Laura earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in biology and a graduate certificate in public management from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She currently works in the Chesterfield County Department of Environmental Engineering Water Quality Section as the county’s Senior Water Quality Analyst.  For the county, she works towards the application of scientific principles to achieve sound land use practices via the administration of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance and the county’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer permit monitoring components.  Her 15 years of experience working in local government and community development has provided her with a wide breadth governmental experiences to include ordinance and policy development, project management, long-range planning, and human resource management.  Academically, she is interested in studying the impacts of climate change on “low-power” communities and environments through the lens of environmental justice.  She would like evaluate ways to incorporate environmental justice and ethical treatment of all into proactive environmental public management policies.  In her spare time, Laura competes in both AKC Confirmation and AKC Obedience with her smooth, standard dachshunds.