Spotlight

Meet Natalie Sacker, Staff Planner

Natalie Sacker is a Staff Planner at Maul Foster & Alongi whose work sits at the intersection of community engagement and climate planning. She supports projects that help organizations address environmental impacts while creating social and economic benefits for their communities. We sat down with Natalie to learn more about her path into the field, the projects that inspire her, and what motivates her work.

What led you to this field?

Going into college, I knew that I wanted to work in some way on the problems presented by the climate crisis. I wanted to help bridge the gap between theory and real-world solutions and found a home in Western Washington University’s multidisciplinary Business and Sustainability program. As a student leader and part of the inaugural cohort of WWU’s Climate Leadership Certificate program, I got my first experience in community planning and engagement. I continued to gain experience in this field working in the university’s Sustainability Engagement Institute and as a consultant with Peak Sustainability Group. After Peak Sustainability Group was acquired by MFA, I got the chance to lean even more into the communications and engagement work that I enjoy the most.

What drives you in your role at MFA?

In my work, I’m driven by a desire to see planning and engagement done exceptionally, with all possible efforts made to create equitable engagement opportunities. Knowing that the work we do adds capacity and expertise to local and state government staff and contributes to projects that improve our local communities is incredibly fulfilling.

Why does your work matter?

I know how powerful our quality engagement work can be in making sure projects and plans maximize benefits and minimize harm for the communities involved, especially those with less power to make their voices heard.

While some of my projects, like sustainability reports and greenhouse gas inventories, are more explicitly focused on the sustainability and climate work I studied, I find that all my projects are tied to some aspect of intersectional sustainability and climate work.

What’s the best piece of advice a colleague has shared with you?

I really appreciated the advice that “it is always better to under promise and overdeliver.” As someone who is always eager to take on a challenge, but still wants to do their best work, I’ve found that I need to take a beat when deciding what is a reasonable commitment and add in some wiggle room for life’s curveballs. My clients, teammates, (and I) are all happier and more relaxed when we set realistic timelines that we can meet (and sometimes exceed).

When even bigger curveballs hit, I lean on the advice that “bad news never ages well,” or, put more positively, “proactive communication can solve just about anything.”

What are some memorable projects you've worked on?

I have very fond memories of working with the City of Bellingham Planning Department on forming a community work group to inform the City’s comprehensive plan update. I was able to recruit members both virtually and on-the-ground in the city I call home, review dozens of applications from residents passionate about improving our community. I got to know a group of amazing community members representing an incredibly broad range of identities and lived experiences. I had the privilege of presenting on the engagement techniques used in this project at the 2024 American Planning Association Washington Conference with our partners from the City of Bellingham and Vamos Outdoors Project.

Who has influenced the way you work or approach your career?

I’ve been blessed with several female mentors throughout my career, including here at MFA. They’ve been instrumental in helping me grow in my professional and personal life, and in finding a healthy work-life balance for myself. They’ve modeled what life can look like 5, 10, 15 years down the line, which is an important frame of reference I was lacking among my friends and family. Special thanks to Lindsey, Sarah, Vivian, and Kathryn for the years of mentorship they’ve each given me.

If you weren’t in this career, what would you love doing instead?

If I wasn’t in this career, I think I would love being an event planner! While I do sometimes get to flex my event planning skills here, it’s for more business/academic events. I’d love to be paid to fully lean into the Pinterest board-esque extravagant parties with themed décor, food, and drinks.

What’s something on your bucket list?

As someone whose favorite form of exercise is a nice walk in a pretty outdoor setting, I’d love to walk at least part of the Camino de Santiago someday. A day of hiking in rolling hills, followed by a stop for tapas, sangria, and a night at an inn, is much more my style than backpacking the PCT….

What’s a side of you most people don’t get to see?

I’m moderately good at identifying birds! I’m by no means an expert, but I’ve got good eyesight and have honed my skills over years of birdwatching with my wildlife photographer dad. I don’t often go on specific birdwatching outings, but my favorite part about this hobby is just seeing some little feathered friends everywhere I go.

What’s a strength you bring to your work?

I have an affinity for bringing people together. I use it in business development, and on projects, but it’s probably most clearly seen in the quarterly Sustainability Social Hour event series I organize in Bellingham.