’s often easy to identify problems or roadblocks, but thinking through potential solutions, even if you’re not sure of the right answer, is immensely helpful. I learned to do this early in my career to help my project teams, and I appreciate this even more now that I’m a project manager.

If you were not a senior environmental scientist, what would you be?

Landscape architect, flower farmer, or somehow getting paid to travel places and explore the outdoors.

What’s on your bucket list?

A lot of traveling, including backpacking in Norway and exploring South America. But some things closer to home too, like becoming a backyard beekeeper.

What was your favorite childhood movie/TV show?

I didn’t like watching TV that much growing up. I have vivid memories of trying to convince my sister and cousins to come outside and play with me instead of watching TV. I played the board game Sorry! with my grandmother every day while I waited for my parents to pick me up after work.