Katie Merrell greets each project that crosses her desk with a wealth of experience, patience, and curiosity. After over 25 years of working as an Environmental Engineer in the King County Roads Environmental Unit, Katie has touched many of the major projects that keep King County green, responsible, and resourceful.
She began at King County Roads in 1999 after graduating from the University of Washington. Though her role has evolved over the years, she works diligently to coordinate, communicate, and serve as a liaison on projects to keep them moving forward and in compliance. Her work relies on her expertise in environmental regulations as well as an unparalleled desire to conquer challenges. From the mundane to marine mammal monitoring and water quality, to chinook salmon stewardship and so many more, Katie has truly had her hands in everything.
She finds much of her inspiration for her work among her wonderful unit mates, whom she reveres as both incredibly knowledgeable and highly motivational. Her relationship with her team allows her to gather unique perspectives and tackle problems as a group. Katie’s keen attention to detail has been an important part of the progress and success of this group, having “everything written down in some spreadsheet, somewhere.” Planning and executing the environmental endeavors of the county is work that requires knowledge, know-how, and patience during every step.
Katie’s interests don’t start and end with environmental preservation, though she does have quite a green thumb, tending to her at-home garden in her free time. Her garden isn’t your average backyard herb garden, either. She nurtures four rain gardens and a partial food forest with a variety of dense foliage and small shrubbery all around her home – you just might think you’ve stepped into a plant nursery. She also recently attended and briefly spoke at a 20-year anniversary event for Rat City Roller Derby, a flat-track women’s roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. The event was held on Husky Roller Skate Night at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center – what a serendipitous mashup of worlds! She and her friends started the group in 2004 and was a longtime enthusiast and skater herself. After a leg injury in the early 2000’s, she took on a more “behind the scenes” roll running the back end of the LLC, which is now a nonprofit.
Katie is not only a highly impressive and dedicated professional, but an impassioned individual whose interests and talents are far from mundane. Her work is an inspiration to us all – that we should strive to do work that does good for the world around us, and to appreciate each moment throughout the process.
King County Local 