Hollaway has played an integral role in nearly every major coastal planning project in the state of Texas, working side by side with entities such as USACE, GLO, TPWD, TWDB, TxDOT, Harris County/HCFCD, and the GCCPRD to promote inter-agency collaboration, engage with the public/stakeholders, build consensus, and advance integrated resiliency efforts.
No other firm has Hollaway’s depth of involvement and breadth of understanding across the various complimentary programs advancing coastal resiliency efforts in Texas.
Examples of Hollaway’s coastal planning experience, covering coastal storm risk management, erosion control, and ecosystem restoration, include:
Hollaway provided comprehensive communications, interagency coordination, stakeholder engagement and public outreach, and consensus building services for this $26B coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration program. Effort also included comprehensive review of economic and benefic-cost analysis for the proposed coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration measures, as well as development of the 2021 Feasibility Study Final Report.
To support this $4B coastal storm risk management program in the Pre-Construction Engineering and Design Phase, Hollaway provides environmental planning and consulting services, as well as comprehensive communications, stakeholder engagement, and consensus building services.
Since the plan’s inception in 2016, Hollaway has provided stakeholder engagement and education efforts and graphic design/document preparation services. Hollaway designed the 2017, 2019, and 2023 versions of the State of Texas’ Coastal Resiliency Master Plan, which provides a framework for community, socio-economic, ecologic and infrastructure protection from coastal hazards including erosion and storm surge.
In 2018, Hollaway began working with a commercial development group to consult on a planned development along the Texas Gulf Coast. Over the five-year project, Hollaway supported the client in studying and identifying environmental constraints, conducting environmental surveys, and preparing and submitting Clean Water Act (CWA) permits.
Your Environmental Services Team of Specialists:
We provide a complete team of experts to support you at every stage of the process.
Taffeta Burleson
John Simmons
Sam Blanco, AICP, PMP
Kasey Clarke, AWB, WPIT
Molly Lenihan
Chris Garza
Carmin Romero
Justin Tassin
Associate Environmental Scientist
Taffeta Burleson
Taffeta Burleson supports the Hollaway Environmental + Communications Services team as an Associate Environmental Scientist. She has gained experience in a wide range of environmental services during her time with HECS, including Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, wetland delineations, and threatened and endangered species assessments. She supports an array of projects including mitigation, transportation, and municipal infrastructure. She brings with her a strong skillset in field research, data analysis, and GIS mapping.
Environmental Scientist + GIS Specialist
John Simmons
John Simmons has over four years of experience working in both the private and public sectors, serving as a scientist and natural resource specialist. Since joining the HECS team, he has gained experience in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, wetland delineations, constraints analyses, and threatened and endangered species assessments. He has supported HECS in a variety of projects, including private development and public works. He brings with him a background in geology, environmental science, and remote sensing.
Vice President of Statewide Environmental Services
Sam Blanco, AICP, PMP
Sam Blanco oversees Hollaway’s environmental practice. He is a NEPA practitioner with over 21 years of experience in consulting and government, and has managed environmental on-call contracts for TxDOT; large municipalities; and the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company. He has conducted NEPA and related studies for projects in Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, New Mexico, and the Mexican States of Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon.
Sr Environmental Scientist II
Kasey Clarke, AWB, WPIT
Kasey Clarke has a wide variety of experience in environmental services including wetland delineations, Clean Water Act permitting, threatened and endangered species habitat surveys, oyster surveys, freshwater mussel surveys, mitigation monitoring, and Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. She has managed an array of projects for federal and state agencies, municipalities, and private developers involving transportation improvements, stormwater facilities, utility lines, coastal dredging, and much more.
Sr Environmental Scientist I
Molly Lenihan
Molly Lenihan joined Hollaway in 2020 and is a Senior Environmental Scientist with extensive experience in wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species habitat assessments, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Clean Water Act permitting, National Environmental Policy Act documentation, and a variety of other environmental services. She has managed numerous projects, ranging from large-scale flood reduction projects to small, single family residential developments. She supports the Hollaway team as a project manager, field lead, technical writer, and reviewer.
GIS Specialist + Sr Environmental Scientist I
Chris Garza
Chris Garza has nearly 10 years of professional experience with Texas ecology and over 12 years of experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Chris’ career has focused on landscape management, ecosystem restoration, tree surveys, plant inventories, wetland delineations, threatened & endangered species habitat assessments, and Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). Chris brings much to the Hollaway as a project manager, GIS specialist, technical writer, reviewer, and a field lead.
Associate Environmental Scientist
Carmin Romero
Carmin Romero supports the Hollaway Environmental + Communications Services team as an Associate Environmental Scientist. Since joining the HECS team, she has gained experience in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, wetland delineations, and threatened and endangered species assessments, and much more. She brings with her a background in environmental science, data analysis, and in air emission testing.
Senior Environmental Scientist I
Justin Tassin
Justin Tassin brings eight years of experience in environmental and economic development projects to Hollaway Environmental + Communications Services. As a Senior Environmental Scientist I, Justin specializes in wetland delineations, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, Clean Water Act permitting, and endangered species habitat assessments. He excels in producing environmental compliance documents under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), GIS Mapping, and coordinating stakeholder outreach for environmental and economic development initiatives.