Ozzie Gonzalez

Biography

Ozzie Gonzalez grew up with his feet firmly planted in two environments – winters in the massive tangle of urban Los Angeles and summers in the sun-drenched fields of rural Mexico. It’s only natural these two childhood influences led him to earn degrees in environmental science and architecture – he dreamed of blending the benefits of natural environments with built human habitats like cities. “It was very clear to me that nature does not stop because you pave a road through a piece of land,” he says. And now, as Global Sustainability Director for our Industrial & Advanced Technology business group, Ozzie is living his dream by driving a broader, deeper understanding of sustainability across CH2M. “I’m trying to give a whole new spin to how we communicate about sustainability, about what it could mean to our clients. For me, innovation can mean not just the next greatest gizmo but giving people a fresh perspective or shining light on something that was previously in the shadows, helping them see an opportunity that really wasn’t on their radar previously.” Incorporating a human-focused approach within the concept of sustainability, Ozzie works to engage local small businesses as partners in CH2M projects in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. In many cases, these are minority-owned, women-owned, emerging businesses, so he encourages our teams to hire people from within the region where we’re working, mentoring them along the way and helping them come out at the tail end as a stronger company.  We’re thrilled that Ozzie (and his contagious positivity) is a part of our CH2M family, using his energy and passion to drive sustainable communities forward alongside our evolving world. 

Research Interest

environmental science and architecture