Nancy is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, the region’s hub for watershed research and analysis. The Watershed Council is uniquely situated at the intersection of research and policy and trusted to be fair, objective, and rooted in science. We focus on connecting diverse perspectives to address key issues in a timely manner and driving applied research to improve policy and practice. The Watershed Council does its work through education, research, and planning to achieve the vision of a sustainable Los Angeles by 2025. Nancy holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Biology and a doctorate in Environmental Science & Engineering from UCLA.
In her twenty year environmental career, Nancy has committed herself to leaving the world a better place. Working for the State of California, she has written and implemented regulations to reduce emissions from in-use heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses, developed a report on the potential health and environmental impacts of leaf blowers, and served as the Deputy Ombudsman for southern California. She enforced California’s hazardous waste control laws, researched environmental lead contamination from lead-acid battery recycling plants, and developed regulations to reduce the threat of childhood lead poisoning. Her dissertation research compared the health and environmental costs of recycling and waste management of electric vehicle batteries.
Nancy is founding president of the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, a non-profit land trust founded in 2000 as the Altadena Foothills Conservancy.
With her husband, the family manages about 150 beehives for pollination and honey & beeswax production.
For relaxation and to keep her mind flexible, she plays handbells in a choir and walks in the foothills.
9 responses so far ↓
Sarah // June 13, 2009 at 11:40 am |
Hi I think this is a fantastic blog, keep up the good work…
Maggie // January 22, 2010 at 3:18 pm |
Very glad to have found your blog and thanks for the important work that you are doing.
Barbara Ellis // June 26, 2010 at 8:28 pm |
Hi Nancy,
I’d like to ask you about Hahamongna. Could you let me have your email address?
Charlie // July 23, 2010 at 8:16 pm |
Hey, great website! I am originally from southern California but right now I am working on similar stuff to you, in Pittsburgh. I’d love to share thoughts sometime, check out my blog or send me an email for more info!
nancysteele // July 24, 2010 at 11:10 am |
Next time you are in LA give me a call and we’ll go out to Elmer Avenue! I love “slow water!”
Charlie // July 25, 2010 at 7:50 am |
Thanks! Do you know if there is a centralized website linking people doing these sorts of projects in different places? I know of similar stuff in NYC, Portland, Oregon, Kansas City, and Vermont but I wish there were a way to connect! Precipitation patterns and riparian plants vary across the continent and world but there are some things that are in common everywhere.
I’ll definitely look you up next time I am in LA but that could be a long way away. Perhaps it will be during the rainy season, which I prefer anyway. Speaking of which, a bunch of rain is about to hit Pittsburgh and it is beautiful out!
nancysteele // July 26, 2010 at 5:02 pm |
Charlie – there is a website that attempts to list all the projects in the US, but it is only as good as the outreach. I’m going do a blog entry about the site. I hope to see you in the rainy season (for LA). If I make it to Pittsburgh I’ll look you up.
Charlie // July 26, 2010 at 5:33 pm |
Let me know if you’re in Pittsburgh and I will let you know where some neat stuff is but I’ll actually be back in Vermont starting mid August.
Charlie // July 26, 2010 at 5:33 pm |
And yeah I definitely look forward to a blog about that site.