Fernandes, Beryl
Beryl Fernandes
Beryl Fernandes is currently the President of Fernandes & Associates, Inc., a planning firm in the private consulting field. Fernandes has a background in urban planning and is involved in local government in her Seattle community. Fernandes works towards diversifying the urban planning space and advocating for multicultural communities. Outside of work, Fernandes is an avid outdoors person and appreciates having well-preserved, natural environments to hike, backpack, climb, ski, kayak, run, and cycle.
“A look at the demographic make-up of our communities, with the large, growing minority populations very quickly suggests that the inclusion of minorities in the environmental field, their engagement in developing solutions, is not only desirable – but indispensable.” – Beryl Fernandes, 2005
Fernandes, B. A. 1987. Negotiated approaches to planning. University of Washington.
Beryl Fernandes was born and raised in Zanzibar, East Africa, and has since spent most of her life in Seattle, Washington. Fernandes grew up with five brothers while her father worked for the government; her mother was a housewife. Coming from a family with no funds to send children to college, she learned to be self-reliant early. She earned scholarships to Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Fernandes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a minor in sociology. In 1987, she completed an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in urban planning and environmental engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle.
From 1982 to 1985, Fernandes was a policy analyst for the Seattle City Council Central Policy Staff She became interested in a career in the environment when she and some of her neighbors worked to restore Thornton Creek, a polluted urban stream that drains into Lake Washington. This effort began a discussion about developing a mechanism to address other urban drainage problems and a campaign culminated in establishing the Seattle Drainage Utility. This project was a catalyst for Fernandes, exposing her to the scientific and socio-political issues involved in environmental work. It left a lasting appreciation for the work, the challenges of citizen volunteers and the need to approach environmental stewardship from a community-based perspective. The Thornton Creek project highlighted the interconnectedness of multiple disciplines and perspectives and shaped Fernandes’ decision to pursue an interdisciplinary doctorate. Her first environmental job was as a county recycling policy manager.
After completing her doctorate, Fernandes worked from 1990 to 1995 as Planning Commissioner for the Seattle Planning Commission. From 1994 to 1995, Fernandes was the Executive Director of the Seattle Urban Resources Partnership. This program used federal grants with local matches to fund environmental projects earmarked for low-income, inner-city communities.
From 2003 to 2005, she served as Regional Director for the Washington State Department of Ecology and headed her own consulting firm. Fernades directed the Katrina Bike Project from 2005 to 2006. She was then a Performance Management Advisor for the City of Seattle until 2007.
Fernandes is the president of Fernandes & Associates, Inc., an urban, regional, and environmental planning consulting firm in Seattle. Her consulting projects range from environmental and community conflict resolution and mediation to collaborative planning, multicultural community engagement, sustainable development, environmental impact analysis, urban planning, policy analysis and development, and program evaluation.
The highlight of Fernandes’ career was the opportunity to provide environmental grant funds to low-income, inner-city communities of color to develop their projects. “It was incredibly satisfying to work with youth and adults of color and share their excitement in participating in environmental stewardship” (2005). Additional highlights include briefing cabinet members in Washington, DC, and an award for outstanding service from the former Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, James Lyons. At the lowest point of Fernandes’ career, she realized there had been very little progress in diversifying the environmental profession in the twenty-first century.
Despite the challenges, Fernandes has remained in the environmental field and accomplished much. She has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for her work and is confident that she has been an effective mentor and role model for many young people of color. Fernandes considers her role in providing access and exposure to other people of color, especially youth, into the environmental field a significant achievement. She also cites her role in bringing attention to the lack of diversity in the area and the negative impact this has on minority communities as another significant achievement.
Fernandes has been involved in diversity programs with the University of Washington, the American Planning Association, The Professional Planner’s Council, inner-city youth outdoor leadership programs, the state of Washington governor’s office, and legislative and natural resource agencies. From 2012 to 2015, she was a Board Member for the Seattle Citizens Technology Advisory Board where she chaired the privacy Committee and the Seattle Channel Committee. The board made recommendations to the mayor of Seattle on technology issues.
Fernandes has worked on contentious projects in which she succeeded in bringing about mutually satisfying solutions, resulting in long-term collaboration among opponents. She has also lectured and conducted seminars for professionals and students. Fernandes has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Seattle Planning Commission and the King Country Growth Management Commission. Fernandes has always maintained an active presence and contact with low-income communities and with communities of color through volunteer work. She has been an outdoor activity leader – taking inner-city kids and juvenile offenders hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing. She also volunteers with projects providing access to technology and training for inner-city youths.
Fernandes cites Brian Mar, her first professor of color, as her mentor. He was the first person to take an interest in her academically and professionally, “he was a brilliant, creative scholar who encouraged and supported me as I charted my course in the field” (2005). Mar’s influence has helped Fernades stick with a career in the environment despite the enormous challenges of being the first and only person of color in most environmental jobs she has held. Fernades emphasizes that the perspectives that people of color bring to the field are often unique, invaluable, and underappreciated.
Fernandes is a strong supporter of mentoring programs and has been a mentor to minority students from elementary to university levels. She has provided them access and exposure to the environmental field. Through outdoor activities, urban stream restoration, and community garden projects. Fernandes has offered guidance to her mentees and has helped place people in various job positions, stressing the importance of helping others similarly. “To be effective in the environmental world, the environmental field needs to be based not only in science but in several disciplines, depending on the project or problem” (2005).
Fernandes cautions minorities considering a career in the environmental field. Getting into environmental professions can be challenging because the job descriptions and criteria for success tend to favor those already in the agencies or organizations. “Survival can also be a challenge because there are so few minorities and often little support from others” (2005). Preparing for an insulated field with few people of color can help, mainly if one proactively develops an appropriate support network. Fernandes continues to grow networks to improve the diversification of the environmental field, and she continues working on empowering people of all ages who have worked with her.
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2005. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.