Client Spotlight: Kristen Freiburger, Associate and Environmental Chemist for Shannon & Wilson, Inc.

For Kristen Freiburger, living and working in Alaska serves as a constant reminder about the importance of her work, and the impact it can have on the state’s natural resources. Kristen begins, “I enjoy helping to locate and remove contaminants from drinking water wells and educating the public on the contaminants we are addressing. It’s extremely rewarding when you improve and close out a site.”

Kristen joined Shannon & Wilson nearly 15 years ago, upon graduating from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she earned her MS in Environmental Chemistry. Earlier, she earned her BS in Chemistry from Ball State University. She shares, “As an interesting side note, I turned down a research assistant position at Johns Hopkins to follow my new life to Alaska, and while that would have been a great opportunity, Alaska is where I’m meant to be, and I don’t regret it for a second.”

In her current role as Associate and Environmental Chemist for Shannon & Wilson, Inc., a geotechnical and environmental engineering firm and valued REGENESIS® client, she serves as project manager for several large, high profile, public-relations based environmental projects, where private drinking-water wells have been impacted. In addition, Freiburger is the Environmental Group Lead in the Fairbanks office, and the Employee Training Program Chair for the overall firm. She continues, “My experience includes managing and coordinating Phase I and II site assessments, regulatory compliance, and site characterization and remediation. I have also led and participated in several projects requiring community outreach activities, including arranging public meetings and teleconferences as well as interviewing local community stakeholders to gain their input. My biggest focus in recent years has been on contaminated PFAS sites.”

Throughout her career, Freiburger has seen an evolving industry, with advancements in technology and changing regulations, but she feels PFAS remediation is where the industry’s future lies. “It’s all about PFAS,” she says. “There is so much of it to clean up, and I see that as being the focus for the next several decades, at a minimum. I see technologies that allow treatment onsite for PFAS as the direction remediation will head in the upcoming year, at least in Alaska, since transporting these materials offsite is too costly.” When it comes to working with REGENESIS, she appreciates the team’s thoroughness and ability to quickly adjust to changing demands and site challenges. She shares, “I was happy to collaborate with REGENESIS on the Fairbanks International Airport PlumeStop® pilot study. REGENESIS worked hard during the injection of PlumeStop to determine a better method for injecting the material when field conditions presented an issue. They were able to do this quickly in the field. In addition to PlumeStop, PetroFix® is also used as an in-situ treatment option.”

Despite her numerous responsibilities and diverse role within Shannon & Wilson, Freiburger finds time to keep abreast of the latest technology and emerging trends by attending numerous conferences. With regard to the firm’s future goals, she says it is focused on broadening its range of services, while maintaining high quality standards. “We want to continue to develop our environmental expertise and grow our department. Today, our company as a whole is mostly known for geotechnical engineering. Our overriding goal will always be to provide consulting services that are technically excellent and innovative.” While there are several aspects about her work that she enjoys, one in particular is managing the staff in the Fairbanks, AK office. She  shares, “I have the privilege of leading a fine group of environmental scientists. I like this aspect of my job tremendously. I keep the following quote from Steve Jobs hanging in my office to remind me that I run a group of highly capable people, and that my job is to provide an environment where they can flourish, and, in turn, our company flourishes. It reads: ‘It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.’”

Married, with two boys ages 15 and 9, Freiburger and her family have called Fairbanks, AK “home” for the past 17 years. Outside of work, she finds time to participate in several sports and activities, such as softball, volleyball, billiards, curling, and tennis. She shares, “I have had a great deal of success in sports over the years, but I would honestly say my biggest accomplishment is the decades long relationships and happiness sports have brought to my life.” She also, not surprisingly, carves out time to explore Alaska’s storied and rich outdoors. She muses, “I try to spend every weekend out of cell phone range in the Alaskan wilderness. My husband and I have built a camper out of a 32-foot box van, and thanks to the installation of a wood stove, we are able to camp year-round. A favorite get-away includes Red Rock/Canwell Glacier. It’s an area known only to locals where you can camp in the valley between the mountains. From this location you can ride ATVs or hike to the top of the mountain where it overlooks the Canwell glacier. From there you can also ride to a nearby lake, and above the lake you can pick blueberries when in season.” She also finds time to volunteer as a member of the “100+ Golden Heart Women” who meet quarterly to collect a group donation and select a local non-profit for donating funds to. “I’m also part of the Golden Heart Rotary club where we complete regular service projects in our community.”

While there are many aspects of her work she enjoys, she readily admits there are some challenges. She elaborates, “When working with the public, it’s important to provide information in a timely manner. Sometimes this can be challenging when juggling the demands of projects and clients.” And how would she encourage others to join her field of work? She concludes, “That’s easy! Just show them pictures of the remote areas of Alaska I get to visit! Many of my friends who grew up in Alaska have not seen the areas of the state I have, and it doesn’t hurt that your travel is paid for.”

REGENESIS is proud to have Kristen Freiburger, Associate, Environmental Chemist for Shannon & Wilson, Inc., as a valued client and partner in environmental remediation, and they appreciate her expertise and leadership in providing successful remediation outcomes for REGENESIS and its clients.