Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Shona Paterson

SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week we are highlighting Shona Paterson, Compost and Recycling Associate at Alameda County.

Shona Paterson
Compost and Recycling Associate, Alameda County

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
I work to promote waste reduction through the County by engaging employees with individual actions they can take, expanding resources such as composting infrastructure, and researching future strategies for the programs based on best practices across the region.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is refining Sustainable Materials Management measures for the new Climate Action Plan because it is rewarding to make decisions that will guide the County waste programs for years to come.

What is a recent accomplishment that you are proud of?
I delivered a series of recycling trainings reaching 40 County employees. Despite the virtual format I worked to make the trainings engaging and interactive. After the trainings I received a number of messages from employees that they found the trainings valuable and had since used some of the resources I highlighted.
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What is the most important skill or lesson that you have learned during your fellowship?
I have learned how to facilitate discussions in a way that encourages input, builds consensus, and leads to actionable outcomes. This has helped me more effectively collaborate with stakeholders on projects.

If you were a sustainable technology or item, which one would you be and why?
If I were a sustainable technology I would be a train because trains both connect people and take them to new places. Similarly, I like to foster collaboration and explore new ideas.

Climate Corps, a flagship program of SEI, is a bridge-to-career Fellowship program that recruits and places rising climate professionals with local governments, non-profits, educational institutions, and for-profit partners to implement climate change mitigation and resiliency projects.