Student Profile: Molly Casto
After spending over a year managing a progressive stormwater management program in South Lake Tahoe, California, Molly Casto made an
important realization: with additional knowledge and skills, she could build a career around her passion — environmental planning
— while making a difference in a place she calls home—Maine.
Earlier this year, Casto enrolled in the Community Planning and Development program at the Muskie School because of its size and location. "The smaller classes appeal to me. I wanted the chance to work closely with professors who are experts in national, state and local environmental policy," said Casto. "I also find it interesting to live in Portland where there is a tight interface between urban and rural environments and the juxtaposition of a working waterfront with tourists coming in from other regions."
While county project manager for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Casto was at the leading edge of approaches to watershed planning and stormwater mitigation. She oversaw residential site evaluations, advising homeowners about retrofits they could carry out on their properties to improve Tahoe's environment while coming into compliance with local stormwater ordinances, facilitated educational workshops, and participated in a multi-state, interagency collaboration pertaining to watershed planning. Prior to that, she developed and coordinated two volunteer programs — HIV/AIDS education and sustainable agriculture — for the Earth Island Institute in Tanzania, Africa.
"After several years in the environmental field, I realized that I wanted to take a big step back, return to school and gain a more solid foundation in environmental policy, planning and water quality issues. My hope is to develop a career where I can make a real difference in my community."
