Women's History Month - Women Employees at EPA
Jean Schwab, Senior Program Analyst
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Washington, DC
Where were you born?
Washington, DC
What brought you to EPA?
I came to the agency to help protect the environment. I started in the “Green Lights” program, which was the precursor to the Energy Star Program.
What type of work do you do at EPA?
I lead EPA’s national food recovery initiative to advance sustainable food management practices throughout the United States, preventing and diverting food waste from going to landfills. I advise major national corporations, state and local governments, and organizations interested in organic materials and food waste. I also help developing countries and cities with greenhouse gas impacts from food waste. Prior to this, I developed the EPA GreenScapes program to promote resource conservation, pollution prevention and restoration in land care and land management.
What is your highest level of education?
I have a bachelors in business and a masters in urban and environmental planning with a concentration in land use planning.
What message would you like to send other women who are considering college or a career in environmental protection?
“Sustainability” has three major components (environmental, economic, and social) that must be balanced to be successful, and so should your knowledge to be successful in your field and career. A full understanding of how actions in one of these areas impacts the others – positively, negatively, and to what extent – can only make your decisions and actions that much better.