Greta K. Brownlow joined Ascent in March 2023 as a Senior Environmental Director. Based in our Berkeley office, she is leading Ascent's environmental planning team members in the Bay Area and directing significant projects in the region and beyond. With more than 20 years of experience preparing CEQA and NEPA documentation, Greta has amassed a diverse array of project experience, ranging from programmatic documents for projects such as general plans and specific plans to project-specific documents for development and infrastructure projects throughout California. Having completed a doctoral dissertation on community involvement and activism around new school development, Greta is particularly interested in the opportunities provided by the CEQA process for public education and engagement.
Greta enjoys the interdisciplinary nature of planning and environmental assessment, and loves to learn new things. She also likes to share her knowledge and experience about best practices in the environmental and planning field with others. She has created and facilitated numerous professional development courses for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, such as CEQA: A Step-by-Step Approach; CEQA Update, Issues and Trends; and most recently, CEQA Project Management and Overview of California Environmental Regulations. She is also lecturer of the course Environmental Planning in the Urban and Regional Planning Department at San Jose State University. There she has also taught Private Development and Urban Planning, advised graduate students embarking on their master's thesis projects, and more.
Greta is also an accomplished author. Her publications include Practical CEQA: A Stepwise Guide to California Environmental Quality Act Compliance, which she co-authored with Terry Rivasplata, and a chapter titled "Building Schools and Community Connections: Outreach and Activism for New Schools in Southeast L.A." in Schools and Urban Revitalization: Rethinking Institutions and Community Development.
An active member of the California Association of Environmental Professional's legislative committee, Greta recently attended the annual Day at the Capitol where committee members met with legislators and their staff to discuss proposed environmental legislation.
Prior to joining Ascent, Greta led WRA's environmental planning team and was a principal at ICF, where she led the firm's internal environmental education initiative.
Outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her husband, live music, crafting cocktails for friends, and staying active through running, hiking, and yoga.