Portland Chapter

Women in Environment (WIE) was founded in Portland, Oregon in 2009. In 2023, WIE expanded to a national organization and the Portland Chapter was established as a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our mission and vision were developed by our founders as part of WIE’s inception in 2009. Our ideas for the Portland Chapter today and the future are bigger and better than ever.  

We are a community of women in environmental professional fields as well as aspiring students who are dedicated to promoting and empowering each other’s careers through professional development, networking, and mentoring. WIE – Portland offers encouragement for professional achievement, education for technical and personal skill building opportunities, and an exchange platform for information and connections. Our goals are simple: to share and receive knowledge with a diverse group of women pursuing educational advancement, networking, mentoring, and careers in the environmental industry. 

Our strength in making a positive and lasting impact in the environmental community lies in the experience, commitment, and passion of our leadership from directors to committee members. We actively engage with our members through both in-person and online events that serve to support and enrich, professionally and personally. We continue to grow our membership and seek to extend our Chapter committee services to other areas of the environmental community, advancing our vision. Please join us at our next event or consider sponsorship!  

Connect With Us.

Meet our Board of Directors

  • Rachel Morgan

    President

  • Paula Parrott

    Description goes here

  • Shaelyn Thomas

    TREASURER

    Shaelyn Thomas has been part of WIE since 2018 and is currently serving at the Portland Chapter Treasurer. Shaelyn has also participated in the WIE mentor program for 4 years, first as a mentee in the Bay Area for two years and then as a mentor for the past two years in Portland. Shaelyn has over 10 years in the environmental field. She received a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and started out her career working for a remediation contractor in California. The contractor specialized in installing HDPE piping systems, well vaults, and well vault mechanical. This was a very hands-on approach to environmental remediation, and she spent a lot of time in the field working on both design-build and more traditional design-bid-build construction projects. For past 2+ years, Shaelyn has been working as an Associate Environmental Engineer at Kennedy Jenks Consultants, specializing in remediation, facilities engineering and stormwater treatment design projects.

    For me, attending WIE events have always been enjoyable. I really appreciate the opportunity to meet and learn from women who work in the same field but also approach the work from varying angles and viewpoints. I’m looking forward to supporting and expanding WIE to new members while serving on the board.

    Some of my personal interests include snowboarding and snowshoeing during the winter, hiking and bike riding during the summer, and reading all year round.

  • Melanie Bocianowski

    SECRETARY

    Mel is a long-time member of Women in Environment with involvement as an attendee, a mentee, a mentor, a communications committee member, and now as the Portland Chapter Secretary. Mel is a Principal Geologist with over 25 years of diverse professional experience in the environmental consulting field. She currently works on the Environmental Management Permitting and Compliance team at SLR Consulting and holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Occidental College.

    WIE has been very valuable for me by providing a welcoming space to connect, learn from, and be inspired by other professionals and upcoming professionals in the environmental field. I enjoy WIE’s focus on personal growth, networking, and fun.

  • Cassie Roberts

    Networking Committee Chair

  • Erin Vandehey

    MENTORING CHAIR

    Erin VanDehey is a partner at Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc. (MB&G) and Principal of MB&G’s Environmental Services Group. She has more than 25 years of experience as a lead fisheries biologist with particular emphasis on threatened and endangered species, natural resource management, mitigation and conservation plans, restoration, and regulatory compliance. Erin is a long-time member of WIE and has thoroughly enjoyed being both a mentor and serving on the mentoring committee since 2019.

  • Cindi Joy Staller

    Professional Development Committee Chair

  • Alia Miles

    Professional Development Committee Chair

  • Shira DeGrood

    Mentoring Committee Co-chair