Warner_UFC application_redacted — File 25-1291

To whom it may concern, I’d like to apply to be a member of the urban forestry committee in Somerville. I bring some knowledge of urban forestry but mostly an eagerness to learn about Somerville’s program and the role that citizen engagement can play. I spent a recent summer inventorying street trees in Cambridge as a city intern. I loved crisscrossing the city, exploring new neighborhoods and hugging trees (strictly for the dbh measurement). It felt purposeful and good to be a small part of their urban forestry program, and I’d like to dedicate some time to being a part of Somerville’s urban forestry work since moving back to the city last year. I would love to be involved in collaborating with neighboring cities and towns on urban forestry issues. My favorite tree in the city is a tulip tree that was planted about 2 years ago on my street and is thriving because of my neighbor’s dedication to watering it. I wonder about the long-term planning involved in planting such large canopy trees as street trees. I also love the goldenrain trees planted near the corner of Beacon and Park St. I think the most exciting research in urban forestry in recent years has been surrounding equity and the social and political challenges in managing urban tree canopy. Walking around Cambridge and occasionally talking to residents, I was surprised to learn not everyone feels that urban trees are a universal good. Residents have bad experiences with poor maintenance and safety hazards in their neighborhoods that make them distrustful of tree planting programs. I’d like to be a part of the urban forestry committee to work on these types of real program challenges through public outreach and dialog. I’m currently a landscape designer at CDM Smith in Boston, working towards licensure as a landscape architect. I do not do much urban design work in my current role, but I do planting designs for a range of scales of public facilities and specify tree planting and maintenance within warranty periods. I could also bring some organizational and graphic design skills as a result of my job experience. I prefer to work behind the scenes and engage people in small groups or one-on- one, but I previously worked at the EPA administering permits, and among other work it included public speaking and public meeting presentations. I hope there is a place for my skills and interests in the urban forestry committee, and thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Suzanne Warner Somerville MA 02143

Suzanne Warner EDUCATION PRIOR EMPLOYMENT Somerville, MA 02143 I’m interested in integrating my interest and experience with green infrastructure and urban trees into low-impact site design for local public landscapes such as parks and playgrounds. I enjoy visual data communication and real-world problem solving. I’m a concise and thoughtful communicator and an experienced presenter. I have seven years of professional work experience in the environmental regulatory field. SKILLS/SOFTWARE Proficient: AutoCAD, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator; ESRI ArcMap; Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access), Bluebeam Familiar: Lumion, Rhino, Sketchup, HydroCAD, ESRI ARcGIS Pro, Autodesk Civil 3D UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Amherst, MA Master of Landscape Architecture May 2023 (GPA: 4.00) TUFTS UNIVERSITY Medford, MA BS Environmental Engineering May 2013 (Magna Cum Laude) DESIGN INTERN, Warner Larson Landscape Architects, Boston, MA Assisted in the preparation of construction documents for various public park and schoolyard projects: assisted with site grading, materials and layout plans, custom details and detail sheets, researched gabion seat wall construction, helped to prepare construction cost estimates and LEED criteria evaluation, designed schoolyard murals, rendered site plans and sections for client meetings, prepared project proposal graphics, including site analyses, for business development. FEB - AUG 2022 LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, CDM Smith Inc., Boston, MA - Assist and lead in the preparation of design concepts and construction documents for green infrastructure retrofit projects and water infrastructure land development projects. - Draft construction details, layout, grading, and planting plans for stormwater basins, swales, and rain gardens using Autodesk AutoCAD and Civil 3D. - Assist in specification documents for landscape and civil components of site development projects. - Prepare rendered site plans, sections, and perspectives using Sketchup, Lumion, and Adobe Photoshop. - As a part of the design process. research local planning and stormwater regulations, native plant communities, underground utilities, and site materials. - Assist in the development of stormwater models of small sites using HydroCAD under the direction of a senior environmental engineer for permitting tasks. - Regularly communicate and coordinate with senior landscape architects on design tasks. - Regularly communicate with engineering disciplines and project managers working on site development projects to coordinate design development, changes, and progress. - Project types include: water and wastewater treatment facility upgrades and site design, campus design, Right-of-way green infrastructure design, and green infrastructure planning. JUNE 2023 - PRESENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, Boston, MA Led preparation and writing of stormwater and industrial wastewater permits to reduce pollution using a scientific and regulatory basis. Work included outreach to and engagement of stakeholders and permittees, collaboration with federal and state agencies, providing resources to NGOs, and extensive data management. SEPT 2013 - JUL 2020 TREE INVENTORY INTERN, City of Cambridge, Department of Public Works Supported the City’s efforts to complete an urban tree canopy inventory. Assessed trunk and canopy for damage and overall health, collected DBH measurements, and verified species of over 7,000 trees in the public right of way or public parks. JUN - AUG 2021 TEACHING ASSISTANT, University of Massachusetts Amherst Assisted or led teaching field trips of landscape ecology concepts such as topography, hydrology, green infrastructure, soils, and ecology to undergraduate landscape architects and planners. Assisted in teaching concepts of hydrology, grading, and construction documentation to undergraduate landscape architects and contracting students. Graded approx. 100 pgs/week of student lab reports or homework. SEPT - DEC 2021-2022