In the Capital Region , water determines destinies . The 10-county area is both plagued by drought and one of the country ’ s most at-risk regions for catastrophic flooding . The physical existence of Sacramento and surrounding cities and the viability of the region ’ s heavily irrigated agriculture depend on water resources engineers like Mary Paasch .
“ Water really fuels California ’ s overall economy ,” says Paasch , a principal engineer and vice president at Stantec , an engineering services company . She became aware of the drama of water in the state while growing up on a ranch in the Sierra Nevada foothills , where she held leadership roles in 4-H and the National FFA Organization ( formerly known as the Future Farmers of America ) throughout her childhood . Later , she studied agricultural engineering at Cal Poly , Texas A & M University , and the University of Padua in Italy . Such a pedigree usually leads to a prominent career in agriculture , but “ coming out of school , I really knew I wanted to be focused on water … and the nexus between the urban , the agricultural and the environmental ,” she says .
In 1998 , Paasch joined the consulting group MWH Global ( now a subsidiary of Stantec ), whose clients include government agencies such as the U . S . Bureau of Reclamation and the U . S . Army Corps
“ One of the keys to success is to understand your own strengths and weaknesses . … Put yourself in positions that can allow you to do that .” of Engineers . First as a junior engineer and later in leadership roles , she helped shape some of the projects that define California ’ s landscape and water supply : modifications to Folsom and Shasta dams , ecosystem restorations at the San Joaquin River and Truckee Meadows , planned modifications to the Delta Cross Channel gates , and others .
Early in her career , Paasch often found herself the only woman engineer in the room ; at Cal Poly , for example , she remembers being one of three women in a cohort of about 100 . She is determined to use her current position to open the door for those who come behind her . “ One of the pieces I most enjoy is aligning the right individuals with opportunities … and to watch folks grow into those roles ,” she says . A number of the women she mentored have moved into influential roles in policy and engineering in California and beyond , including in the U . S . Department of Justice .
Paasch also provides mentorship to youth starting out in agriculture , a world she never really left behind . She served as vice chair of the board of the 52nd District Agricultural Association , the presenter of the Sacramento County Fair , and sponsors prizes for young exhibitors at the Nevada County Fair . She still raises Suffolk sheep — a sturdy , black-and-white breed from England ’ s eastern coast — at her family ’ s ranch in Nevada County and shows them at fairs every year ( except 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic ). Her statuesque sheep routinely take home champion titles .
She credits her success in both dams and rams to a genuine love for the work . “ I believe anyone can be successful at whatever they choose to do in life if they ’ re passionate about the topics they ’ re working on or the areas they ’ re working within ,” she says .
Jennifer Fergesen is assistant editor of Comstock ’ s . Online at jcfrgsn . journoportfolio . com and on Twitter @ jenniferferges1 .
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