This September, I had the pleasure of becoming the newest member of the MAP Environmental team (MAP). With six years of applied field science and three years of formal and informal environmental education experience within the great city of Virginia Beach under my belt, perhaps it was inevitable that someday our paths would cross. So, what made me pursue this great organization as the next stage in my environmental career?

MAP’s mission is straightforward:  provide clients with a successful environmental approach by employing emerging technologies, partnerships, cost-effective solutions, and personalized service to all projects. I have been excited to discover, however, that the MAP crew also has a fundamental desire to serve our community. For example, through MAP’s leadership, a charity golf tournament at Church of the Ascension was established over fifteen years ago.  Similarly, MAP has been actively engaged in supporting the non-profit Missioners of Christ both domestically and abroad.  Further, MAP has enjoyed   a successful relationship with Virginia Beach City Public Schools by providing hands-on science opportunities to high school students through internships and other efforts.

After spending nine years working for large organizations, I find that MAP’s small-business approach to consulting provides the opportunity for an exciting shift in mindset. As a small operation, MAP can effectively build one-on-one, lasting relationships with the clients who help make Hampton Roads a great place to live, and I will truly get to know members of the businesses, government agencies, and environmental entities I have the fortune to work with. Similarly, collaborating in a group of five employees fosters a close-knit atmosphere where we all cohesively work together to ensure an environmentally-sound future.

I am excited to have been welcomed into a team that so greatly values the community in which I live and the futures of my kids through its mission and personalized business approach. I look forward to building relationships with the businesses and environmental and governmental entities we serve in the coming months!