Women’s Professional Development Workshop
Women, Workloads, and Well-Being in Environmental Professions
Tuesday, June 23, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Room 504
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Women working in environmental, engineering, and sustainability professions often carry significant responsibility — protecting public health, ensuring regulatory compliance, responding to urgent issues, and driving long‑term impact — while navigating demanding workloads and complex workplace dynamics. This panel creates space for an open, supportive conversation about the mental and emotional realities behind this work. All attendees are invited to the discussion!
Panelists will share personal experiences and insights related to managing stress, burnout, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome, as well as the added pressures women may face in technical and compliance‑driven roles. The discussion will explore how mental health challenges can present across different career stages, from early career through leadership, and how expectations around “resilience” can both support and hinder well-being.
In addition to normalizing these experiences, the panel will focus on practical strategies for setting boundaries, building support systems, and sustaining long, meaningful careers without sacrificing mental health. Attendees can expect a candid, engaging conversation centered on connection, empathy, and actionable takeaways, reinforcing that caring for mental health is not a weakness, but a critical component of sustainable careers and healthier workplaces.
Speakers:
Rachel Carlton, Senior Staff Environmental Engineer, TerraconRachel Carlton, P.E. is a Senior Staff Environmental Engineer based in Houston, with experience in emissions calculations, greenhouse gas reporting, and sustainability assessments. Her work focuses on helping organizations navigate complex regulatory and investor-driven requirements while delivering practical, defensible environmental solutions. In addition to her technical role, Rachel is actively engaged in the professional community. She serves as Secretary of the A&WMA Gulf Coast Chapter and co‑leads Terracon’s partnership with Engineers Without Borders USA, supporting professional community and volunteer initiatives. She was also named the 2024 Young Chemical Engineer of the Year by the AIChE South Texas Section. Rachel brings firsthand experience balancing client demands, project workloads, and professional service in the environmental field.
Rawan El-Afifi, Houston Office Leader, ALL4Rawan El-Afifi serves as ALL4's Houston Office Leader. She has over 13 years of experience in the environmental consulting field, with a personal specialized focus on air quality permitting, compliance, and air dispersion modeling for a variety of industries in the Texas and Louisiana areas. Rawan currently serves as the Houston Office Leader for ALL4's Houston office, where the office supports air, environmental, health, and safety and digital solutions for ALL4's clients. Rawan's role includes leading and growing people and the business, as well as continued technical support on her projects.
Susan B. Kennedy, Regulatory Manager, Alliance Technical GroupSusan is a Regulatory Manager at Alliance Technical Group, a leading environmental services provider specializing in continuous emissions monitoring solutions across the U.S. and Canada. She oversees a team of regulatory and reporting professionals supporting industrial air monitoring and compliance. With extensive experience in environmental reporting, permitting, and regulatory analysis, Susan previously held roles with Florida Power & Light Company/Gulf Power Company and Duke Energy Florida/Progress Energy. Her expertise spans CEMS, air and water regulations, project management, and client communication. She has a strong background in supporting power plants with federal and state environmental compliance and provides training on air emissions and regulatory requirements. Susan holds B.S. (1992) and M.S. (1996) degrees from Auburn University.
Moderator:
Leah Blinn, Vice President, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.Ms. Blinn is a Vice President with Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. and serves as the Corporate and Pittsburgh Office Air Practice Lead. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and has 25 years of experience delivering complex air quality permitting, modeling, and compliance solutions nationwide. Her expertise includes PSD and Title V permitting, GHG reporting, air toxics analyses, emissions inventories, and multimedia compliance auditing. Ms. Blinn has led and overseen AERMOD and CALPUFF modeling for major infrastructure and industrial projects and has supported successful permit appeals and regulatory proceedings through expert analysis and testimony. She is recognized for translating complex regulatory requirements into practical strategies and for collaborative leadership across multidisciplinary teams. An active leader in the Air & Waste Management Association for over 20 years, she has served in numerous national and local leadership roles, including Immediate Past President.
A&WMA Committee for the Professional Development of Women
This workshop was planned by The Committee for the Professional Development of Women. The commitee's goal is to draw upon the unique perspectives and talents of women to further the goals of the Association and to mentor women in the profession.
