Green Mountain College: Alumni Snapshot

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Mikaela Engert '00

City Planner and Climate Protection Coordinator, Keene, NH
University of Buffalo, M.S., Urban and Regional Planning

Major: Liberal Studies

Hometown: Rochester, NY

Description of work: Most of my time is spent supporting the Planning Board and various other city committees, such as the Heritage Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, and the Cities for Climate Protection Committee. I review planning board applications for proposed development, provide technical assistance in the development of regulations, assist the general public through the development review process, and I also conduct site inspections for compliance to board approvals. The rest of my time is spent working with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and our Cities for Climate Protection Committee to monitor, evaluate, and implement our community's greenhouse gas emission reduction plan. The City of Keene has made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint - from converting our fleet over to bio-diesel to capturing methane from our landfill for use in our recycling center - and is committed to a sustainable future.

I'm currently assisting the City with the formulation of a new plan that focuses on the community's ability to improve its long-term preparedness for climate impacts. This program is called the Climate Resilient Communities program and is sponsored by ICLEI. As the ICLEI pilot community, Keene is assisting them in testing the parameters designed to implement the Climate Resilient Communities program and further hone the process for use in other municipalities throughout the country and eventually the world. We are the first community in the country to pro-actively plan for a community-wide adaptation strategy to address the changing climate.

How I got started: The community garden at GMC really inspired me as well and influenced my Master's thesis, which explored the role of Community Supported Agriculture in Rural Communities. My graduate studio also devised a local food systems plan for a neighborhood in Buffalo, NY and has been recognized as an innovative plan that is currently being implemented. I hope that in the comprehensive planning effort the City of Keene will be doing in the fall will also incorporate this issue in the chapter on sustainability.

I currently reside in Brattleboro, Vermont - a lovely artistic and cultural community about 30 minutes west of Keene, NH - with my boyfriend, Steve. Steve works in the snowboard industry and is finishing his degree in business, which he will graduate with in the fall.

Most important thing I learned at GMC: I chose Green Mountain College because I wanted to study Environmental Science and be able to use my knowledge to influence the world! As a city planner, so much of what I do is centered on local change and helping the community to identify and then achieve goals to help develop a more sustainable community. My education at GMC, both formal and experiential, provided me with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to effectively influence others into creating a sustainable community, a sustainable region, and eventually a sustainable world and society.

Advice to students: In hindsight, it's strange how what I chose to study while at GMC has worked out so well for me now- especially since I had no idea what I really wanted to do professionally at the time! I encourage anyone who is interested in studying at GMC to contact me at mlengert@gmail.com.