As Geosyntec and Aspect celebrate the one-year anniversary of their merger, Marc Leisenring (Geosyntec) and Owen Reese (Aspect) discuss the merger’s impact. They offer insights into enhanced client services and innovative solutions for the region’s municipal and industrial stormwater challenges. Aspect joined the Geosyntec family of companies in June 2023, creating a powerhouse with more than 200 professionals in the Pacific Northwest.

About the Speakers

Marc Leisenring, PE, is a Senior Principal Water Resources Engineer based in Oregon with more than 20 years of experience focused on stormwater master planning, watershed and stormwater modeling, environmental data analysis, regulatory compliance, and water-quality management.

Owen Reese, PE, is a Principal Water Resources Engineer based in Washington with more than 23 years of experience focused on industrial stormwater management, surface-water supply, and surface-water rights. He also conducts analyses to better understand how vulnerable surface-water supplies are to the effects of climate change.

Q&A

How has it been for Aspect to join the Geosyntec family of companies?

Owen Reese
The breadth and scope that Geosyntec offers Aspect is something we haven’t had before. Personally, it’s been thrilling to get into particularly gnarly technical challenges on projects and to find that I can reach out to the Geosyntec expert who wrote their doctoral thesis on that exact subject and collaborate with them. It’s truly having access to a world of experts.

Marc Leisenring
And likewise, knowing what Aspect has accomplished in the Pacific Northwest over the past 20 years, it’s invigorating to collaborate with parallel-but-complimentary experts in environmental affairs, NPDES compliance, data management, monitoring, and more.

What opportunities has Aspect joining the Geosyntec family of companies presented to clients?

Owen Reese
Speaking personally, it’s always fun to be part of something that has clear direction and momentum. Even though Aspect is about 130 people and Geosyntec’s Pacific Northwest branch is about 80 people, the firm’s culture of global knowledge-sharing means we offer more than the sum of our parts. We have a real critical mass of expertise in the Pacific Northwest, and that’s one of the things that I’m most excited about.

Marc Leisenring
A good example of this is airport stormwater management. Both my team and Owen’s team have worked for many of the ports in Washington and Oregon over the past 20 years, including the Port of Seattle and the Port of Portland. With the merger, there’s a lot of local knowledge-sharing, whether it’s permit compliance, drainage, infrastructure, or water quality and treatment.

Owen Reese
And many of those clients also have PFAS management issues. We can offer Geosyntec’s national-level PFAS expertise to help them overcome these challenging problems.

Why is it a good time for someone to join Geosyntec?

Marc Leisenring
Geosyntec is experiencing exciting growth and is at the forefront of advancements in several key areas. We’re applying new science in various fields, including emerging contaminant management for PFAS, microplastics, folates, dioxins, and PCBs. This positions us well to help both municipal and industrial clients adapt to a future with a changed hydrologic regime and other different environmental conditions.

What qualities are you looking for in applicants?

Owen Reese
We’re looking for people who are passionate about the natural environment and how humans interact with it. We want people who are driven to find solutions to the challenges we face in that realm. A great employeeis someone genuinely interested in understanding the science behind their work, the communities they’ll serve, and the specific problems they’ll be tackling.

Marc Leisenring
The qualities I look for in a potential Geosyntec team member are inquisitiveness and a lifelong learner mindset. Someone who truly embraces continuous learning, no matter the problem or assignment they’re given. That’s the power of a company like Geosyntec; we have a vast network of expertise to tap into, allowing us to tackle complex challenges that might be impossible for others to solve alone.

More Information

For more information about stormwater services, contact Marc Leisenring at MLeisenring@Geosyntec.com or Owen Reese at Owen.Reese@AspectConsulting.com.
Read our press releases about Aspect Consulting joining the Geosyntec: Aspect Consulting Joins the Geosyntec Family of Companies, Supporting Client Service in the Pacific Northwest and Beyond — Geosyntec
Aspect Consulting Joins the Geosyntec Family of Companies, Supporting Client Service in the Pacific Northwest and Beyond — Aspect
Check out our latest job offerings here: Careers (geosyntec.com)
Learn more about Geosyntec’s water and natural resources practice: Overview of Water and Natural Resources (geosyntec.com)
Read the latest white paper on PFAS regulations and treatments: Geosyntec Authors a White Paper on PFAS Regulations and Treatments