I'd go back to an ordinary evening playing music with my dad. Not special at the time, but those quiet moments are where so much of who I am was shaped.
Stephanie Sparkman · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Stephanie
Stephanie Sparkman is an experienced environmental professional and chemical engineer serving as Director of Environmental Compliance at QTS Data Centers. With a career spanning government-operated facilities, consulting, heavy manufacturing, technology, and data centers, she brings a broad and well-rounded perspective to environmental management. She earned her bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Her expertise includes environmental management systems, business process improvement, root cause analysis, compliance, management, and leadership.
Throughout her career, Stephanie has focused on making environmental processes simpler, more standardized, and more effective while maintaining regulatory compliance. Her work reflects a strong commitment to integrating environmental considerations into business and operational decisions, particularly within the rapidly evolving data center industry. She is passionate about using technology to improve EHS organizations, make environmental work more sustainable and engaging, and help organizations address complex environmental challenges. She also advocates for responsible data center development, emphasizing thoughtful site selection, community engagement, transparency, and environmental stewardship.
Beyond her professional work, Stephanie combines her engineering background with a strong creative side. She has played bass in a bluegrass band from a young age, written poetry and songs, and published three poetry books. She is also working on a nonfiction book exploring what engineers can learn from nature, using observations of the natural world to inspire lessons about engineering, life, and environmental responsibility. Through her professional leadership, speaking engagements, and creative work, Stephanie seeks to inspire others—particularly the next generation of engineers—to find purpose in their work and develop a lasting passion for protecting the environment.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Stephanie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my drive to leverage technology in the environmental and EHS space to make work more sustainable, effective, and engaging. I’m also passionate about inspiring the next generation to protect the environment, which is why I’m writing a book exploring what engineers can learn from nature.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to stay curious. Ask questions, listen to people with different perspectives, and never assume your title means you have the best answer. I've found that some of the strongest solutions come from people seeing the same problem very differently.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Build your technical credibility, but do not confuse credibility with having to prove yourself every minute. Be curious, be prepared, speak with confidence, and surround yourself with people who think differently than you do. The industry needs women who are willing to bring both expertise and perspective to the table, not just fit into the way things have always been done.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in our field right now is the pace of growth. Technology and infrastructure are moving incredibly fast, while regulatory processes, community understanding, and even some of the tools used to manage environmental compliance are still catching up. I also see that as one of our biggest opportunities: to bring environmental considerations in earlier, use better data and technology, and design projects in a way that allows industry, communities, and natural systems to coexist more successfully.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is probably the value that matters most to me. I want to do what is right even when it is difficult, and I believe trust is built through consistency between what we say and what we do. Stewardship is also important to me, whether I am thinking about the environment, my team, my family, or the work I have been entrusted with. I value curiosity because I never want to stop learning or assume I have the only answer, and I value compassion and respect because how we treat people matters just as much as what we accomplish.
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