From a young age I have been fascinated by ecosystems and how they function.  My B.S. in Biology from UW and M.S. in Ecology from UC Davis further confirmed my interest and prepared me for my future career in habitat improvement, as did my first-ever job monitoring habitat and water quality of streams on the Kitsap Peninsula.  

I am excited to return to Washington and join the PCD team as the habitat improvement program director after having spent the past 12 years working as an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR).  I started at CDWR as the lead for the Department's benthic monitoring program in the San Francisco Estuary, then transitioned into roles focused on habitat restoration planning and research.  Most recently I was the contract manager and restoration lead for the multi-benefit Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, a 3,400-acre project that, once implemented, will be the largest tidal habitat restoration project in California. Although I greatly enjoyed my work in California, I grew up studying and exploring the forests and beaches of western Washington and have always dreamed of returning to work on restoration of the ecosystems I love within my home state.   I’m very much looking forward to taking on my new role and assisting PCD in expanding opportunities for habitat improvement and restoration throughout Pierce County.

When I’m not working you’ll find me traveling (when it’s safe), hiking, camping, learning about photography, spoiling my elderly dog, or playing the violin in a community orchestra.  You may also find me out and about shopping for rain gear for my husband and young daughter and generally helping them adjust to life in the Pacific Northwest.

Heather will start as the new Habitat Improvement Program Director on September 27th, you can send her a warm welcome at: HeatherG@piercecd.org