The hardest problem in PFAS destruction is not simply breaking the carbon-fluorine bond (even though it’s one of the strongest in nature), but engineering systems that can do so safely, reliably, and economically at the scales required for municipal and industrial infrastructure.

These systems must also be capable of integrating into existing treatment trains and/or operating as standalone solutions while minimizing operational disruption and maintaining performance under variable conditions. Bridging the gap between promising laboratory reactions and robust infrastructure-scale systems that can operate reliably under real-world conditions will be one of the defining engineering challenges in PFAS management over the next decade.

Although regulations currently focus on a limited set of PFAS compounds, the regulatory scope is already expanding beyond those currently regulated. Attention is increasingly turning to additional compounds such as short-chain and ultra-short-chain PFAS, which can be difficult to measure and treat.

As analytical methods improve, utilities may also face increased scrutiny around precursor compounds, transformation products, and/or broader metrics such as total organic fluorine.

Monitoring is a critical component of any holistic lifecycle strategy. Utilities face challenges related to monitoring and analytical capacity. PFAS sampling and laboratory analysis can place a significant burden on available analytical laboratories, which means that monitoring capabilities can directly influence how utilities evaluate and manage treatment strategies.

Advances in monitoring technologies that allow utilities to better understand PFAS concentrations and behavior in real-time will be an important part of effective lifecycle management strategies.

Utilities are being asked to design treatment systems that must remain effective for decades while balancing operational and cost constraints, even as analytical methods improve, new contaminants are identified, and the scientific understanding of PFAS continues to evolve alongside regulatory frameworks.

Successful clients approach PFAS management as a risk-management and planning exercise requiring coordinated decision-making across technical, financial, and regulatory considerations rather than a single treatment decision. That process begins with grounding decisions in data and analysis, including characterizing water sources and waste streams, evaluating alternative source options, monitoring programs that provide clear insight into the PFAS present and how they behave within a given system, and a clear understanding of applicable federal and state regulations and access to available funding.

Based on this analysis, treatment and management approaches should be evaluated through pilot testing and lifecycle analysis.

Experience has shown that technologies that perform well at the bench or pilot scale do not always translate directly to full-scale infrastructure without careful engineering and operational considerations.

Treatment technologies can perform very differently depending on water chemistry, operational constraints, integration with existing processes, and the specific PFAS compounds present, which means successful solutions must be engineered around the unique conditions of each system.

Thoughtful evaluation helps ensure that the systems selected are not only technically effective but also practical to operate and sustain over the long term. PFAS management will continue to evolve as new compounds are scrutinized, analytical capabilities improve, and treatment and destruction technologies mature. Systems must be designed to adapt to these changes rather than locking utilities into rigid solutions, such as with modular or phased infrastructure approaches.

Success in this environment also depends on collaboration, trust, and transparency. Addressing PFAS requires coordination across a broad ecosystem that includes utilities, regulators, researchers, technology providers, consultants, communities, and industries that are reliant on PFAS.

Because PFAS contamination intersects with public health concerns and evolving regulatory expectations, utilities must work closely with stakeholders to clearly communicate risk, treatment strategies, and the reasoning behind infrastructure decisions. While many utilities face similar challenges, each system encounters its own variation based on source water conditions, operational realities, and regulatory drivers.

Sharing lessons learned across the industry helps utilities and other stakeholders move forward with greater confidence and clarity. PFAS management requires not only strong engineering solutions, but also responsible governance that ensures decisions are transparent, defensible, and grounded in the best available science.

The utilities most successful in this environment will combine strong data, thoughtful long-term planning, adaptable infrastructure design, and collaboration across the industry to manage risk and build systems that remain effective as science, technology, and regulations continue to evolve.

Much of my career has focused on working at the intersection of innovation and implementation, collaborating with clients and technology developers to translate emerging technologies into practical, deployable solutions.

In recent years, I had the opportunity to advance the development of technologies designed to destroy PFAS and was involved with some of the first commercialized systems capable of addressing these compounds.

I worked closely with multidisciplinary teams across engineering, research, operations, and business development during the testing, design, and deployment of early PFAS destruction systems, helping translate emerging technologies from development into real-world applications. This work began at a time when the industry was only starting to explore viable pathways for permanently destroying PFAS.

At one point in my career, I stepped outside the traditional project track to focus more directly on technical challenges with PFAS that had not yet been fully addressed. Through that work, it became clear that solving the PFAS problem would require thinking beyond individual technologies and addressing broader system challenges across treatment, residuals management, destruction, monitoring, and lifecycle management.

During that time, I focused on solving longstanding technical barriers and developed a portfolio of patents aimed at enabling the safe, reliable, and scalable deployment of PFAS technologies. That experience reinforced how complex the PFAS challenge truly is. PFAS is not just a chemistry problem; it’s an infrastructure system challenge. While much of the conversation often focuses on individual treatment or destruction technologies, the greater challenge often lies in designing systems that can integrate treatment, monitoring, residual management, and other emerging solutions in ways that are operable, maintainable, and adaptable under real-world infrastructure and industrial conditions, while remaining economically viable at scale.

Whether evaluating treatment strategies for utilities or advancing emerging technologies, my goal has remained the same: translating innovation into resilient solutions that protect water resources and public health.

I’m someone who cares deeply about people, impact, and progress. While PFAS has been a major focus of my work, what drew me to GFT was the opportunity to help grow and shape the water and wastewater treatment practice in Colorado and regionally, and build the technical capabilities needed to address the next generation of water challenges. I’m energized by bringing people together to solve complex challenges for clients and seeing the real-world impact those solutions have on communities.  

When I first met people at GFT, I was immediately drawn to the culture. I noticed how much people genuinely care about each other and about the work they do. The team is down-to-earth, collaborative, and highly professional, and that combination made it clear that this was a place where I could contribute, grow, and help build something meaningful. 

Outside of work, I spend a lot of time in the mountains. I recently moved from San Francisco to Leadville, Colorado, to live at 10,000 feet and train for a summit in South America. Most of my free time is spent outdoors hiking, climbing, skiing, or running with my husky and golden retriever.

I also enjoy playing guitar and reading, and I’ve always had a love for the ocean. Scuba diving is another passion of mine, and I’ve had the opportunity to dive all over the world with different sharks, whales, and other fascinating species from the Caribbean to Australia, New Zealand, Borneo, and Egypt.