The Williams Environmental Council hosted its Panel for Careers in Sustainability on Thursday, November 14th. The interdisciplinary conversation, moderated by Francesca Kitch ‘26, represented the legal, economic, scientific, and creative spheres of environmental work. We were joined by Julianna Connolly ‘01, Thomas Jorling, Jared Powell ‘06, and Susan Richmond ’82.
The event began with a pre-recorded keynote address from Charlie Sellars ’13, who highlighted the growing need for careers in environmentalism generally. He argued that sustainability has become an “embedded and available type of work across everything that you might be able to do… Every job and every background can be [or produce] a sustainability job.” The panelists similarly predicted a growth in the environmental jobs market since the work continues to be increasingly necessary and valued.
All of the panelists had experience working as environmental consultants at some point in their careers. “I would guess we’re all using [the term] slightly differently,” Connolly noted, highlighting how the roles in environmental consulting vary widely across sectors and specializations. She emphasized that while the term “environmental consulting” is broad, the specific specializations within it—whether risk-based property closures, regulatory program evaluation, or technical writing—define the expertise and impact of the role.
Annika Morrison ‘27 said she came to the panel wanting to know “how to best use my Williams education to prepare myself [for a career in sustainability]” and was surprised to hear the panelists’ unanimous defense of writing and oratory skills. The speakers emphasized that skills cultivated by a Williams education proved to be these indispensable tools for critical thinking and reasoning in their careers. They stressed the importance of the alumni network in their personal successes. Jorling warned students not to sell themselves short and to lean into their personal competitive advantages in the job market. Richmond encouraged students to try new jobs if the current one was not personally gratifying.
The alumni maintained optimism about the future of sustainability in the face of an alarming political atmosphere. Jorling argued that the rhetorical shift to deregulation represented in the news overshadows the genuine strength and longevity of current environmental protection legislation (except, he noted, federal statutes, including the Clean Air and Clean Water Act). Significant reductions in the workforce at the EPA could be problematic, he added. Powell stressed that the majority of impactful regulatory frameworks are at the state-level.
After the panel discussion, the room opened for dinner and a brief networking session. Innes Asher ‘25 said, “I really enjoyed speaking to both Thomas Jorling and Jared Powell about ‘nontraditional,’ more tactile job opportunities — occupations that are not behind a desk, [and] in the environmental space… like the forest service, wildland firefighting, and certain field positions within environmental consulting.”
Thank you to the Environmental Studies Program and the Zilkha Center for the Environment for co-sponsoring this event.
More information about our panelists here:
Julianna Connolly ‘01 (Chemistry, Environmental Studies) worked as an environmental consultant for almost twenty years specializing in risk-based closure for contaminated properties, and currently manages the environmental redevelopment programs of former industrial properties at HRP Group. Thomas Jorling brought significant environmental policy experience, including in the Environmental Protection Agency under the Carter Administration and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under the Mario Cuomo Administration. Jared Powell ‘06 (Political Science. Environmental Studies & Art History minors) works as an environmental consultant specializing in program evaluation at NMR Group: tracking energy efficiency, standardizing practices between markets, evaluating programs to ensure impact, and reducing greenwashing. Susan Richmond ’82 (English. Creative Writing concentration) worked as a technical editor and writer at Eastern Research Group and then with Mass Audubon as a picture book writer with a direct connection to the environment.
Written by Maya Barr ‘26