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Meet the Team

The Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability (OEPS) is made up of a dedicated staff of sustainability professionals from a range of backgrounds and experience. From engineers and educators, to conservationists and communicators, OEPS staff works to make Tacoma a more environmentally sustainable community for all.

 

 

Parvey Headshot

Jim Parvey, P.E., LEED AP

Division Manager

 

Jim Parvey has 36 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering. He holds a bachelor's in civil engineering from the University of Washington. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Washington and an accredited professional with the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. He has worked for both public and private enterprise. His project experience includes the Center for Urban Waters, the Cheney Stadium Renovation, the Hylebos Bridge Rehabilitation, the Murray Morgan Bridge Rehabilitation, Broadway Local Improvement District, Tacoma 2016 Tacoma Environmental Action Plan, 2016 Tacoma Climate Resilience Study, 2021 Tacoma Climate Action Plan, and the Tacoma Renewable Gas Plant. As the city’s Chief Sustainability Officer he leads the Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability where he works on improving the city’s overall resilience environmental performance, and livability. 

 

 

Carson Brock

Carson Brock

AmeriCorps Sustainability Specialist

Carson Brock (He/Him) is joining the OEPS team as the new AmeriCorps Sustainability Specialist. He graduated in 2022 from Western Washington University in Bellingham Washington with a B.A in business and sustainability and a double minor in political science/entrepreneurship and innovation. Throughout his time at university, he worked as the Associated Students Vice President for Student Services where he created waste reduction plans for the university. Planned and hosted sustainable-focused events and programs for students, faculty, and local community members. Trained students for the Lobby Day event where over 100 students lobbied various topics of the university action plan to local and state legislators. Carson is new to the Tacoma area and in his free time, he enjoys going to concerts, hiking, cooking, and traveling. He looks forward to expanding his skills and passion for environmentalism and community building in this position. 

 

 

Mike Carey

Mike Carey

Urban Forest Program Manager

 

Mike Carey is the Urban Forest Program Manager. Mike is a certified arborist with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. His studies focused on restoration ecology and architecture. Mike has been working on developing “green infrastructure” for the City’s Environmental Services Department since 2011. As the Urban Forest Program Manager, Mike is responsible for managing programs and developing policy that enhance the City’s tree canopy cover.

 

 

Mike Carey

Nathan Crain

Climate Data & Grant Sustainability Analyst

 

Nathan joined the Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability after working in the marine industry as a technical writer and project manager, during which he helped clients pursue grant funding for several passenger ferry decarbonization projects. He now analyzes the City’s climate and emissions data and seeks out grant opportunities that will help the City meet its decarbonization and sustainability goals. Nathan moved to the Pacific Northwest after studying math and anthropology at the University of Oklahoma and completing a Science and Technology Studies masters program at York University in Toronto. He lives in Tacoma with his wife, son, and a strange little dog, and he likes to spend time gardening and exploring hidden corners of Puget Sound.

 

 

Mike Carey

LaKecia Farmer

Senior Sustainability Analyst

LaKecia Farmer (she/they) is a Senior Sustainability Analyst coming to the City of Tacoma with over 5 years of experience as a legislative aide, strategic advisor, and policy analyst and 10 years of organizing experience. LaKecia is the staff liaison to the Sustainable Tacoma Commission and supports her team’s work in helping fulfill the City’s Climate Action Plan. With a background in community organizing and policy experience, LaKecia understands the importance of environmental justice and centers those most impacted by climate change and environmental racism. Outside of these experiences, LaKecia also studied at The Evergreen State College in Tacoma, receiving a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in political economy and environmental studies. LaKecia is expected to graduate from the University of Washington in Tacoma with a Master’s in Community Planning in 2024.  In their free time, LaKecia loves hanging out with the tiny humans in their life, watching rugby, hiking and cycling with their wife, and making dance videos.

 


Ryan Hebert

Ryan Hebert

Urban Forestry Analyst

 

Ryan is an Urban Forestry Analyst, coming to Tacoma after four years of community development and reforestation work in Detroit where he helped plant thousands of trees, install green stormwater infrastructure, and establish the first tree nursery in the city since the late 1980s.  Ryan’s work focuses on growing Tacoma’s tree canopy in an equitable way to reach our 30% canopy goal by 2030 (that’s 105,000 more trees!) He holds an MS in Applied Community & Economic Development from Illinois State University and a BS in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.  Growing up on Lake Michigan in the northwoods of Wisconsin (Go Pack!) and having lived on Lake Superior for a number of years in Duluth, MN, Ryan is excited to be back in a port town on a beautiful body of water. Outside of work you can likely find him out among the trees exploring the PNW, lifting heavy things and putting them down again, or reading a book by a fire with his dog. 

  


Beth Jarot

Beth Jarot

Green Building Specialist

 

Beth comes to Tacoma from Iowa with more than 25 years’ experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently she’s served as a community coach with Keep Iowa Beautiful and on the project management team for Viva East Bank!, a coalition established to revitalize three Des Moines, Iowa neighborhoods. Originally from the Chicago area, she graduated from Drake University with a B.S. in Environmental Biology and a Master’s in Public Administration. She lives in the Proctor neighborhood with her golden/bernese mountain dog where she enjoys reading, walking, kayaking and practicing yoga.

 

 

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Lisa Kenny

Urban Forestry Project Specialist

Lisa comes to Tacoma with over 5 years of experience in habitat restoration and community engagement in the PNW with entities like Mountains to Sound Greenway, EarthCorps, DirtCorps, King County Parks, Black Farmers Collective/ YES Farm, and more Lisa holds a degree in environmental studies and a capstone in acoustic ecology. It is a rooted value of Lisa’s to uplift and center the voices of communities of color in the larger environmental movement. She is excited to join Tacoma as a Community Trees Program Coordinator (Go Trees!). Her tree-hero is Wangari Maathai. On her off time, Lisa is usually hanging out with her partner and two pitbulls in the mountains, watching WNBA games, or cooking up an elaborate meal to share with others.

  

 

Kristi Lynett

Kristi Lynett

Sustainability Officer

 

Kristin Lynett was hired as the City’s first Sustainability Officer in 2009. In this position, she seeks to integrate sustainability and environmental values into City plans, programs and policies. To this end, she has worked with internal and with community partners to develop new programs to encourage positive behavior change and increase resource conservation. Kristin lead the creation of the City’s Environmental Action Plan and continues to monitor our City’s progress on its environmental and sustainability goals. Kristin received a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from Willamette University and a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies from Evergreen State College. She also is LEED AP and a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor. She has lived in Tacoma since 1998 and loves having only a five-mile bus or bike commute to work. She loves to spend time outside in the mountains, garden, and soccer fields with her husband and ten year-old daughter.

 

 

Perry Spring

Perry Spring

Resource Conservation Specialist

 

As City’s Resource Conservation Manager, Perry focuses on municipal operations decarbonization actions and goals as outlined in 2030 Climate Action Plan, Sec 9 Municipal Carbon Neutrality Strategy. Perry builds and facilitates teams to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources, improve operational performance, and realize cost savings within City facilities, buildings, fleet vehicles, and commute trips. Successful application of emergent technologies and strategies are career highlights. The imperative of a living future motivates Perry to mitigate climate change in professional career and personal life. With a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from The Evergreen State College as well as Renewable Energy and Commercial Energy Management certificates, Perry applies systems thinking and rigorous analysis to identify and solve underlying challenges to a sustainable future.  He advocates for a just and loving world through participation in Tacoma Refugee Choir.  With wife and friends, Perry enjoys dancing, music, storytelling, gardening, kayaking, and hiking. 

 

 

Janda Volkmer

Janda Volkmer

EnviroHouse Coordinator

 

Janda Volkmer’s position as the EnviroHouse Coordinator entails being a generalist in a wide range of sustainable practices. She welcomes visitors, leads tours, and organizes weekly workshops on a variety of sustainable topics. Janda earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in anthropology and museum management, followed by additional studies in art history and metal sculpture. Previously, Janda has worked in nonprofit management, fundraising, museum exhibit development and marketing. Janda also served as an elected official for 20 years, retiring from politics after her third term as Mayor of the Town of Steilacoom. Her interests include museums, art, music, history, genealogy, creative writing, reading, travel and camping. She collects books, rocks and interesting stories.

   

 

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Zoë Whidden

Green Building Program

 

Zoë was born and raised in Mount Vernon and enjoys trips home to visit her family and cat. She lives in Seattle where she attended the University of Washington and earned her degree in Public Health. Zoë Whidden joins the Environmental Services/Office of Environmental Policy & Sustainability and Planning & Development Services under the Green Building program. She will serve as the City’s Healthy & Resilient Housing Associate for the next two years through the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Public Health Associates Program. During her time at UW, Zoë took an interest in the myriad of ways climate change can affect our health and was involved in campus sustainability efforts. In her free time Zoë enjoys being outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and taking care of her houseplants.

 

 



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