Recognizing the increased demand for environmental work throughout the energy, civil infrastructure, and government sectors, Holland Engineering has added two new team members to the Environmental Group. Each of them brings a diverse set of skills that will greatly benefit our clients.
Gary A. Dawson Ph.D.
Senior Project Manager/Consultant
Gary recently joined Holland Engineering after a long career in the Environmental Services Department at Consumers Energy Company, a combined electric and gas utility in Michigan and subsidiary of CMS Energy. His most recent position as Director of Environmental Services in the Land and Water Management area involved the supervision of staff engaged in the permitting and implementation of gas and electric projects and engagement in federal and state policy making.
He served on the policy committees of the Utility Water Act Group and the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (primarily in the coal ash regulatory area) and served as an advisor to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on coal ash regulatory and beneficial use matters. In Michigan, Gary served as the utility representative on former Governor Granholm’s Wetland Advisory Council and former MDEQ Director Wyant’s Water Use Advisory Council. He has also served on the MDEQ’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee and MDNR’s Michigan Natural Heritage Committee, Non-game Advisory Committee, and Citizen’s Endangered Species Advisory Committee. He has been a key player in Michigan legislative and rule making initiatives involving wetlands, inland lakes and streams, floodplains, water withdrawal, Clean Water Act compliance, industrial landfill regulation, and the beneficial use of industrial by-products and soils. He has also been a key player in fisheries, wildlife, and forestry aspects of FERC relicensing for 13 hydroelectric projects and the Ludington Pumped Storage Project.
Larissa Herrera
Senior Biologist
Larissa Herrera recently joined Holland Engineering after working for an environmental consulting firm in Chicago. She has over eight years of experience in natural resource assessment including working in the private, federal, and university sectors. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biology and program in the environment from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Water Resources Science from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her areas of expertise include fish, macroinvertebrate, and mussel surveys, anti-degradation analysis, tree surveys, wetland delineations, water quality, and wetland permitting. She is certified in the State of Ohio for mussel surveys including threatened and endangered species. She has a federal permit in progress for federally listed mussel species surveys. Larissa has experience in vegetation management in high-quality natural areas including habitat for threatened and endangered species.
Let us help you with any of your environmental group needs. Contact our Environmental Group Manager, Sherry Slocum, at sslocum@HollandEngineering.com or by calling (248) 827-7322.