Environmental professionals grouping

Patrick Ty Whitaker is recruiting environmental engineers, planners, and others who work in any field with an environmental bent to join a networking group of his own making, Northern Nevada Environmental Professionals.

Whitaker is himself a young professional, a 2003 graduate of University of Nevada, Reno, with a degree in environmental science. He's employed as an environmental scientist at Huffman & Carpenter, Inc. a regulatory law consulting company.

"Reno is a young growing community," he says. "It's important for people in this field to know others, because some day they will be in charge."

Originally, he had intended it to be a young scientist group, for those roughly 20 to 40 years old, but now says senior scientists may be invited to come in to speak at meetings.

Richard Gebhart, chief officer for Nevada Army Corp of Engineers, is booked to speak at the group's Oct. 11 meeting.

"A club could provide an opportunity to learn about environmental projects and issues in the area, and network within the community," he says. "This is an opportunity to come out and socialize with people in your field."

The group held two early morning meetings, attended by half a dozen core members; to boost attendance, meetings were moved to after work at Silver Peak Brewery on Wonder Street. It now meets each second Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

"I envision half an hour to talk about current projects in the community," says Whitaker. Members will also volunteer once a month for some environmental cause.