This edition of Go With the Flow features our 2 new engineering team hires: Audrey Jones and Monique Rabold! Our firm is rapidly expanding and wants to celebrate the new talent onboard. Based in Colorado, Monique is a California-certified Principal Engineer with many years experience from working at other consulting firms such as GEI. Hailing from Santa Rosa, CA, Audrey Jones is bringing fresh energy and skills to our expanding team from her time at Sherwood Design Engineers. Both Audrey and Monique are helping with aquatic projects all around California. Welcome to FlowWest! We’re excited to get to know more about them and are excited to get started with exciting projects.
Audrey Jones:
How did you get into the environmental services sector?
One step at a time.
I have always loved the outdoors, starting with simple childhood involvement and enjoyment of outdoor sports and activities. As I grew, so did my desire to acquire a deeper understanding of our natural environment, especially as it relates to water. From a gradeschool fish-hatching project to spending two seasons in Antarctica supporting scientific teams, an on-site study of ocean chemistry in French Polynesia, testing fish in a swim chamber at Montana State University, focusing on bio-resources engineering, studying the effect of beavers on streams in a Harvard internship, to now wading into a career in river restoration engineering.
This has been coupled with a desire to have a positive impact on the world, to use my time and energies in efforts that have some beneficial outcome. I love the outdoors, I see the difficulties we, people, are facing regarding ecology, and I believe that people, people in many disciplines and across the globe, can make changes that will head us in a better direction.
Where are you from and did it have an affect on your career choices?
The ‘where’ isn’t crucial, as I think that people raised anywhere can love nature and make a difference. I am, as it turns out, now working for the benefit of the area where I was raised, but I feel that every part of the world offers opportunities and anyone who has the basic values of caring for the world they live in could open new avenues in any part of that world.
What hobbies do you have?
Water sports - especially swimming and paddle boarding; Snowboarding; Dirt biking; Woodworking; Problem solving.
What are your goals for this next year?
To be an active participant in what appears thus far to be a company that shares my values. To increase my technical skills. And to learn. A lot.
What is something that everyday people can do to help their local watershed?
Interact with it with care, intelligence, and enjoyment. Remember that ‘every drop counts’ and always consider not only how much you are taking, but also what you might be adding to those drops you are returning.
Monique Rabold:
How did you get into the environmental services sector?
I have a B.S. Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a M.S. Civil Engineering from UC Davis. During college and grad school, I enjoyed water and environmental courses the most and decided to focus my career in this area. Since finishing school, I’ve had great job experiences where I’ve been able to contribute to many different water-related projects in areas such as flood control, dams, water conveyance pipelines, stormwater management, and water treatment. I am excited to apply my engineering skills to stream restoration and habitat protection projects and make a meaningful impact on the environment.
Where are you from and did it have an affect on your career choices?
I am from the Sacramento area. Living just a short drive from both the mountains and the coast, I enjoyed spending a lot of time outdoors and knew I wanted to pursue a career path that helped the environment and wildlife. Growing up in California during periods of drought also got me interested in water issues in the state and beyond.
What hobbies do you have?
Outside of work I enjoy playing musical instruments. I have played the piano since I was 6 and the viola since I was 9, and I have performed in many large and small ensembles over the years. I participate in a variety of outdoor hobbies as well such as running, hiking, and skiing. I also love animals - I have two rabbits and a Great Pyrenees puppy who is getting bigger every day.
What are your goals for this next year?
My goal is to expand my technical skills in hydraulic modeling and drafting, as well as gaining more project management experience. I enjoy having a variety of roles across the project teams I am a part of.
What is something that everyday people can do to help their local watershed?
Be mindful of the ingredients in the everyday household products that you are using. Try to stick with products that are environmentally-conscious and do not dump anything down the drain that may be harmful. Bringing reusable grocery bags and produce bags to the store, carrying a refillable water bottle, and packing your lunch in reusable containers can also reduce single-use plastic waste. If you have a yard, replacing a grass lawn with a native plant garden is a great way to conserve water.
