NEWIEE Board Member, former Mentorship Committee Chair, founder of NH Chapter of NEWIEE, and Senior Consultant at GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.

Long-time NEWIEE Member Muriel Robinette is retiring in mid-November. With more than 35 years of experience in environmental consulting and forensics, Muriel has seen to the successful development and implementation of many highly technical, multi-faceted solutions around the United States for clients facing environmental compliance, remediation, litigation, and cost allocation.

Q: What initially got you interested in an environmental career in the first place?

I entered college as a mathematics major and assumed I would enter academia and become a professor one day. However, a stunningly inspiring entry-level class on geology changed everything. I loved this class so much that I switched my major then and there. I credit the enthusiastic teacher whose passion changed the whole direction of my life.

Q: How did you involve forensics into your consulting?

My work in forensics began as a result of leaving college with advanced degrees in geology, hydrogeology, and engineering. Due to multidisciplinary technical experience all around the United States, I can look at systems and data from different perspectives and articulate clearly the big picture. I have helped judges and juries in court rooms understand the science, as I can talk to several disciplines at once.

Q: Have you always lived in New Hampshire? If not, what brought you there?

I was born in New Hampshire, went to University of New Hampshire in 1974 and earned my Geology degree. Then, when I got married, I went west because we loved the big open skies and the stunning geology exposed by less vegetation. We lived there almost 10 years. We came back in 1984, when family back east needed us and raised our family here.

Q: What advice would you have given your 21 year old self if you were to start your career again?

I would say “Go for it! Don’t stress about your decisions, but follow your passions because passion drives you in success.” I actually love the fact that I kept following my passions. I didn’t follow what people suggested which was to drill deep into one particular subject area. I actually jumped and changed fields a lot. I agonized over my decisions, but in the end found I needed to do what drove me, not what other people thought would be best.

Q: What are your “go to” resources?

My local network for sure! Local professional chapters are what I really believe in. Meeting, listening to, and surrounding yourself with people (face-to-face when possible) will grow and expand your network both professionally and personally. NEWIEE is wonderful because it has both a bigger, broader perspective and persona yet is structured to be a local resource. To feel fully connected, I would advise everyone to be engaged in a local chapter. Some of my favorite people are through these groups. I would never have met them if I hadn’t been involved in the smaller chapter. They are my go-to people.

Q: In addition to NEWIEE, I notice you were involved with NH Geological Society and the Board of Professional Geologists. Can you tell us the benefits you found from being a member of different professional organizations?

I feel our reputations are partially driven by the company we keep. I have always found it to be important to have engagement in several organizations at once. One professional organization was not enough for me. I felt that I should get involved in as many as I could positively participate with meaningfully. It is valuable to be involved and hear others’ perspectives. There is no magic number though, except time. For me, I couldn’t have been meaningfully involved in 10, but 3-5 groups was right for me.

Q: What inspired you to join NEWIEE’s Board?

I was invited by the founders of NEWIEE and pleased to be asked. I was asked because they recognized the value of an “outsider” perspective who was engaging others in NH in NEWIEE through our local Chapter. I was outside of Boston and practicing in the environmental field. I started the New Hampshire Chapter in 2010. I was in communication with NEWIEE as a whole, but needed our own chapter through which I could best support the NEWIEE mission vision at the local level.

Q: Tell us about one of your favorite projects.

My favorite project was actually a small one. I assisted a 77-year-old widow whose only possessions were her land and her house. An abutting project used eminent domain to take one third of her property (about 15 acres of land) for a paltry sum of money. Her son came to me and asked for help. I walked the property and found an esker which was a sand and gravel deposit made from a glacier 10,000 years ago. This is a VERY valuable resource when doing construction, and that is what this project wanted her land for. They had taken advantage of her. I ended up helping to get her paid over $400,000. That made me happy. As we work through our lives, we need to help use our expertise to do what’s right. You never regret work like that.

Q: What is something not many people know about you?

Well, the New Hampshire Chapter folks know this, but most don’t. I used to belly dance with a python snake wrapped around me. In graduate school back in the 1970’s, belly dancing was a cool thing. I thought it was a hoot. I took lessons from a person who owned a 6-foot-long boa constrictor. The snake was easy going, liked music and I used to wear the snake while I would belly dance. Hah! It’s a great ice breaker story for sure!

Q: What do you think you will most remember about your career?

I will most remember all the wonderful people that I have worked with. Even though my career has been very technical, and sometimes been in conditions of difficulty with court cases where sides are fighting, it’s the incredible people I will remember.

Q: What will you do now?

In mid-November, I will be wrapping up a big project and officially retiring from GZA, but I still plan to do more advocacy and conservation work that I am excited to be involved in. I am also staying involved in Habitat for Humanity. I have used my engineering skills for building and am working on a 1,500 sf bunkhouse right now. I also am excited to do more work with land conservation groups where I can do baseline studies and mapping of critical resources.

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