Meet Heather Good, LHG, Senior Hydrogeologist

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m originally from New England. After graduating high school, I traded fluffernutters and maple syrup for chicken fried steak and moved to Austin, Texas, for college—hook ‘em horns! From there, I crossed the rest of the country and made my way up to Washington to evergreens and glaciers. I’ve made my home in Bellingham for the last 19 years and am firmly planted, raising my kids as Pacific Northwesterners.

What do you do at MFA?

I’m technically a senior hydrogeologist, but I work on a broad range of technical issues from vapor intrusion studies to contaminant fate and transport. My specialty is site characterization and cleanup of multimedia—soil, groundwater, vapor—upland contaminated sites under the Model Toxics Control Act regulation.

What’s rewarding about your job?

One of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced is bringing sites to closure—getting to that no further action determination or satisfaction of decree. That brings a real sense of accomplishment that we have not only brought the technical and regulatory expertise to the table, we’ve also successfully worked as a team—us, clients, and regulators—to achieve a common goal. That’s not always easy to achieve, especially for complex, multi-stakeholder sites. When we help the client move beyond the environmental issues toward redevelopment of a property, it’s rewarding to be able to contribute to that success for clients and communities.

Why is what you do important?

I feel my work plays a vital role not only in protecting human health and the environment, but to economic development. That is especially important for disadvantaged communities. We play an important role—in helping to secure funding, leveraging resources, and tackling the hairy technical issues—that contributes to the betterment of communities.

What skills do you bring to your work?

I have a well-rounded technical and professional background that positions me well for managing multimedia, multidisciplinary projects for public and private clients. I’ve worked in both the public and private sectors; worked in field, office, and laboratory settings; managed environmental databases; prepared figures in Geographic Information Systems; and worked on environmental contamination, water resources, and water quality issues.

What do you like to do off the clock?

I really enjoy DIY projects. It’s fun for me to learn new skills and tackle new issues—repairing my dryer, learning how to propagate plants, and some basic plumbing. I’m also a collector of hobbies and my interests—playing instruments, arts and crafts, and recreation—are constantly evolving. Lately, learning to play the flute, sewing, and running have topped the list.

If you were not a Senior Hydrogeologist, what would you be?

I got excited about plumbing recently, so maybe a plumber; but I could also see myself playing violin in a symphony (with LOTS more practice!) or running a nursery.

What’s on your bucket list?

My biggest goal is fostering my kids to be well-adjusted, independent, and successful adults. Once they are captains of their own ships, everything else will be just gravy!

Learn more about Heather