Name: Jon Schmidt
Location: Boston, MA
Title: Senior Environmental Planner
Education: B.A. in Modern European History and M.A. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a focus in Historic Preservation
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with a history degree, then this is for you. Jon Schmidt is a Senior Environmental Planner who works for one of the many engineering firms that help to plan, design, and construct roadways and bridges. It’s up to Jon, and the many others he works with in the planning department, to ensure that cultural and environmental resources (think historic landmarks, waterways, wildlife, wetlands, parklands) are minimally impacted. Who knew historians could help save turtles? As an architectural historian, and environmental planner Jon has held many different types of roles in the transportation industry. He has taken his affinity for the past, appreciation for craftsmanship, and incredible eye for detail and applied it to preserve some of our nation’s most treasured historic resources. Well, if he can’t preserve them, he documents them, tells their story, and ensures that they leave an indelible mark on the inventory records of the state.
So, what in the world does Jon actually DO? As a Senior Environmental Planner, it’s Jon’s job to assess the environment and evaluate what it will look like when a road project is complete. He reviews these changes through the lens of federal laws (National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA), and impacts to natural resources, cultural resources, and surrounding communities (sometimes roadway projects can impact private properties). He coordinates with government agencies and engineers to minimize and mitigate any identified impacts to these resources. For example, if a road project is going to widen the road near an historic landmark and take down 100-year-old trees that are key to the view of that property, he can work to save the trees! Yup, not kidding. Who knew history could lead to such a noble path?
When asked what he loves about his job and what motivates him to go into the office everyday, Jon said he loves the challenge of it. “It can be challenging to apply 50-year-old regulations to modern day projects.” But he says, “I love the creativity and collaboration that comes with finding new solutions.” Also, “getting to be part of a team of highly skilled professionals that collaborate well, and work hard is very rewarding”.
As for what Jon likes least, he explained it can be tough to balance the politics with the technical requirements of a project, and it’s impossible to please everyone. This may be a downside in every profession, though. Even clowns make some people cry right?
Jon is modest about his abilities, but I’ve known him for a long time. He sees history as so much more than names and dates. He has a knack for lifting the stories of the past off the page and bringing them to life. With his education and understanding of buildings and objects, he is able to give these stories context and build an even richer narrative. As a scientist, I was never very interested in history, but knowing Jon has changed my mind about digging into the past. I’m hooked.
Why History?
“I like to read, write, and discuss. My grandfather was also part of the greatest generation and fought in World War II. I looked up to him, and I wanted to learn more about the war. That’s why I specifically chose to study Modern European History in college.”
What advice would you give to yourself in high school or college?
“Think ahead! Think about what it takes to be what you want to be. If you want to be a meteorologist don’t just follow the weather, get really good at math. Also, stay focused. Find something about which you are passionate and learn your craft. Learn how to do it well. You will never work a day in your life.”
What other avenues are available with this degree?
“You could go into academia, work as a grant writer at a non-profit to secure funds for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings or serve as the professional staff for local preservation boards at the town or county level. There’s also material conservation or architectural salvage.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants your job?
“I got some advice from a professor who ran the Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) in grad school, David Ames. He would walk around all the time and what he said was ‘look up.’ If you want my job, and you’re interested in architectural history – look up. We often interact with buildings at street level. We see the doors and the windows. Often there are all kinds of architectural details, and interesting things to see above the ground level. It’s not just the visual interest of the architectural elements. It’s also why is that there? How skilled was the person who made the cornice on that particular building? Was it made by hand? Made by saw? Mass produced somewhere else? Has this building changed, was there an addition, how old are these windows? There are all different kinds of questions you can ask of material objects you see in buildings when you look up.”
Favorite memory of your career?
“During an assistantship with Mid-Atlantic Historic Architecture and Buildings Survey, I was working on a project at 4th and Market Street in Wilmington, DE. The corner of 4th and Market was historically the center of the town’s Market Street. People would come there to sell meat, and flowers, and potatoes, and produce and all kinds of stuff. There was a lot of visual interest in the 19th century buildings that were still there. The project was to demolish all of these buildings. So, we were hired to document these buildings by measuring them and taking pictures. I will never forget being up on a scissor lift at the top of a six-story building just taking pictures of a cornice (a bracket that supports the top of a brick building). I looked around as a 23-year-old and wondered “what the heck am I doing up here?” But that was fun! It was really interesting to see up close something that somebody had not seen up close probably since it was put there a 120 years ago!”
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Important to note this interview took place in 2020
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