Meet Ryan Crotty, Principal Environmental Planner

As a Principal Environmental Planner specializing in permitting and environmental review, Ryan Crotty helps clients navigate the regulations that stand between a project and a path forward. His approach is rooted in big-picture strategy, collaboration, and a knack for finding ways to get to “yes.” We asked Ryan about his unexpected path into planning, the experiences that shaped him as a consultant, and what he enjoys when he’s not tackling complex projects.

What led you to this field?

Honestly? I stumbled on the planning field by accident. I went to school at Western Washington University with the original intent of exploring business, law, or architecture. One of the benefits of a liberal arts college is the required exposure to a broad range of studies. I randomly took an “urban planning” class which ended up being a unique mix of my original professional interests. Several quarters of school and a few key mentors in the industry later, and now here I am. 

What drives you in your role at MFA?

My planning role at MFA and consulting in general provides a lot of opportunities to build your own professional brand. The unique ways you contribute to projects, internal and external teams, the company, or broader community define your professional reputation. Understanding that and using it to advance your career goals drives me to continuously find new and better ways to approach problems and get involved. 

Why does your work matter?

I’m a planner by title, but that can mean many things in this industry. My specific planning pathway is one of permitting and environmental review. This role requires you to be an expert in rules and regulations, as well as proficient in navigating the dynamic nature of people and politics. The work itself entails leading teams and clients through processes and procedures that can be ill defined and constantly changing. That context is important – my work matters as I have specialized in getting to “yes.” Leading projects, teams, clients, and communities through processes so their goals, missions, or responsibilities can be realized. While designs, reports, or analyses are critical to authorizing development or operations, none of this can be reviewed or implemented without navigating regulatory frameworks and procuring approvals. That’s where my work comes in. 

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

There’s so many to choose from here, but I’m going with what is likely the most impactful on a personal/professional level. When I was a fresh MFAer, someone who I thought would be leading the permitting/environmental review side of the business departed the company. This led to what I see clearly now as a great opportunity, but at that moment felt like mildly terrifying situation of being responsible for something before I felt fully ready. The advice I received was from our own Alistaire Clary who recommended that, instead of immediately bringing someone on directly above me, I give it six months and report back to her if I still felt that I needed that level of support. At some point in all our careers we have to rise to the occasion. Her insight, trust, and advice helped me through that moment and in large part defined who I am as a consultant today. 

What are some memorable projects you've worked on?

There’s A LOT of memorable projects - memorable for many reasons, whether it be the complexity, the fun, or specific moments that just stick with you. Keeping it to my MFA work, the ones that really stand out are our multi-disciplinary projects where I get to work with a wide array of MFA disciplines. There’s a high degree of satisfaction that comes with collaborating with several disciplines to solve problems, leveraging everyone’s unique perspectives and approaches. In particular, recent projects such as the Detroit Lake Marina (dredging and recreational reuse of sediment), the Cove at Chambers Bay (mixed use master plan), and Rehub Polk (solid waste transfer facility) stand out to me as they are great examples of what we can collectively achieve together.  

Who has influenced the way you work or approach your career?

I like to observe how everyone I work with conducts their business and then integrate aspects of their approaches or work that resonate with me. Tessa Gardner-Brown at Floyd|Snider. I worked with her before joining MFA. I have modeled my own project management style based on what she did and the results she was able to achieve. Project management is typically one of the first big transitionary roles in your consulting career. Having a great role model to demonstrate how to do it at a high level was important to my professional development.

The list of people who influence me internal to MFA is too long to list out. Stacy Frost’s client relations, Kara Beaudoin’s attention to detail, Jessica Glenn’s leadership and initiative, Alistaire Clary’s professional development – all approaches, skills, and abilities are worth emulating.

If you weren’t in this career, what would you love doing instead? 

This is an easy one. In this exact order:

1. Trust fund recipient
2. Politics
3. Land use or environmental law  

What’s something on your bucket list?

1. Kayak fishing for Giant Trevally out of Roebuck Bay Australia
2. Fishing for Arapaima in the Pacaya Samiria National Park (Peru)
3. Flyfishing for Bonefish in Exuma Bahama’s (planned for April 2026)
4. One year of consistently completing my weekly resource view updates in Deltek 

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

Well, my hobbies are mostly limited to being a parent to an almost 7-year-old, so that’s a lot of what most people don’t get to see. Otherwise, outside of work I take part in a lot of stereotypical Pacific Northwest hobbies such as camping, hiking, fishing, breweries, passive driving, etc. One that might not immediately come to most people’s mind is cooking. I love to cook when I have the time and energy. And by cooking, I mean the complicated stuff that somehow uses every dish you own, not just cooking to sustain you and your family.

What’s a strength you bring to your work?

I focus on the larger picture and strategy. Whether it relates to project work or internal processes and systems. Identifying and addressing the root cause of something rather than just the symptom. Developing a strategy that not only addresses a person’s or clients expressed need but positions them for success for future actions that they themselves might not be thinking of. On a personal level, I make a concerted effort to focus, daily, on making incremental progress to achieve a larger goal. Identifying and acting on a series of smaller actions or improvements that over time compound to promote a larger outcome. 

Learn More About Ryan