Life After Eckerd: Now What?

Scott M. Deitche (’94)

Environmental Specialist II

Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management

What Is Next?

Graduate School

Or

Work?

Benefits of Graduate School

Develop specialized skills;

Responsibility;

Research;

Specialized education; and

Higher paying jobs!

Primary Career Paths

Academia – I will not be addressing this. Government – Federal, State/Regional,

and Local Agencies. Industry - Oil Companies, Electric

Utilities, etc. Consulting- Engineering and Ecological

Firms.

Opportunities in Government

Federal Agencies US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) US Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Naval Research

Federal Agencies

US EPA NPDES – stormwater EMAP – monitoring design, statistics NEP – watershed management

US ACOE Wetland Regulation & Permitting Dredging and Navigation Ecosystem Restoration (Everglades)

Federal Agencies

US FWS Natural Resources Inventories (GIS) Habitat Conservation Plans Protective Species Management

NOAA Marine Mammal Protection Natural Resource Damage Assessment Atmospheric/Oceanic Modeling &

Meteorology

Federal Agencies

USGS Water Resources Coastal Geology & Beach Erosion Water Quantity & Quality Monitoring Hydrological Restoration

Office of Naval Research Oceanographic Investigations Military Applications

Opportunities in Government

State & Regional Agencies (Florida) Florida Department of Environmental

Protection Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission Water Management Districts Regional Planning Councils Department of Transportation Department of Health

State and Regional Agencies (Florida)

FDEP Regulatory Programs

Water Resource ManagementWetland Regulation & PermittingWatershed Management Integrated Water Resources Monitoring (IWRM)

Air Resource Management Waste Management Office of Beaches & Coastal Systems

State and Regional Agencies (Florida)

FDEP Lands and Recreation

State Lands Recreation and Parks Greenways and Trails Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas

Planning and ManagementResource Assessment and Management

State and Regional Agencies (Florida)

FWCC Habitat Conservation Plans Protected Species Management Game and Sport Fish Management Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI)

Eckerd “post-grad” Marine Resource Monitoring & Management Applied Scientific Investigations < 10 minutes away!!!

State and Regional Agencies (Florida)

Water Management Districts (SWFWMD) Resource Management

SWIM Program (Tampa) Habitat Restoration Watershed Management Planning Water Supply Development

Resource RegulationWetland Regulation and Permitting Stormwater Management

State and Regional Agencies (Florida)

Department of Community Affairs Resource Management Plans Land Use & Growth Management

Regional Planning CouncilsResource Management Plans Development of Regional Impact Review

DOTWetland Regulation and Permitting

DOHWater Quality Monitoring

Local Government Programs

County Programs Pinellas County DEM

Water Resource Management Pollution Prevention Lands Management Codes Enforcement Air Quality Environmental Support Services Water and Navigation

Pinellas County Public Works Surface Water Engineering

Local Government Programs

County Programs Hillsborough County EPC

Water Quality Monitoring Environmental Lab Services Benthic Community Analysis Section Industrial and Domestic Waste Permitting Jurisdictional Wetland Delineation & Permitting

Local Government Programs

City & Municipal Programs City of Tampa Bay Study Group

Water Quality Monitoring Seagrass Monitoring Phytoplankton Taxonomy Point Source Permit Compliance Monitoring

Public Works, Utilities, Planning, etc.

Opportunities in Industry

Oil Companies Oil and Gas Exploration Geological Backgrounds are preferred Employment is Cyclical

Electric Utilities Focus is on Regulatory Compliace

Wetland Permitting for Transmission Lines NPDES – Discharge Permitting

Biological Backgrounds Preferred

Opportunities in Industry

Mining Companies - Phosphate Focus is on Land Reclamation & Wetland Restoration Geological and Biological Backgrounds are preferred Employment is VERY Cyclical

Insurance Companies Focus is Natural Resource Damage Assessment Biological Backgrounds Preferred

Opportunities in Consulting

Engineering & Ecological Consulting Firms Regulatory Compliance & Resource

ManagementWetlands Mitigation and Restoration Threatened & Endangered Species Protection Watershed Management PlanningWater Quality Monitoring and Modeling Water Resource Development and Management

Biological Backgrounds Typically Preferred

Engineering & Ecological Consulting Firms

Provide Technical Services for a Variety of Clients Public Sector – Federal, State, and Local Agencies Private Sector – Industries, Businesses, Developers

Competitive – Marketing is a Major Aspect of the Job

Very Diverse Range of Projects & Assignments Substantial Interaction with Engineers & Other

Technical Professionals

Career Path Comparisons

Government Employment High Job Security Low Compensation – Salary Only Reduced Job Stress Low Job Diversity Low to Moderate Travel Low to Moderate Advancement

Career Path Comparisons

Industry Employment Low Job Security – VERY Cyclical High Compensation – Salary + Bonus + Stock Moderate to High Job Stress (Lack of Security) Low to Moderate Job Diversity Moderate to High Travel Moderate to High Advancement

Career Path Comparisons

Consulting Employment Moderate Job Security High Compensation – Salary + Bonus + Stock High Job Stress – Very Competitive High Job Diversity High Travel Moderate to High Advancement

Other Career Opportunities

Non-Profit Environmental Organizations Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, etc. Tampa Baywatch Focus is Political Activism, Lobbying, etc. Biological Background Preferred

Law Firms Requires a Law Degree or Paralegal Training Focus is Land Use, Environmental, Maritime Law Technical Background is of Secondary Importance

How to Get There

Internships Volunteer Part-Time

Employment What is

Happening Around You?

Get Involved!! Network

How I Got Here Eckerd College Class of 1994 Aquarist- Jenkinson’s Aquarium- Pt.

Pleasant , NJ- 1993-1995 FMRI – Research Staff/Biosampler- 1995-

1998 FMRI- Biological Scientist- 1998-August

2001- NMFS Headboat SamplerPinellas County DEM- Environmental

Specialist 1- August 2001- April 06Pinellas County DEM- Environmental

Specialist 2- current

Water Quality Sampling

Seagrass Monitoring

NPDES/ Stormwater Enforcement

Education

Project Management

What Would I have Done Differently

Interned or Volunteered Early – Experience, Experience, Experience!!

Networked more Taken grad classes sooner after

graduation Better grades!

Questions?

Scott M. Deitche Pinellas County DEM Water Resources 300 South Garden Avenue Clearwater, FL 33756

(727) 464-4425 sdeitche@pinellascounty.org

http://www.pinellascounty.org/environment