As Manager Sarah Cardona leaves MPC, we reflect on her contributions and wish her luck in the journey ahead
Sarah Cardona gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up at a Calumet Stormwater Collaborative meeting
This text first appeared in a letter to the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, a coalition dedicated to ending flooding in the Calumet region. The group meets monthly at MPC.
Dear Calumet Stormwater Collaborative,
Our dear friend and co-worker Sarah Cardona and her husband will be moving to California later this summer. While we are excited for her, we are going to miss her a lot, and wanted to take a moment to thank her for the incredible contribution she has made to MPC and our water work.
Sarah joined MPC in 2015 to work on our Great Rivers Chicago and Stormwater Management programs—and was promoted to Manager of the latter and, among other responsibilities, took the helm of the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative. Under her leadership, the CSC has thrived with new member agencies coming on board and exciting new projects such as theCollaborative Stormwater Viewer and the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative Repository. Most recently, Sarah led a group of technical advisors to explore the feasibility of building a Green Infrastructure Baseline Inventory. If built, this data will be a great new resource for stormwater professionals working in the Calumet region.
During her tenure, Sarah had the arduous but important task of ushering through the CSC’s3-year Work Plan, which is now in year two and going strong. This document details the mission and vision of the CSC’s collective impact in stormwater management and, despite her departure, leaves the group with a clear path for the work ahead.
In addition to her stormwater work with the CSC, Sarah has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of climate issues, promote best practices in water quality, and explore innovative solutions like stormwater credit trading in our region. She brought her public policy experience and considerable expertise in community relations and strategic communications—all of which contributed to her many accomplishments.
Starting on July 1, Sarah will be attending a one-month Conservation Fellowship in Bellingham, WA with the Kinship Foundation, (Congrats, Sarah!) to hone her skills in market-based conservation solutions, positioning her well to continue advancing her environmental career out West.
Here’s a note in her own words for the members of the CSC: Every first Friday I had the privilege of leading a meeting with such an incredible group of passionate practitioners who really brought me joy. You all are so dedicated to this complex work and to the spirit of synergies and partnerships that is the culture of the CSC. Thank you for affording me this opportunity to learn with you and challenge myself. Working with the CSC reminded me what I love best about this work: the incredible people that make real change possible.
Those who have had the privilege of working with Sarah know what a valuable source of encouragement, grace, intelligence, and inspiration she is, and we are going to miss her dearly. We wish you the very best in your next adventure, Sarah, and extend our sincerest gratitude for your contributions to our team and region—thank you!
Sincerely,
Danielle Gallet, Director of Water Resources, and Justin Keller, Associate