MEET NATALIE, OUR DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY
Growing up in a small town in Iowa, Natalie collected Popsicle sticks for arts and crafts projects, ripped things apart to see how they worked and learned about the importance of planting trees and other conservation practices.
The Iowa State University graduate put all those childhood activities to good use for her career in architecture and sustainability. “Architecture is the best of both worlds where you can be creative and understand how everything works, and sustainability takes it to a whole different level,” Natalie said.
She joined Beck in 2018 after leaving her job as a sustainability consultant for a New York City firm.
Searching for a new job, Natalie heard that The Beck Group was interviewing candidates for a sustainability manager position at its Dallas headquarters. She applied for the opportunity, was hired, and in 2020, was promoted to Director of Sustainability.
Since her move to Dallas, Natalie has quickly made the transition to working with Beck. “I have been impressed with Beck’s corporate culture and values. It’s been a good fit for me,” she said.
Life at Beck
At Beck, Natalie leads the dialogue around sustainability, which includes future-proofing buildings against extreme weather conditions and optimizing performance, creating healthy environments, achieving goals for the AIA 2030 Commitment for carbon neutrality, and reporting the firm’s greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Throughout the pandemic, Natalie and her colleagues have been finding ways to improve air quality and other methods to reduce the spread of the disease in offices and make the work environment healthier overall.
Pastime Passions
Natalie spends her days off gardening, which allows her to relax after a busy work week. Her herb garden provides ingredients for making craft cocktails.
Her other passions include drinking coffee and sports cars.
Natalie is so fond of coffee that she would be thrilled to chat about it on “a super nerdy, technical level.”
As for sports cars, Natalie has had a lifelong fascination with them. “I have a real special place in my heart for them,” says Natalie, who drives a Tesla but notes that it is as fast as her Porsche.
She developed a passion for sports cars at the age of five, the first time she saw her father’s boss drive his sleek black Corvette to work. “It was the coolest car that I had ever seen. It was probably the first time I understood design.”