Meet Mary Haley, a Staff Professional working in our Sustainability practice area based out of White Plains, New York!
Name:
Mary E. Haley
Office:
White Plains, NY
Practice Area:
Sustainability Staff Professional
About Me in 140 Characters:
Hello there, I'm Mary Haley, a Rockaway Beach, Queens local and recent graduate from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. As a Staff Professional at Antea Group, I am looking forward to expanding my experience and knowledge on the sustainability of our environment.
Beyond work, I have a 2-year-old Cavalier named Winston and a growing love of sailing. I was fortunate to sail through the southern Pacific Ocean, researching thermocline variability during the El Niño season. This adventure sparked a newfound fascination with sailing and has since taken me to experiences all around the world.
Favorite Thing about Being a Staff Professional
What areas of environmental consulting are you most interested in?
I am most interested in the sustainability service line because it stands closest to following my passion towards my place in the environmental journey of our lifetime.
“Sustainability” has been the word that began my introduction into the environment. It has also followed me through the entirety of my experience in the environmental world. Most importantly, I feel as though it defines my intentions as I develop into a career in the environmental field, especially at Antea Group. Sustainability being presented in a business first lens allows for a blend of best business and best practices combined.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is always being surprised by the unique experiences I learn from every day. The Staff Professional role is foundational in the ability to learn quickly and effectively. Whether I am in the field or working on office work, every day I am learning and growing my skill sets in effective communication, environmental stewardship, and organization.
If someone at a party asks what you do, how do you respond?
If I am at a party and someone asks me what I do I would say something along the lines of environmental remediation. I know that as a collective, my day-to-day tasks are most closely related to environmental remediation efforts. Given more time, I would explain more about Antea Group as a consultant company where I do fieldwork tasks to collect samples that are analyzed for reporting efforts, so clients are in compliance with their state regulations.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid, I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic. I grew up reading copies of Nat Geo and developed a deep love for photographers when I was very young. Throughout my life I have always seen that dream come out in lots of ways. From 6th-8th grade I attended a school that focused on developing a talent or skill that we had tested into. I was in “Media Talent” where I studied film photography history, methods, and techniques. I ultimately went through a 3-year curriculum that ended with my classmates and I creating art that was entered into country-wide competitions. After middle school, I didn’t touch a 35mm film camera until college when I knew I wanted to capture my experience sailing in a way that was more significant than what I did day-to-day. So, I shot on film and was able to really enjoy the technology free time I had during that time in my life.
What was your first job?
My first job was at the pizza place around the corner from where I grew up. Once I was old enough to get my working papers, I walked around the corner with a resume (my babysitting gigs and where I went to high school) and got a job at Plum Tomatoes as their phone girl. I worked most days after school, in charge of answering the phones, taking pizza orders, and sometimes filling up the emptying parmesan shakers. A huge selling point for me was the potential opportunity to take home unsold pizza slices at the end of the night (lol).
Is there something unique that people might not know about you?
One of my favorite things to do is go sailing. I have a short relationship with sailing (>4 years) but it has been the activity that partnered many pivotal lessons that you learn going through your twenties. It has also given me the incredible opportunity to travel to places I never knew existed.
My junior year of college I spent my second semester of college living on a 145ft sailboat en route from Honolulu, Hawai’i to Palmyra Atoll, a small island operated by the U.S fish and wildlife service’s serving as a “living lab”. The Palmyra Atoll had an incredible amount of impact from military testing during WWII but then sat untouched which gave the opportunity of an ecosystem back to the native plants and animals that had always existed there. The corals were filled with life and aquatic dwellers while the island itself grew massive canopies of unique island trees filled with sea birds from all directions of the Pacific Ocean. That following summer I got a job as a first mate and marine scientist on a 57ft catamaran that sailed around the British Virgin Islands carrying groups of young campers. There I learned more about the significance of how children and adolescents are introduced to the natural world. Now, I work towards developing my journey into offshore racing. I have so far sailed from Massachusetts to Bermuda in the Marion to Bermuda race and am looking forward to racing in the Newport to Bermuda race in the summer of 2024.
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