Debie Montana
President and CEO at Sequoia Ecological Consulting- Claim this Profile
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Topline Score
Bio
Liston Witherill
A few years back I took a personality assessment. I was told that I had a driver personality, which made me more likely to be short with people, to-the-point, and a CEO. That's never Deb. She's one of the nicest, most caring, and passionate people I've met in my entire career. She breaks the mold of the "bossy" CEO who has no time or genuine interest in her staff. Just the opposite. She feels a deep responsibility for the lives she touches - both staff and clients. If you're in the market to hire a Biology Consulting Firm and you're weighing your options between Deb and anyone else - pick Deb. You can thank me later.
Gretchen Taylor
As a senior project manager at TRC Solutions, I have brought Debie's firm on as a subconsultant several times to provide biologists for desktop reviews, field surveys, constraints analyses, owl surveys, and construction monitoring. Debie is extremely easy to work with, keeping in close contact before during and after a project to make sure that our needs are being met. Debie and her team proved lifesaving when we needed a permitted biologist for certain species to be on site in a remote location on very little notice--a tall order that she fulfilled more than once! It has been such a relief to have Debie and her knowledgeable, experienced staff as a resource and extension of staff during crunch times.
Bryan Hughes
Some people just "get it" with regard to business building. Debie has an innate eagerness to build relationships with people, to learn what they are about both as individuals and professionals, and connect herself and others with people that can bring meaningful value. I look forward to working with her again soon!
Liston Witherill
A few years back I took a personality assessment. I was told that I had a driver personality, which made me more likely to be short with people, to-the-point, and a CEO. That's never Deb. She's one of the nicest, most caring, and passionate people I've met in my entire career. She breaks the mold of the "bossy" CEO who has no time or genuine interest in her staff. Just the opposite. She feels a deep responsibility for the lives she touches - both staff and clients. If you're in the market to hire a Biology Consulting Firm and you're weighing your options between Deb and anyone else - pick Deb. You can thank me later.
Gretchen Taylor
As a senior project manager at TRC Solutions, I have brought Debie's firm on as a subconsultant several times to provide biologists for desktop reviews, field surveys, constraints analyses, owl surveys, and construction monitoring. Debie is extremely easy to work with, keeping in close contact before during and after a project to make sure that our needs are being met. Debie and her team proved lifesaving when we needed a permitted biologist for certain species to be on site in a remote location on very little notice--a tall order that she fulfilled more than once! It has been such a relief to have Debie and her knowledgeable, experienced staff as a resource and extension of staff during crunch times.
Bryan Hughes
Some people just "get it" with regard to business building. Debie has an innate eagerness to build relationships with people, to learn what they are about both as individuals and professionals, and connect herself and others with people that can bring meaningful value. I look forward to working with her again soon!
Liston Witherill
A few years back I took a personality assessment. I was told that I had a driver personality, which made me more likely to be short with people, to-the-point, and a CEO. That's never Deb. She's one of the nicest, most caring, and passionate people I've met in my entire career. She breaks the mold of the "bossy" CEO who has no time or genuine interest in her staff. Just the opposite. She feels a deep responsibility for the lives she touches - both staff and clients. If you're in the market to hire a Biology Consulting Firm and you're weighing your options between Deb and anyone else - pick Deb. You can thank me later.
Gretchen Taylor
As a senior project manager at TRC Solutions, I have brought Debie's firm on as a subconsultant several times to provide biologists for desktop reviews, field surveys, constraints analyses, owl surveys, and construction monitoring. Debie is extremely easy to work with, keeping in close contact before during and after a project to make sure that our needs are being met. Debie and her team proved lifesaving when we needed a permitted biologist for certain species to be on site in a remote location on very little notice--a tall order that she fulfilled more than once! It has been such a relief to have Debie and her knowledgeable, experienced staff as a resource and extension of staff during crunch times.
Bryan Hughes
Some people just "get it" with regard to business building. Debie has an innate eagerness to build relationships with people, to learn what they are about both as individuals and professionals, and connect herself and others with people that can bring meaningful value. I look forward to working with her again soon!
Liston Witherill
A few years back I took a personality assessment. I was told that I had a driver personality, which made me more likely to be short with people, to-the-point, and a CEO. That's never Deb. She's one of the nicest, most caring, and passionate people I've met in my entire career. She breaks the mold of the "bossy" CEO who has no time or genuine interest in her staff. Just the opposite. She feels a deep responsibility for the lives she touches - both staff and clients. If you're in the market to hire a Biology Consulting Firm and you're weighing your options between Deb and anyone else - pick Deb. You can thank me later.
Gretchen Taylor
As a senior project manager at TRC Solutions, I have brought Debie's firm on as a subconsultant several times to provide biologists for desktop reviews, field surveys, constraints analyses, owl surveys, and construction monitoring. Debie is extremely easy to work with, keeping in close contact before during and after a project to make sure that our needs are being met. Debie and her team proved lifesaving when we needed a permitted biologist for certain species to be on site in a remote location on very little notice--a tall order that she fulfilled more than once! It has been such a relief to have Debie and her knowledgeable, experienced staff as a resource and extension of staff during crunch times.
Bryan Hughes
Some people just "get it" with regard to business building. Debie has an innate eagerness to build relationships with people, to learn what they are about both as individuals and professionals, and connect herself and others with people that can bring meaningful value. I look forward to working with her again soon!
Credentials
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Project Managment
UC Davis
Experience
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Sequoia Ecological Consulting
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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President and CEO
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Nov 2011 - Present
Ms. Montana has over 20 years of experience in environmental compliance, biological monitoring, environmental constraints analysis, biological study design and implementation, species surveys, and mitigation and restoration monitoring. She holds an M.S. degree in Conservation Biology, and a Project Management Certification from UC Davis. The majority of Ms. Montana’s experience comes from her eight years as a PG&E terrestrial biologist. Her expertise is project management for biological compliance and monitoring and study design and implementation for large-scale utility projects such as electric T&D reconductoring, gas line testing and replacement/relocation, and hydroelectric relicensing and license compliance studies. Her ability to work alongside project managers and engineers in the planning phase of a project enables the team to identify biological constraints before project initiation, and to develop alternative construction methods or schedules to accommodate the permit and the project timeline and budget. Her leadership experience includes overseeing large-scale construction monitoring projects and consultants, including: Jefferson-Martin 230 kV Transmission Project (Nomad Ecology, Garcia and Associates, and Insignia Environmental); Contra Costa-Las Positas 230 kV 36-mile Reconductoring Project (Nomad Ecology, Prunuske Chatham Inc., Insignia Environmental); Contra Costa-Moraga Reconductoring Project (Garcia and Associates); and the Delta Substation Construction Project (TRC Essex). Show less
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ETIC
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Senior Program Manager Biological Services
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Oct 2010 - Oct 2011
Established and developed the Biological Services Department at ETIC Engineering. Developed a team billable to a diverse range of clients, from non-profit to utility. Expanded local services and opened a satellite office in Fresno to accommodate local utility needs in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Established and developed the Biological Services Department at ETIC Engineering. Developed a team billable to a diverse range of clients, from non-profit to utility. Expanded local services and opened a satellite office in Fresno to accommodate local utility needs in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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United States
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Utilities
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700 & Above Employee
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Wildlife Biologist
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Apr 2002 - Jul 2010
Managed large-scale utility projects including transmission line reconductoring and new sighting, distribution upgrades, gas line installations, relocations, inspection and maintenance, and FERC relicensing and license compliance work. Managed multiple projects simultaneously (60+) ranging in budgets between 10M and 200M, and directed environmental consultants to ensure compliance with environmental permits, including PG&E's San Joaquin Valley HCP and East Contra Costa County HCP. Designed and implemented long-term studies to determine effects of hydroelectric systems on wildlife and habitats (wildlife crossings, bald eagles, winter carnivore surveys and riparian monitoring). Developed and monitored mitigation for large-scale transmission line upgrade projects (Tri-Valley Reconductoring Project CRLF/CTS habitat creation), and new substations and substation upgrades (Delta/Lone Tree, Moraga, Tesla, Atlantic, Vaca-Dixon substations). Show less
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NASA Ames Research Center
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United States
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Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Research Assistant-Graduate Student
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Jan 1999 - Jan 2001
Forest ecology of Yellowstone National Park http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/upload/iar1999.PDF Forest ecology of Yellowstone National Park http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/upload/iar1999.PDF
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H. T. Harvey & Associates
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Wildlife Biologist-seasonal
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Jun 1999 - Sep 2000
Nesting passerine and raptor surveys, burrowing owl protocol surveys, protocol CRLF and CTS surveys, reservoir profiling, fish rescues and electro-shockiing,support for CalTrans bridge expansion project, bird/bat boxes, watershed analyses. Nesting passerine and raptor surveys, burrowing owl protocol surveys, protocol CRLF and CTS surveys, reservoir profiling, fish rescues and electro-shockiing,support for CalTrans bridge expansion project, bird/bat boxes, watershed analyses.
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Valley Water
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Utilities
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700 & Above Employee
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Wildlife Biologist-Intern
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Jun 1997 - Jan 1998
Intern for Wildlife Unit-surveyed water district's percolation ponds and reservoirs for wildlife focusing on avian species. Reservoir profiling and stream habitat typing. Intern for Wildlife Unit-surveyed water district's percolation ponds and reservoirs for wildlife focusing on avian species. Reservoir profiling and stream habitat typing.
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Education
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2009 - 2010
University of California, Davis
Certificate, Project Management -
1996 - 2002
San Jose State University
B.S., M.S., Conservation Biology -
1985 - 1989
Naperville Central
High School Diploma
Community
