ASCE Seattle Section Sustainability Committee

Get Involved!

Are you passionate about sustainability? Do you want to make an impact in your local community? Become involved in the activities of this committee! We welcome new ideas and motivated individuals to lead activities related to sustainability! Contact us at sustainability@seattleasce.org.

Looking for Sustainability Leaders

Interested in becoming an officer on the Seattle Sustainability committee? Contact us at sustainability@seattleasce.org.

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Upcoming Events

New events are coming—stay tuned and check back later.

Past Events

Q2 2026

🌱 ASCE Seattle Sustainability Talks – Q2 Networking Event Recap

The ASCE Seattle Section Sustainability Committee hosted its Q2 Networking Cocktail Dinner on Aprill 22, Earth Day! It was a remarkable event bringing together practitioners and community members for thoughtful and forward-looking discussions on sustainability-related challenges.

The evening featured an engaging and informative presentation by Nathan Hart, whose talk prompted in-depth discussion on the understanding, continued study, and potential solutions for the emerging 6PPD‑q contaminant. The topic resonated strongly with attendees, particularly given its environmental relevance to Washington State, and sparked meaningful dialogue across disciplines.

The event provided a valuable opportunity for networking while fostering awareness and conversation around complex environmental issues impacting our region and profession.

The Sustainability Committee extends its gratitude to Mott MacDonald – Northwest Division for sponsoring our quarterly meetings and supporting ongoing forums that encourage collaboration, learning, and progress toward more sustainable engineering practices.

About the Speaker – Nathan Hart, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU)

Drainage and Wastewater Senior Stormwater Policy & Regulatory Advisor

Nathan Hart is a Drainage and Wastewater Senior Stormwater Policy & Regulatory Advisor at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). He has worked in various roles at SPU over the past 15 years.

As part of his current role, Nathan is the emerging contaminants lead for SPU providing guidance and strategic planning on PFAS, PCB, 6PPD-q, microplastics, and other chemicals. His prior roles included serving as the Duwamish Superfund Cleanup Lead for source control and recontamination prevention, and serving as an environmental compliance inspector at SPU.

Prior to his work at SPU, Nathan worked as an environmental planning consultant and obtained his BA in Environmental Studies with a focus on environmental policy and planning, water quality, permitting, and remediation.

Q1 2026

Bridging Earth and Space: Sustainability Committee Q1 Meeting Recap

The Sustainability Committee held its first Quarterly Meeting on February 25 at Seattle’s Westlake Center.

The event featured an inspiring keynote by Dr. Yen Matsutomi, Vice President of Global Supply Chain Engineering and Make-Buy Optimization at Blue Origin. Dr. Matsutomi shared compelling insights on sustainable space operations, Blue Origin’s long-term vision for space habitation, and the growing intersections between aerospace and civil engineering.

The meeting brought together professionals from the public and private sectors and academia - underscoring the increasing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in shaping a sustainable future both on Earth and beyond.

Committee discussions also explored emerging opportunities for civil engineers in areas such as lunar permanence, extraterrestrial infrastructure, and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), highlighting how innovations in space can translate into more sustainable practices for terrestrial projects.

Special thanks to Mott MacDonald Northwest Division for its continued sponsorship of the Sustainability Committee’s quarterly meetings.

About the Speaker – Dr. Yen Matsutomi

Vice President, Global Supply Chain Engineering and Make-Buy Optimization (Blue Origin)

Yen Matsutomi is Vice President at Blue Origin, where she leads the Global Supply Chain Engineering and Make-Buy Optimization team. In this role, she drives supply chain scalability and ensures optimized sourcing strategies that support the company’s long-term growth.

Since joining Blue Origin in 2010, Matsutomi has spent more than 14 years in engine product development, overseeing Propulsion Engineering for all engine products from concept through delivery to vehicle customers. She was part of the Blue Origin team recognized with the prestigious 2016 Collier Trophy for the first flight of New Shepard.

Matsutomi holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University.

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