Newsroom

  • HELIX Announces CEO Retirement & Succession Plan

    HELIX Announces CEO Retirement & Succession Plan

    Michael Schwerin will step down as CEO on June 30, 2024, and retire December 31, 2024. Shelby Howard will succeed Michael Schwerin as Chief Executive Officer and Justin Fischbeck will become Chief Operating Officer on July 1, 2024.   HELIX Environmental Planning (HELIX), a leading California-based environmental consulting firm, today announced the retirement and succession plans of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Schwerin after serving 23 years at HELIX and …
  • Todd Wood Joins HELIX as Biology Group Manager

    Todd Wood Joins HELIX as Biology Group Manager

    We are delighted to announce the addition of Todd Wood as a Principal Biologist and Group Manager for the Northern California Biology Division at HELIX Environmental Planning.   With more than 17 years of experience, Todd offers expertise in regulatory permitting, wetland ecology, and special-status plant and wildlife surveys for the Central Valley and Northern California regions. As Group Manager, he leads a team of regulatory specialists and biologists in …
  • HELIX Grows Cultural Resources Team Across California

    HELIX Grows Cultural Resources Team Across California

    To meet the growing needs of our clients across California, HELIX Environmental Planning is excited to announce an expanded cultural resources team. With more than 30 years of experience, Andrew (Andy) Pulcheon, RPA, AICP joined HELIX as a Cultural Resources Group Manager leading our archaeology teams and projects in Northern California. Andy has a breadth of skills and knowledge from public and private sector projects across Central and Northern California …
  • Beth Ehsan Promoted to Biology Group Manager

    Beth Ehsan Promoted to Biology Group Manager

    We are excited to announce the promotion of Beth Ehsan to Biology Group Manager!   In this expanded role, Beth joins the Southern California Biology Division leadership overseeing a diverse team of biologists who work on a wide variety of biological surveys, environmental compliance monitoring, restoration planning and monitoring, and regulatory permitting for private and public projects. She has 17 years of professional experience preparing environmental documents in accordance with …
  • HELIX Recognized in Top 2 Best Environmental Firms to Work for by Zweig Group

    HELIX Recognized in Top 2 Best Environmental Firms to Work for by Zweig Group

      HELIX Environmental Planning has been named by Zweig Group as one of the “2023 Best Firms to Work For”, ranking in the top two environmental firms nationwide, and top seven firms in our size category for the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Through this award, HELIX is recognized for our investment in the employee experience to create an environment where people feel valued, can make a difference, and …
  • Clean Water Act Changes

    Clean Water Act Changes

    Defining “waters of the United States” (waters of the U.S.) has been an ongoing, persistent and contentious task spanning over a half century, with various adopted interpretations by the regulating agencies (United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA] and United States Army Corps of Engineers [USACE]) (agencies) dominating enforcement under the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA).   On May 25, 2023, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the …
  • HELIX’s Sacramento County Office Moves to a New Location

    HELIX’s Sacramento County Office Moves to a New Location

    To accommodate HELIX Environmental Planning’s growth in the Northern California region, we’re excited to announce the relocation of our Sacramento County office in Folsom.  Please note our new address and phone number for reaching our Folsom staff.   New HELIX Sacramento County Office 1180 Iron Point Road, Suite 130 Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: 916-435-1205 Fax: 619-462-0552   Visit our Contact Us page for a listing of all HELIX office locations …
  • Scott Redding Joins HELIX as Landscape Architecture Group Manager

    Scott Redding Joins HELIX as Landscape Architecture Group Manager

    We’re pleased to announce the addition of Scott Redding, PLA as Principal Landscape Architect. Working from our Placer County office in Roseville, Scott serves as HELIX Environmental Planning’s Landscape Architecture Group Manager leading our teams in Northern California.   With 24 years of experience in landscape architecture, Scott has designed and managed a diverse portfolio of projects for the public and private sectors. These include community design, civic, institutional, commercial, …
  • ASLA Sierra Chapter Recognizes HELIX

    ASLA Sierra Chapter Recognizes HELIX

    HELIX was honored by the Sierra Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) at their biennial Design Awards event held November 4, 2022.   Merit Award for The Preserve at District56   The Preserve at District56 project received the Merit Award in the Parks and Open Space category. Located in the City of Elk Grove’s 56-acre civic center complex (District56), The Preserve is a 30-acre park developed as …
  • Lisa Capper Retiring from HELIX

    Lisa Capper Retiring from HELIX

    Celebrating a Remarkable Career!   We are celebrating Lisa Capper, Principal Planner, whose contributions to HELIX Environmental Planning over the past 29 years have been integral to the firm’s ongoing success. Lisa will be officially retiring from HELIX on September 9, 2022.   In addition to managing CEQA compliance for some of the San Diego region’s most complex and controversial projects, Lisa held a number of key leadership positions at …
  • Diana Dyste Joins HELIX as Cultural Resources Discipline Leader

    Diana Dyste Joins HELIX as Cultural Resources Discipline Leader

    We’re thrilled to announce the addition of Diana Dyste as HELIX’s Statewide Cultural Resources Discipline Leader!   Diana is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) and Principal Investigator with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Professional Qualifications for archaeology. She has 22 years of experience in California archaeology, ethnography, and Native American support services.   Diana has extensive experience implementing permit requirements for National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 and CEQA/NEPA, …
  • Memorial to Dr. Roy Buck in CNPS Artemisia

    Memorial to Dr. Roy Buck in CNPS Artemisia

    Dr. Roy Buck, one of California’s leading botanists, passed away on January 9, 2019, at the age of 66.   Dr. Gretchen Flohr, HELIX Biology Group Manager/Principal Biologist and colleagues authored a memorial to Dr. Buck in the most recent issue of the California Native Plant Society scientific journal, Artemisia (Volume 49, No. 1, June 2022).   Gretchen and Dr. Buck were close friends and colleagues for over 25 years. …
  • Sue Meyer Joins HELIX as Biology Group Manager

    Sue Meyer Joins HELIX as Biology Group Manager

    We’re excited to announce addition of Sue Meyer as a Biology Group Manager for our San Diego County team!   Sue has 20 years of experience advising and consulting with public and private sector clients on environmental clearance, regulatory permitting, mitigation, and compliance for complex infrastructure and development projects. Licensed to practice law in the state of California, Sue worked at Nossaman for over 15 years where she provided legal …
  • Lesley Owning Promoted to Planning Group Manager

    Lesley Owning Promoted to Planning Group Manager

    We’re excited to announce the promotion of Lesley Owning to Environmental Planning Group Manager for our Northern California region!   In this expanded role, Lesley now leads the environmental planning efforts and environmental planning teams in our Placer County (Roseville) and Sacramento County (Folsom) offices overseeing the planning phases for site development, natural resource management, and land use planning projects, including documentation and compliance pursuant to CEQA and NEPA. Lesley …
  • park bench along bike route with trash can

    Clean California Local Grant Program Announced

    The Clean California Local Grant Program, funded by $296 million dollars through Governor Newsom’s Clean California initiative, was announced December 1, 2021. Applications are due by February 1, 2022 and HELIX can assist you in pursuing this revenue stream for your projects.   About the Clean California Local Grant Program  The Clean California Local Grant Program (CCLGP) is a competitive grant program intended to beautify and clean up local streets and …
  • HELIX Sponsors Diversity in the Environmental Profession AEP Student Scholarship

    HELIX Sponsors Diversity in the Environmental Profession AEP Student Scholarship

    To help promote and encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voices within the environmental profession, HELIX is sponsoring the Diversity in the Environmental Profession Student Scholarship, provided through the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP).   The focus of this scholarship is high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing an education in environmentally related topics. Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 and a …
  • HELIX Opens Los Angeles Office in Pasadena

    HELIX Opens Los Angeles Office in Pasadena

    HELIX Environmental Planning (HELIX) has opened a new office in the City of Pasadena located at 135 W. Green Street, Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91105.   The new location is HELIX’s seventh office within California, allowing HELIX to better serve existing and future clients within Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas.   “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, I’m thrilled to be opening an office in Pasadena,” said Mike …

For press inquiries, please contact Tiffany Thomson, Marketing Director at

619-462-1515 or tiffanyt@helixepi.com