Amanda List, our Account Executive, works closely with existing and potential air quality monitoring projects to connect them to the monitoring solutions that help effectively achieve their goals. Amanda’s background in indoor air quality and environmental science give her an eye for understanding the significant health impacts that come with air pollution and using them to motivate change for cleaner air.
How did you end up working in the air quality space?
I was determined to find a position that creates real-world impacts within the environmental sector, or as my dad says, “a professional hippie position”. It turns out that when you go to school for environmental, they don't have a go-to list of employment. It is often a lot of trial and error to see what excites you!
My career mainly just molded into air quality over the years, based on my interest while working in the remediation sector. As I worked with businesses and homeowners to evaluate interior air quality, I found it fascinating the health effects that were often presented. It amazed me how vastly different they were, even from family members living in the same space. After some time, I became well established in the IAQ field. I continued to research, take courses, and often educate local communities on how they can improve air quality based on requests from the pandemic.
Does your background in the indoor air quality space inform your approach to ambient air quality monitoring work?
My background in IAQ helps me to understand the health impacts that can potentially affect a population. IAQ in some regards is much easier to understand or alter, whereas ambient air quality is a bit more complicated. Understanding the importance of impacts for IAQ helps guide me in a general sense for helping our partners build networks to detect pollutants and set appropriate goals.
What does a typical day at Clarity look like for you?
Every day is quite exciting at Clarity, as we have global partnerships forming every day. My schedule is not rigid, which makes the days fly by when you may have a call early in the morning or later in the evening. Overall the conversations, areas of interest, and people I work with make my job something to look forward to each day and are often jam-packed with things to talk about.
What role does your team play in creating a world where clean air is a reality for all?
My team helps to build the network design and “connect the dots” as Sean says. It is often that we connect as many stakeholders to a project as possible, to truly communicate the data we collect, and to create necessary change. If local communities, NGOs, and municipalities all have a common goal, it is much more likely to succeed. We help to build air quality goals with objectives to educate, create awareness and obtain those goals. We have found the key to success in these networks and data quality comes down to the relationships you build within them.
What is the most gratifying part of your work with Clarity?
The people and connections that I make in this role are amazing. It's more than just the work that we do together, but the friendships and relationships we build along the way. It is very gratifying to work with such passionate people, both on my Clarity team and our partners.
Do you have any major takeaways from working with such a diverse array of air quality monitoring projects that you would like to share?
I have learned that if the goals are clear, and the community is motivated to achieve them, air quality data is extremely powerful. Air quality affects us all, and to see the connections built while working to obtain them is very motivating. From farming areas to industrial hubs, ports, and school districts, the data collection and analysis is always an interesting story. Aligning the goals is definitely my favorite part of a project though!
As we become increasingly attuned to the intensity of environmental, climate, and air quality crises, how do you see the future of air quality and environmental work?
I believe that the data will continue to promote change. Unfortunately for a long time, it was unclear how much air quality and environmental impacts affected our health and well-being. In today's time, I believe we are beginning to see a positive shift that pertains to the research provided. With air quality data becoming accessible and more importantly digestible, it seems there is a lot of change coming.
What excites you the most about the next several years for Clarity?
The global impacts we are creating! As we continue to help openly share data, connect partners and offer visual aids to impact change, I see Clarity continuing to attain the goals we have set.
What do you like to do when you aren't working to improve air quality?
I am always working on something in my house or yard! Between owning a historical home, and a good size plot of land, there's always something to do. I have dogs to walk, chickens to tend to, and a home that becomes more charming each weekend.
Anything else you would like to add?
Clarity brought to life how much a job can positively impact your life if it is a good fit. The flexibility, growth, and collaboration I have had since joining the team are well beyond expectations. We all have a common goal, and you always feel the excitement throughout the team. I am extremely proud to be part of this team and all that Clarity represents, it's an honor.