Ascent

Ascent welcomes Rid Hollands, ENV SP as a Senior Environmental Planner/Project Manager in our San Diego office. With over 13 years of experience in the environmental sector, Rid is a high-achieving and approachable sustainability professional who has managed multidisciplinary teams on a variety of environmental analysis and documentation efforts. In addition to being a skilled technical writer, he is adept in identifying environmental impacts and mitigation measures and in developing pragmatic solutions. Welcome to Ascent! Learn more about Rid at ascent.inc/rid-hollands

Marlie Long has joined Ascent’s San Diego office as member of the Environmental Practice Group. She brings over 9 years of experience leading and working on interdisciplinary consultant teams for a variety of projects—master plan communities, large flood control and water infrastructure, urban development, long-range plans such as general, master, and specific plans and housing elements, and more. Marlie specializes in the management and preparation of programmatic analyses to help clients build strong CEQA foundations to facilitate future streamlining as well as projects that combine urban planning and CEQA. Welcome to the team!   Learn more about Marlie at ascent.inc/marlie-long.

At Ascent, we're thrilled to celebrate Greta Brownlow, PhD, our Senior Environmental Director, for receiving the Outstanding Service Award from UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.   Greta's enriching curriculum development and deep knowledge of CEQA make complex topics accessible to students. Her commitment to teaching in the Planning and Sustainability Program exemplifies our firm's dedication to advancing the profession through open knowledge sharing. This multidisciplinary program, the largest of its kind in the western U.S., equips professionals with holistic knowledge to address California's diverse planning and land use challenges.   Join us in congratulating Greta on this well-deserved recognition!

Kathy Tang has joined Ascent's San Diego office as an Environmental Planner. Kathy has an educational background in environmental studies and geography from UC Berkeley. She is excited to be working on environmental review for a variety of project types—with a focus on improving public engagement and accessibility. Welcome to Ascent, Kathy!

We're pleased to share that Christy Ryan, CPSM, Ascent’s marketing director, has been named the 2024 Marketer of the Year by the Sacramento Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). This honor recognizes excellence in marketing leadership and contributions to SMPS's mission. Notably, our marketing manager, Christine Kenney, CPSM, received the same award last year. We're fortunate to have such accomplished professionals driving our marketing initiatives at Ascent. Both Christy and Christine actively volunteer as co-leaders of the Senior Leadership Pathways program, underscoring our commitment to SMPS and the resources it offers marketing professionals in the A/E/C industry. 🎉Congratulations, Christy, on this well-deserved acknowledgment!

Ascent is proud to sponsor and attend the 15th Annual California Climate and Energy Collaborative (CCEC) Forum to be held June 25–26 in Palm Springs. This pivotal event brings together local government staff, elected officials, and community organizations to advance fair and equitable climate change and energy practices. Under the theme "Collective Innovation: Cultivating Collaboration for Equitable Climate Action," the forum will explore innovative ideas and best practices for collaboration, increasing accessibility for disadvantaged communities, and implementing cross-sector climate action. Four members of our Climate Action and Adaptation Planning team—Poonam Boparai; Hannah Kornfeld, AICP; Brenda Hom; and Fred Hochberg—look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions and sharing insights with fellow climate and energy leaders.

🌈🎉 Sacramento Ascentians, and their friends and family members, had an incredible time volunteering at the Sacramento Pride Festival! It was inspiring to see so many come together to celebrate love, acceptance, and the ongoing pursuit of equality. Volunteering at Pride was a meaningful way to give back to our community and show our support. Let's continue to celebrate progress, acknowledge the work still to be done, and recommit to the fight for full equality for all. #LifeAtAscent #HappyPride

Ascent is proud to have our own Erik de Kok, AICP, speaking at the upcoming 2024 California Association of Environmental Professionals Institute on June 7. As a panelist joining the Hazards – Wildfire Planning session, Erik will share insights from Ascent's work developing the strategic Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) Roadmap for the CA Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force. The FAC Roadmap initiative provides a statewide plan for boosting community wildfire resilience. Erik will discuss key goals and actions from the forthcoming FAC Roadmap, as well as opportunities under the California Vegetation Treatment Program to streamline environmental review for critical landscape treatments. The 2024 AEP Institute, which will be hosted virtually, focuses on preserving “the health, safety, and welfare of our communities through climate resiliency planning.” Join Erik and other experts for this vital discussion. Visit www.califaep.org to register.

Matthew Watson has joined Ascent’s Sacramento office as the GIS Enterprise Administrator. Matthew will leverage modern GIS technologies to meet the diverse needs of both the Ascent team and the firm’s clients. He is excited to deploy web-based GIS solutions that will enhance survey and data collection efforts, increase collaboration across the organization, and enable new levels of coordination with our clients. He brings diverse and varied experience supporting the environmental, utilities, and planning industries. Welcome to the team, Matthew!

Natalie Kataoka will join the San Diego office as a Climate Action Analyst following the completion of her master's degree in environmental policy and management. Natalie is transitioning from an intern position at Ascent to a permanent role on the Climate Team. She enjoys quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and is looking forward to continuing work on climate action plans. Welcome to the team, Natalie!