Elizabeth L. Haven ’72

After a few years working in the private sector as a geologist and teaching geology at the local university, I eventually found a way to put my passion for the environment to work. Joining the California agency responsible for water quality protection (the State Water Resources Control Board) allowed me to work on a variety of environmental programs as my career advanced.  Geology is critically important to groundwater cleanup and other environmental programs such as the landfill program and the underground storage tank program, where I served as Program Manager.  I also served as Assistant Deputy Director for the state’s surface water programs and eventually was named Deputy Director leading our agency’s financial assistance division. Then came the highlight of my career -- the opportunity to lead my agency’s efforts towards safe and affordable drinking water for disadvantaged communities. This required extensive work with the Legislature to develop and pass the necessary legislative reforms. My Friends education served me well since the following were all required:  science/technical expertise, writing skills, and policy understanding. 

Although any government job can be a challenge due to the inevitable bureaucracy, it also can be immensely fulfilling.  The California state government has a track record for making significant policy advances, including in the environmental space. Since state agencies have the authority to write rules and regulations (and work with the Legislature to pass new bills), government work offers a unique opportunity to make meaningful changes to worthwhile causes like environmental protection and safe and affordable drinking water for disadvantaged communities.

Expand your horizons and do not limit yourself. In my Junior year at Friends, our English teacher (Bill Bickley) suggested I apply for a volunteer summer program with the Student Conservation Service. Even though I was a bookworm and not outdoorsy, our school’s participation in the early years of Earth Day had piqued my interest in the environment.  At this summer program, we constructed and maintained trails and buildings in the Olympic National Park and then were rewarded with a week of backpacking adventures.  Completely outside of my usual comfort zone and activities, I realized that I loved the outdoors and that preserving the environment was a cause I cared deeply about. 

After our recent move to Sonoma County, I began volunteering regularly with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, which provides food to distribution centers throughout Northern California.  With inflation impacting so many families, the need now is greater than ever.