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Sarah Betz grew up with a love of the outdoors and the environment. When the family cat caught and killed birds, her parents would freeze them so she, her brother and her father could dissect them. 鈥淎nd I always enjoyed biology in school, so going into the environmental field felt like a natural move,鈥� she said.

She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from the University of Puget Sound and a master鈥檚 in environmental science and management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Betz, who specializes in water supply infrastructure projects, notes that while working as an environmental consultant can be difficult, especially when it comes to permitting, she appreciates being able to work with project teams to avoid and minimize environmental impacts and still meet design and construction goals.

鈥淔inding that balance between protecting resources and building a successful project is what I enjoy most,鈥� she said, adding complex projects are a particular favorite. 鈥淚t means there are always new and interesting problems to solve and I get a lot of satisfaction out of finding creative solutions to problems and feeling that sense of accomplishment when you鈥檝e successfully finished a particularly difficult or complicated project.鈥�

Her portfolio includes the new Willamette Water Supply System, which will provide water to more than 300,000 Washington County residents and some of the state鈥檚 largest employers for the next 100 years.

Betz is a board member and vice president of Women in the Environment鈥檚 Portland chapter, which supports and provides opportunities for women in the environmental profession to thrive personally and professionally. She also volunteers with the Oregon Wildlife Foundation鈥檚 Harborton Frog Shuttle, an all-volunteer effort to save a remnant population of Northern red-legged frogs in Forest Park.

鈥淪arah has grown into and thrived in every leadership role that she has accepted,鈥� said Jennifer Miller, a DEA vice president and the Oregon Region Market Leader of its Water and Environment Business Unit. 鈥淪he鈥檚 taken on tremendous challenges by taking a deep breath, reaching deep and finding the tenacity and grit that makes Sarah an absolute phenom.鈥�