When Tonya was in college, one of her current GeoEngineers colleagues was a guest lecturer in her geographic information systems (GIS) class. The visitor showed off some interesting ways GeoEnginers was using GIS technology, and the presentation inspired Tonya to use her environmental science background and technology to solve real-world issues. To complete the story, Tonya ended up joining GeoEngineers shortly thereafter.

Tonya works with GeoEngineers’ Applied Technology group, where she helps clients use technology to complete their work more efficently. In one recent example, Tonya and her team built a software application that uses GIS and statistical modeling to predict where targeted items—such as cultural resource sites or contaminated soil—might exist in a given geographic area. “I am proud of this tool,” she noted, “because it puts the technology into the hands of our clients and gives them the power to make decisions.”

During her hours away from work, Tonya shares time with family and friends, and walks her dog. (“He mostly walks me,” she says.) She also works at a community garden that has donated about 100 pounds of fresh produce to the local food bank in the past year.