Rising Star Client Spotlight: April McGuire, Senior Engineer at Roux

Environmental remediation continues to evolve as a critical industry which impacts our planet and public health. With a broad array of environmental challenges (and opportunities) that need to be addressed, it is encouraging to see talented and dedicated professionals, such as April McGuire, a “rising star” in the field of environmental remediation, for Roux Associates (Roux) a leading environmental firm with offices across the US, who continually strives to produce mitigation and/or remediation results that exceed client expectations.

Formerly a Project Manager at another environmental consulting firm, where she worked in their Due Diligence and Site Mitigation Departments, McGuire joined Roux five years ago, and has never looked back. She shares, “Due to the diverse range of clients here at Roux, I manage various types of projects, including remediation, site investigations, environmental justice, vapor intrusion mitigation systems (VIMS) designs, and litigation support. I am also responsible for providing training and mentorship for the junior staff members while supervising their technical development.” McGuire appreciates the collaborative environment at Roux and enjoys working with a multi-disciplinary team to find creative solutions to her clients’ complex environmental problems. She continues, “People at Roux are very knowledgeable, and they care about doing excellent and thorough work, and I love that about our team. I try to do my part each and every day, and have been recognized for my project management, organization and communication skills.”

McGuire began her professional career after earning her BS in Chemical Engineering from UCLA. She says she chose environmental remediation as a career path because she wanted to utilize the principals of engineering, geology, biology, and chemistry to solve complex environmental problems. “At Roux we work to control and mitigate contamination, clean up impacted areas, and monitor the progress of remediation projects. I have always felt that cleaning up the environment and protecting the public is a necessity, and for me the science behind it is fascinating.” When asked about the advantages of working with REGENESIS, she points to the company’s expertise, client assistance, and collaborative approach to on-site projects. She continues, “Working with the REGENESIS team is great. They are experts in remediation, with great customer service. We recently worked with them on a remediation project using S-MicroZVI™ and PlumeStop® for remediation of chlorinated VOC plumes. These products have proven to be very effective on a recent project where we had to deal with significant delays that were outside of our control. REGENESIS was flexible and understanding, from the design phase through implementation. We were all part of one cohesive team, working to achieve the client’s goals, and we have a happy client!”

McGuire is keenly aware of how the environmental remediation industry continues to evolve, and she looks for opportunities to expand her knowledge base. She shares, “My commitment to continued growth and learning occurs on a daily basis, and usually takes the form of learning from my colleagues when I encounter something I haven’t seen before. I also recently attended (and presented at) AEHS this year. I found the content and presentations very educational and hope to attend and present again at future conferences.” In addition, she continues to participate in various webinars from REGENESIS and ITRC, among others. “I have found the REGENESIS webinars to be an excellent resource for remediation topics. Our office also does a lot of internal continuing education, including monthly technical training.” When asked about what she enjoys most in her current role at Roux, she quickly points to the quality of staff she works with, especially their deep knowledge base and commitment to doing excellent work. She adds, “We love to joke around and give each other a hard time, which makes it much more enjoyable to come to work every day! I’ve also been able to work on projects that have community engagement and environmental justice aspects. I’ve found interacting with the public – getting to know a community and helping people understand the environmental challenges, is really rewarding.”

And how would she describe the most demanding part of her job? “Many times there is more work than what I am able to accomplish in a day. I strive to do my best and grow as a consultant, but sometimes this means saying no to opportunities when I don’t have capacity and engaging my colleagues when additional support is needed. Managing a complex project is very demanding and I’ve learned to trust my team to fulfil their roles, so I can focus on my own role.”

McGuire continues to live (and play) in Redondo Beach, CA, and works out of Roux’s Long Beach office, traveling to field sites throughout California as project needs arise. In today’s post-COVID work environment, she tries to avoid working from home as much as possible. She shares, “Working at the office helps me maintain healthy boundaries with work, and I enjoy interacting with everyone in the office on a daily basis.” Outside of work, McGuire enjoys spending time with her husband, (a geologist who is also an environmental consultant), and practicing yoga, which she’s been doing now for 13+ years. She shares, “I find that keeping my body strong and flexible is fundamental to my ability to think clearly and be mindful in all aspects of my life. I wake up early every day to ensure that I’m prioritizing my mental and physical health before work. I also love spending time outdoors with my husband gardening, and going for walks and hikes. In my time off, my favorite way to spend a lazy day is reading on my patio, or writing with pen and paper, ideally with a fountain pen.”

When asked how she has seen the industry change over the years, she feels screening and remediation goals have evolved, along with an emphasis on land redevelopment, due to land values. She concludes, “I’ve seen more conservative screening levels and cleanup goals. Sites that were previously left empty because they would be too costly to clean up and/or redevelop are becoming viable projects as land is in higher demand and the efficacy and accessibility of remediation technologies improves. Also, it’s been interesting to see the changes in office culture during and after the COVID lockdowns/restrictions. More people work from home now, and I find it to be more challenging to build and maintain professional relationships. In my experience, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction when it comes to mentorship and building trust with a team.”

REGENESIS is proud to have April McGuire, Senior Engineer for Roux Associates, as a valued client and partner in environmental remediation, and congratulates her as she continues to be a rising star in the environmental industry.