Katie Moberg, Project Manager of the Month, on Supporting Resilient Communities with Clean Energy Solutions

Tetra Tech CEO Dan Batrack created our Project Manager (PM) of the Month award to honor PMs who demonstrate excellence in supporting our clients and perform projects to the highest standards of quality and fiscal discipline.

“Katie’s technical expertise and project management skills are sought after by her peers and our clients.” – Mark Perry, Tetra Tech's eastern U.S. oil and gas unit leader

Katie Moberg is Tetra Tech’s February 2022 PM of the Month. She uses her environmental and permitting expertise to support oil and gas clients in their clean energy transition. She currently focuses on evaluating the suitability of natural gas project sites for solar energy infrastructure. Katie has nearly 15 years of project management and federal, state, and local permitting experience for energy projects. Her expertise includes permitting associated with wetland, stream, and floodway impacts and preparation of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and stormwater permit applications associated with natural gas and solar development projects. She is based in our Monroeville, Pennsylvania, office.

“Katie’s technical expertise and project management skills are sought after by her peers and our clients,” said Mark Perry, eastern U.S. oil and gas unit leader. “Katie has a passion for fostering the professional growth and success of our staff, which shows in her mentoring of more junior colleagues along with recruiting new hires to Tetra Tech.”

Katie is a member of Tetra Tech’s 2022 Leadership Academy, which prepares PMs to better manage their projects and employees, as well as enhance their leadership skills to better serve their clients. She also has served in numerous leadership roles in the Women’s Energy Network industry association. She applies mentoring skills gained through her leadership roles to develop Tetra Tech staff and help them establish themselves as subject matter experts for our clients. Katie has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Terrestrial Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh.

“The environment at Tetra Tech provides great potential for career growth and professional development,” said Katie. “I am thankful for the support I receive on a daily basis from upper management and the members of our team across several offices.”

How does your work impact the environment and the communities where you work?

My team supports the evaluation of installing solar energy infrastructure at existing natural gas project sites, as well as permitting for natural gas pipelines. By helping clients meet their environmental permitting requirements, we support them in protecting the environment and their local communities, whether they are transitioning to solar energy or continuing to provide a needed supply of natural gas. For clients exploring installing solar energy infrastructure, we assist them in adding renewable energy in locations that were historically powered by traditional electricity.

Our work helps support the global transition to clean energy, paving the way for a more sustainable future. At a community level, solar energy not only provides a clean source of energy but also can provide economic benefits to communities and create jobs, increasing community resilience.

What is your approach to managing a successful project team?

Creating a project team dynamic based on mutual support, trust, and strong, open communication is key. As a manager, I help establish our team members as experts our clients can trust and rely on. By introducing clients to the expertise of our other teams, such as our electrical and geotechnical teams, I help our clients optimize their use of Tetra Tech’s services. And involving newer team members in essential project roles also opens the door to mentorship, providing opportunities for feedback and growth. In turn, this creates a team dynamic where everyone can exchange and develop new ideas and deliver excellent results.

How do you foster and maintain positive client relationships on complex projects?

I always focus on understanding the client’s needs, make sure our teams deliver timely execution of scope with respect for the client’s budget, and stay in constant communication with the client. I keep clients updated on how work is progressing and make myself available to answer any questions or concerns they may have. Most importantly, I focus on building trust through honesty—providing honest appraisals even on the occasion when a site is determined to be non-viable for development. While this may limit potential for that individual project, it protects continued programmatic success and reassures clients of the reliability of my evaluations.