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Charity and Doug are SEO Certified

We’re pleased to announce Charity Hain, RLA, LEED AP, SEO and Doug Cwienk, PG, SEO were certified as Sewage Enforcement Officers (SEO) by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in September of 2022.

Charity first became interested in getting SEO certified after reading a flyer from Pennsylvania State Associations of Township Supervisors (PSATS). However, knowing she’d be one of the few younger SEOs in Lancaster County cinched the deal.

Charity shared, “Soil quality and water inundation is a big part of the work that I do regarding stream and wetland restoration and enhancement projects currently, and it was a pretty easy transition to the work that an SEO does regarding finding the appropriate sanitary sewer application for on lot systems.” She feels SEO work was always in the background of land development, but becoming certified helped her to “understand how much of the industry that it actually is.”

As a Landscape Architect, Charity most enjoys finding creative solutions to problems. She offers this advice to those considering her vocation, “Becoming a professional in land development is a solid in demand career path. Like everything, to be successful requires communication, honesty, and organization. It’s not quite as sexy as becoming a high-profile doctor or lawyer, but I can say I’ve never received a phone call on the weekend about a landscape architecture emergency that I needed to drop everything to attend to.”

Doug became interested because it allows him to offer more services to our municipal clients. He already had significant experience and education with the soils aspects related to being a SEO due to his training and experience in geology. However, this training gave Doug a detailed understanding of on-lot sewer systems and the regulatory requirements involved.

As a Professional Geologist, Doug most enjoys problem solving and chemistry. Since most geologists and engineers don’t have a chemistry background, he is able to bring unique skills to bear when facing especially difficult problems.

Doug offers this advice to those considering his vocation, “Get experience as an intern while getting your education because it will help you land the type of work that you want to do. The market for geologists has shrunk as we have addressed many of the environmental issues that geologists remediated in the past, so experience is very valuable.”

Please join us in congratulating Charity and Doug on this achievement!\

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