Influential Woman · Stormwater Construction

Maggie Yarnold

Corporate Stormwater Specialist, D.R. Horton

Arlington, TX

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science with a focus on Conservation and Restoration from Loyola University of Chicago Degree Bachelor's of Art in Multimedia Journalism from Loyola University of Chicago Degree Bachelor's of Arts in Environmental Policy from Loyola University of Chicago Degree Master's Certificate in Technical Communication and Writing from Arizona State University

Her Story

About Maggie

I always knew that I liked the outdoors and wanted a professional career that gave me the opportunity to be outdoors. As I progressed in the profession, I get to be outdoors a lot less, but I still get to influence how the construction industry interacts with the areas that are meant to be protected, so I think it still aligns with the goal that I had when I was younger. I began working in the environmental industry in 2015 through college, starting in restoration ecology and non-point source pollution, then transitioned to stormwater and point source pollution in 2019. Currently, I train new people to take on additional responsibilities and work on a company-wide training program on stormwater and environmental solutions. A lot of my day is spent analyzing reports and information from the field to make sure it aligns with the regulatory standards we have to practice within. I travel once or twice a month to different job sites and different divisions and regions to train individuals in field conditions, audit their sites, and meet with people in person. I'm constantly juggling two different priorities in this field because I work for a construction home builder while trying to preserve and protect the environment.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Maggie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I'm not afraid to ask for what I want, and I have never once shied away from asking for higher responsibilities, asking for the promotions I want, asking for the money I want, and asking the questions to get the information I want. I think, really, the thing I have is related to the lack of inhibition to say exactly what I'm thinking.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I don't know if it was career advice, but in skydiving, you learned that you have to really be in the moment and pick your battles and be intentional with those battles. So I think, while it wasn't direct advice, that part of that sport has been the greatest lesson learned for my professional life and my life outside of the sport.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

For women who are wanting to enter into my industry, it's gonna be really important to be direct in how you approach situations, and then really quickly learn which situations are important for you to fight for, and which ones can be approached later in a different way. Because this industry is still heavily dominated by men and an older generation, so when you're coming in as a young female, if you come in too strong too early, you're gonna get shot down a lot more than if you learn how to approach them early on, especially with the harder conversations.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The industry ebbs and flows because it is based around the regulations that are governing it, both in the environmental sense and in the construction sense. When you have different regulations being changed, new regulations coming out, you really have to be in tune with those. I think one of the biggest opportunities when you look at the construction side of things is the change to the definition of what is considered a federally jurisdictional water. In 2023, that change really opened the door for construction to increase the land that it's able to use. But from an environmental standpoint, in that same breath, that one regulation took away a lot of protection that were being held for certain types of ecosystems. So I'm constantly juggling two different priorities in this field because I work for a construction home builder while trying to preserve and protect the environment.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

For both my work and personal life, I want to be direct with people, I want to have fun and enjoy what I'm doing, and I want to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone around me, even when the topic of discussion is not pleasant. Coming into my professional life and my personal life, showing people grace and compassion so that hopefully I receive the same, because not every conversation is going to be pleasant. But every conversation that I want to have should be worthwhile, and we should get something out of it at the end.

Keep Exploring