Careers in the Environment Talks, Fall 2025
How to Search for Jobs & Internships
Tetra Tech & Conduit Power
Scout Clean Energy
LRE Water & AECOM
Hosted by the CITE Committee: Anne Wagenbrenner, Holly McCrory, Kayleigh O’Connor, & Warren Cook
warren.cook@colorado.edu
Q&A on environmental career paths. Refreshments provided.
5:30 to 6:30 PM
Tues, Oct 14
SEEC S228
Gazal Valvani, Career Development Coach
Warren Cook, Internship Faculty Sponsor
Department of Environmental Studies
5:30 to 6:30 PM
Wed, Oct 22
SEEC S228
Peter Stoddard, Manager of Development Strategy Conduit Power
Lincoln Steele, Geophysical Manager, Tetra Tech
5:30 to 6:30 PM
Tues, Oct 28
SEEC S228
Maggie Shelton
Project Manager
Ben Mathes, Senior Project Manager
5:30 to 6:30 PM
Tues, Nov 18
SEEC S228
Megan Stone, Environmental Planner AECOM
Chip Fisher, Project Engineer
Lincoln Steele
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
Tetra Tech
Lincoln Steele brings 18 years of experience in geophysical consulting, leading projects across various industries, including public safety, mining, infrastructure, and environmental work. Based in Lakewood, Colorado, he specializes in using seismic, microgravity, and electromagnetic methods to identify underground hazards such as voids, subsidence, and faults, as well as evaluating critical infrastructure like dams and railways.
Lincoln’s projects range from mapping mine voids and assessing subsidence risks to environmental characterizations and site evaluations. He’s skilled in advanced seismic techniques and 3D data interpretation, and helps diverse teams make informed decisions to improve safety and manage risks. Lincoln holds a BS in Geology and Environmental Science from Alfred University in New York and enjoys applying his expertise to solve complex geohazard challenges. He lives in Golden, CO, with his wife, two sons, and golden retriever named Ruby.
Peter Stoddard
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
Conduit Power
My career is a continuous path to learn how power markets, electricity generation, and grid management will help the US become wholly energy independent. Most recently I joined Conduit Power with the goal of stabilizing the ERCOT grid and beyond by developing a portfolio of distribution-size, dispatchable gas-to-power plants amidst a renewable saturated system.
Before joining Conduit I was a Development Manager on the AES Hawai'i team overseeing PV & BESS projects on Maui, O'ahu and Kauai. In 2021 I transferred from the AES Wind Development division where I spearheaded greenfield development in PJM and in-state Cal ISO. Prior to ADVANCE Energy's acquisition by AES, I managed the Solar Distributed Generation (DG) team on behalf of clients by investigating legislation, localized transmission capacity, and broader development opportunities related to Community Solar & DG projects across the United States.
Maggie Shelton
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
Scout Clean Energy
Maggie is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a double major in communication and business. She holds a master's degree in educational administration from Texas A&M University. Maggie joined Scout Clean Energy in 2023 as a Project Manager on the New Projects Development team, following 7 years in higher education and program management.
Her interest in renewable energy was sparked after attending solar permitting hearings in her home state, inspiring her to pivot careers. Since joining the industry, Maggie has focused on early-stage wind development in the Midwest, including site identification, land acquisition, due diligence, and community engagement. She has led the leasing of over 30,000 acres across multiple wind projects in Illinois.
Maggie’s path into clean energy is a reminder that there are many ways to enter the industry, and that project development draws on a wide range of transferable skills
Ben Mathes
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
Scout Clean Energy
Ben is originally from Columbus Ohio and graduated from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College with a bachelor’s in political science, focused on the intersection of energy and politics. Ben has worked for 8 years as a renewable energy project developer. He joined Scout Clean Energy last year following 8 years at Hecate Energy working on all aspects of development including land acquisition, development, contract compliance, origination, procurement, construction, and O&M.
During his time at Hecate Ben managed the development of a 500 MW solar project and 7 solar sub 4 MW projects totaling 13.7 MW under operation in Texas, and the award and contracting of 2+ GW of solar PPAs with two fortune 500 companies.
Megan Stone
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
AECOM
Megan Stone graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2019 with a degree in ENVS and a minor in Business. Her passion for environmental planning began during her senior year while interning with the U.S. Forest Service on the Boulder Ranger District. In her final semester, she joined Environmental Management & Planning Solutions, Inc. (EMPSi) in Boulder as an intern and was hired full-time as an environmental planner after graduation. Following EMPSi’s acquisition by AECOM in December 2023, Megan continued her work as an environmental consultant, advancing projects that balance development with environmental stewardship. With over six years of experience leading National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) projects, she supports Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), and Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for federal clients including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
At AECOM, she leads federal environmental compliance outreach, decision file, and website development programs and serves as her department’s lead environmental justice technical specialist. A skilled public engagement facilitator, she has led over 200 in-person and virtual outreach efforts for agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, BLM, USFS, USFWS, NOAA, DOE, and DOJ. She has served as lead author for more than 20 BLM RMPs, EISs, EAs, and Socioeconomic Baseline Reports, and has managed litigation-related projects and prepared administrative records for court filings.
Chip Fisher
Careers in the Environment (CITE) Series
Fall
2025
LRE Water
Chip Fisher is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) with a diverse engineering background, including 7 years of experience in project management, federal permitting, water resources engineering, and water supply planning, as well as 8 years of experience in research and development. Chip has developed a wide-ranging skill set during his career, from designing an off-grid solar-powered toilet to testing interplanetary spacecraft and mitigating post-fire debris flow.
Chip provides guidance and technical analysis on reservoir operations, water rights, hydrology, stream gage stations, hydraulic and hydrologic studies (No-Rise), complex permitting and compliance projects involving National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), US Forest Service Special Use Permit compliance, Clean Water Act permitting (Section 401 and 404) and wetlands mitigation, and Colorado Dam Safety Branch regulations, and Colorado Department of Public Health discharge permits. Chip also has a working relationship with several federal agencies.