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Compliance and Outreach Manager
Compliance and Outreach Manager
Gordon S. Magenheim
Gordon S. Magenheim
What is your job title?
Compliance and Outreach Manager
What qualifications do you have?
B.A. Geological Sciences, M.S. Environmental Geology, M.A. Emergency and Disaster Management, M.P.A. Disaster Management, M.S. Occupational Safety and Health, Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) from the American Institute of Professional Geologists, Chartered Geologist from the Geological Society of London, Texas Licensed Professional Geoscientist (PG)
What does a Compliance and Outreach Manager do?
In my current job as the Compliance and Outreach Manager for the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG), I am responsible for ensuring that approximately 4,000 professionally licensed geoscientists (geologists, geophysicists, and soil scientists) and geoscience firms are compliant with statutory requirements for the practice of geoscience in Texas. I am also responsible for all of our agency’s outreach efforts for geoscience firms working in the state, Texas agencies with geoscience staff, professional geoscience societies in Texas, as well as college and university geoscience departments in Texas.
What formal qualifications and/or previous work experience did you need to get your job?
An undergraduate degree in Geology Texas Professional Geoscientist (PG) license
Apart from formal qualifications, what other skills or characteristics do you need in your role?
In my current role with the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists, communication skills (i.e., listening, writing, and presenting) are keenly important as well as being detail-oriented, a skill that is used when conducting investigations associated with complaints that we receive. A good helping of humility and empathy are additional “soft” skills that are always helpful.
What sort of organisation do you work for?
I work for the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists, the Texas state agency responsible for the licensing of geoscientists (geologists, geophysicists, and soil scientists) as well as geoscience firms across the state.
"I enjoy the mentoring aspect when speaking to college and university geoscience departments about the opportunities that geoscience has as a career."
"I enjoy the mentoring aspect when speaking to college and university geoscience departments about the opportunities that geoscience has as a career."
If this wasn’t your first job after your studies, what did you do in-between?
After graduating with a degree in geology, my first period of employment was as a coal and lignite mining geologist for a local Texas electrical public utility company. Following a layoff, I transitioned into work as an environmental geologist for several environmental remediation consulting companies. Several years after receiving my undergraduate degree and my first job, based on having a degree in geology, I was able to secure a commission as a U.S. Army officer (Reserve) in the Corps of Engineers. I remained a commissioned Army officer for a total of 28 years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Do you travel, either within the UK or overseas, in your role? How often?
My work-related travel for my current position has been limited to the state of Texas.
Do you work a regular length day/week, or are shifts involved?
Typically, my schedule is a standard weekly workday, but there are times when additional effort on my part is required, for example at a weekend geoscience-related event where my agency conducts outreach activities.
Where else could you work as a Compliance and Outreach Manager?
At the state level, this could be another agency that is responsible for protecting natural resources, for example the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality which is the Texas state agency responsible for protection of the environment or the Texas Water Development Board, a state agency that is responsible for planning the use of water resources across the state.
Have you had a career break or career change?
Yes, two. A layoff in 1992 and transitioned from employment as a coal and lignite mining geologist with a local public electrical utility company into the environmental consulting field. A second layoff in 2020 resulted in picking up skills and certifications in the health and safety field which has been an excellent complement to my geology skill set.
What do you enjoy about your job?
From the perspective of compliance, the enjoyable aspect is helping individuals and geoscience forms meet their obligations and as importantly helping them to understand that doing so protects the people and resources if Texas, an important task. With regard to my outreach activities, I enjoy the mentoring aspect when speaking to college and university geoscience departments about the opportunities that geoscience has as a career.
What opportunities do you have for developing your skills in your current role?
An understanding of the legislative process and administrative would have been a great set of skills to have had prior to starting my current position.
What do you enjoy about your job?
From the perspective of compliance, the enjoyable aspect is helping individuals and geoscience forms meet their obligations and as importantly helping them to understand that doing so protects the people and resources if Texas, an important task. With regard to my outreach activities, I enjoy the mentoring aspect when speaking to college and university geoscience departments about the opportunities that geoscience has as a career.
What advice or extra information do you wish you’d had before starting this career?
An understanding of the legislative process and administrative would have been a great set of skills to have had prior to starting my current position.
What opportunities do you have for developing your skills in your current role?
I continue to have a wide range of opportunities in developing my skills throughout the day, working with individual geoscientists, geoscience firms, and working on ongoing legislative efforts.
What position would you like to hold in 5 years time?
This would be employment at the level of that as an Executive Director for a Texas state agency.
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