Q&A with Casey Conrad

DG+ has been privileged to have Casey Conrad join our team this summer as an Associate, Clean Energy. Casey just graduated from Princeton University in May with a Geosciences concentration and he will soon be starting a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Management degree at UC Santa Barbara this fall. Casey has experience across a wide range of environmental sectors, including chemical research and analysis, environmental impact research, and sustainable tourism. We asked Casey a few questions to get to know him better. Read on to learn about him!

Kathleen Gill recently interviewed Casey to learn more about him. Check out his answers below.

GET TO KNOW CASEY

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. After living in New Jersey for the past four years for college, I have migrated back to California where my family still resides. Once settled, I was fortunate to join DG+ as a Summer Associate in June!

Where does your interest in the environment come from?

My interest in the environment started when I joined the Boy Scouts: going on outdoor trips and learning about how we impact our surroundings – both positively and negatively. It really laid the groundwork for my interest in the natural world and how to preserve it as best as possible. My career intentions were solidified when I took AP Environmental Science and Geology in high school.

I’m excited about the UCSB program because it fuses true environmental science with entrepreneurship and business. That’s what I’m really interested in doing: helping environmental causes through the business world.

Why did you join DG+Design, and how do you hope to make an impact for our clients?

First and foremost, I was excited to be able to work on wide-ranging projects within the renewable energy industry. I thought it would be beneficial to gain broad exposure to the different sectors within the industry, and this seemed like a great way to do that.

Also, the skill sets I’ve amassed throughout the years – research, writing, etc. – seemed like a perfect fit for the role!

What have you learned thus far in your internship with DG+?

The most interesting thing that I didn’t anticipate gaining experience in is client relationship management. All of my other work experience has primarily been internally facing, so I didn’t have a lot of exposure to working directly with clients. It’s been really fun to gain an understanding of the iterative and collaborative process of developing content for clients – and to get in the client’s mind and understand their perspective and expectations.

I’ve also been excited to solidify my business-oriented research, in addition to internal deliverables.

If the world were not experiencing a global pandemic, where would you want to travel next? Why?

I’d love to go to Patagonia, Chile to enhance my Spanish speaking abilities, experience the awesome scenery, and learn more about the unique culture and land-owning dynamics.

I would also like to go to both Alaska and Greenland for similar reasons: the environments there are drastically changing and will continue to do so within my lifetime. I think it would be fascinating to be able to take them in now and see how they change over time, which would also solidify some of the things I’ve learned about glacial dynamics and climate change.

Tell us something fun or maybe unexpected about yourself.

I love water sports. I started competitive swimming at age eight and water polo at age 12. I was fortunate enough to play three years of water polo while at Princeton. When we won the regional championship during my sophomore year, where I was MVP of the tournament, we competed in the NCAA championship tournament. Unfortunately, my senior season was canceled due to COVID, but I am very appreciative of the three years that I was able to compete in while there. I’ve also surfed pretty much all over the world: New Zealand, Indonesia, Hawaii, Peru, and of course, California. My favorite is still California because that’s where I’m from!

Another fun fact: my great grand relative was the navigator for and cousin of Sir Francis Drake, an explorer who founded Drakes Bay here in California!