With nearly four decades in environmental consulting, Karen Finlan has built a career defined by steadiness, care, and a deep respect for the communities and clients she serves. At BAI Group, she works in two roles that reflect the breadth of her experience — Senior Environmental Leader and Office Manager — balancing detailed technical responsibilities with the everyday coordination that keeps complex environmental projects on track.
Karen’s expertise spans environmental permitting, compliance reporting, site assessment and remediation, landfill design, and regulatory coordination, all areas that require precision and patience. Much of her work supports long-term efforts such as landfill operations, water quality monitoring, and ongoing compliance with state and federal regulations. These are not always visible tasks, but they are essential to protecting public health and ensuring that projects meet environmental standards.
Throughout the year, Karen contributed to a variety of permitting and compliance efforts — whether supporting wetland and floodway permitting for projects like a residential Spring Creek boardwalk in central Pennsylvania, reviewing environmental data tied to waste management operations, air quality calculations and reporting for numerous landfill clients and other industries, or assisting with various environmental due diligence assessments. In each case, she brought a practical, measured approach that helps clients understand what is required and how to move forward responsibly.
Colleagues and clients appreciate her communication style: direct, clear, and respectful. Environmental permitting can be complex, especially for organizations that only encounter it occasionally. Karen’s ability to interpret requirements, anticipate questions, and explain next steps makes the process more manageable for everyone involved. Her work frequently involves coordination with state agencies, conservation districts, municipal reviewers, and partner consultants — relationships she handles with the kind of calm professionalism that builds trust over time.
As Office Manager, Karen also plays a central role in aligning BAI’s project teams, schedules, and resources. Her operational insight helps ensure that environmental tasks are completed thoroughly and on time, supporting both internal teams and the clients who depend on them.
Karen’s favorite hobbies also focus on her appreciation for natural resources and the environment. Whenever possible, she tries to find ways to spend her spare time outdoors. As an Appalachian Trail enthusiast and with a fondness for all National Parks, she often plans vacations with her husband with hiking destinations in mind and schedules hiking-focused side trips around their other excursions.
In a field shaped by evolving regulations and long-term environmental responsibility, Karen provides continuity and quiet leadership. Her work reflects the values that guide BAI’s environmental practice: technical rigor, thoughtful communication, and a commitment to doing things the right way, even when the work is behind the scenes.
Editorial note: This profile was prepared with AI assistance under human review and fact-checking.