Team

Our employees have hundreds of years of combined experience in the industry, making us experts in our field.

Our employees have hundreds of years of combined experience in the industry, making us experts in our field.

Insignia Environmental President/Chief Operating Officer Anne Marie McGraw

Anne Marie McGraw

President/Chief Executive Officer

As the founder and President of Insignia Environmental, Anne Marie McGraw is the driving force behind Insignia’s greatest accomplishments.

Anne Marie McGraw

President/Chief Executive Officer
Insignia Environmental Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Alex McGraw

Alex McGraw

Vice President/Chief Financial Officer

Alex McGraw joined Insignia shortly after its founding and is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President.

Alex McGraw

Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Insignia Environmental Chief Technical Officer Robert Curley

Robert Curley

Chief Technical Officer

Robert Curley combines an engineering background with more than 19 years of experience in the field of environmental analysis.

Robert Curley

Chief Technical Officer
Insignia Environmental Chief Operating Officer Erin Keochekian

Erin Keochekian

Chief Operating Officer

Erin Keochekian has over 20 years of experience in environmental planning and permitting, field review and feasibility studies, environmental training program development and facilitation, and environmental compliance management.

Erin Keochekian

Chief Operating Officer
Insignia Environmental Regulatory Services Program Manager - Southern California Armen Keochekian

Armen Keochekian

Regulatory Services Program Manager – Southern California

Armen Keochekian has over 26 years of experience with planning, permitting, and managing environmental compliance programs for large-scale utility projects.

Armen Keochekian

Regulatory Services Program Manager – Southern California
Insignia Environmental Regulatory Services Program Manager - South Central/Eastern Region Alisa Lykens

Alisa Lykens

Regulatory Services Program Manager – South Central/Eastern Region

Alisa Lykens has over 30 years of federal government service as a regulator of energy projects and a NEPA expert.

Alisa Lykens

Regulatory Services Program Manager – South Central/Eastern Region
Insignia Environmental Compliance Management Program Manager Jeffry Coward

Jeffry Coward

Compliance Management Program Manager

Jeffry Coward has over 20 years of experience conducting surveys for sensitive wildlife and plant species, performing jurisdictional determinations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and overseeing implementation of mitigation measures during project construction.

Jeffry Coward

Compliance Management Program Manager
Insignia Environmental Biological Resources Program Manager Erin Tomaras

Erin Tomaras

Biological Resources Program Manager

Erin Tomaras has more than 7 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and compliance management, including the preparation of state and federal permitting applications and planning and compliance documents pursuant to CEQA and NEPA.

Erin Tomaras

Biological Resources Program Manager
Insignia Environmental Compliance Management Team Lead Adam Lievers

Adam Lievers

Compliance Management Team Lead

Adam Lievers has 10 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and compliance.

Adam Lievers

Compliance Management Team Lead
Insignia Environmental GIS Team Lead Bradley Jacobsen

Bradley Jacobsen

GIS Team Lead

Bradley Jacobsen specializes in all things geographic information systems (GIS), including spatial analysis, cartography, three-dimensional modeling, Global Positioning System mapping, and visualization simulations.

Bradley Jacobsen

GIS Team Lead
Insignia Environmental Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist Lauri Branch

Lauri Branch

Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist

With 30 years of experience, Lauri Branch has managed a wide variety of energy projects spanning the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.

Lauri Branch

Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist
Insignia Environmental Senior Planner/Project Manager Anniken Lydon

Anniken Lydon

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Anniken Lydon has over 10 years of experience in environmental planning and permitting, with a specialization in coastal permitting. Her experience includes site review and project siting; preparing state permits; presenting projects to state regulatory commissions; reviewing and evaluating permit conditions; and ensuring compliance for a variety of projects.

Anniken Lydon

Senior Planner/Project Manager
Insignia Environmental Senior Planner/Project Manager Kyle Rommel

Kyle Rommel

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Kyle has more than 16 years of environmental consulting experience and a strong background in the analysis, mitigation, and regulatory compliance associated with subsurface impacts. He also specializes in permitting, compliance management, and the preparation of a wide variety of environmental documents.

Kyle Rommel

Senior Planner/Project Manager
Insignia Environmental Senior Planner Julia Norton

Julia Norton

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Julia Norton has more than 8 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and resource management.

Julia Norton

Senior Planner/Project Manager
Insignia Environmental Senior Biologist Mark Oates

Mark Oates

Senior Biologist

Mark Oates has developed a diverse background in biological research and environmental compliance over the past decade; he has worked extensively in marine, estuarine, aquatic, and terrestrial systems throughout the contiguous United States.

Mark Oates

Senior Biologist
Insignia Environmental Senior Biologist Matt Bristol

Matt Bristol

Senior Biologist

Matt Bristol has more than 10 years of experience in biological resource management with more than 6 years of experience in southern California. Having worked for multiple federal land management agencies, Matt is experienced in navigating both the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act during project permitting and implementation.

Matt Bristol

Senior Biologist
Insignia Environmental Senior GIS Specialist Zachary Leigh

Zachary Leigh

Senior GIS Specialist

Zachary Leigh has spent more than 15 years working with geographic information systems.

Zachary Leigh

Senior GIS Specialist
Insignia Environmental Senior Consultant Terry Wolverton

Terry Wolverton

Senior Consultant

Terry Wolverton has more than 35 years of experience in electric distribution, both electric and natural gas transmission planning, permitting, and land purchases for compressor station and electric substation construction.

Terry Wolverton

Senior Consultant
Insignia Environmental Senior Consultant Matt Bley

Matt Bley

Senior Consultant

Matt Bley has worked in the energy and environmental sectors for over 30 years.

Matt Bley

Senior Consultant

Anne Marie McGraw

President/Chief Executive Officer

As the founder and President/Chief Executive Officer of Insignia Environmental, Anne Marie McGraw is the driving force behind Insignia’s greatest accomplishments. Her passion for environmental work began in high school when she joined a volunteer committee that successfully instituted recycling in the downtown business district of her hometown. After studying engineering and environmental policy and planning, she became focused on creating an environmental benefit from the design and construction of infrastructure. With more than 27 years of experience in environmental consulting for the energy and infrastructure industries, Anne Marie has overseen and managed all phases of projects, from routing and siting to implementing environmental inspection programs during construction. Anne Marie loves every aspect of project work and the lasting relationships she has developed over the years in the industry. She holds an M.S. in Engineering and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a B.S. in City and Regional Planning from UC Davis. In Anne Marie’s spare time, she enjoys improving her dressage on her warmblood horse, attending Bay Area professional sports games, playing pickleball, spending time with her family and friends, walking her dogs, and traveling.

Alex McGraw

Vice President/Chief Financial Officer

Alex McGraw joined Insignia shortly after its founding and is currently the Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. With a background in engineering and business, Alex brings proven skills in technical analysis and finance to Insignia. Prior to joining Insignia, he worked as an engineer, specializing in air dispersion modeling and statistical analysis in support of high-profile legal disputes. In his free time, Alex enjoys attending San Jose Sharks games, traveling, playing with his dogs, and drinking wine. Alex holds an MBA from Santa Clara University, a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an Engineer in Training certification.

Robert Curley

Chief Technical Officer

Robert Curley combines an engineering background with more than 19 years of experience in the field of environmental analysis. His career began with implementing Environmental Protection Agency-approved air dispersion models to evaluate air quality impacts from accident reconstruction reports and proposed stationary sources. Since that time, Robert has focused on the planning and permitting of energy infrastructure, including electric transmission lines and substations, natural gas pipelines, and telecommunications facilities, with a particular focus on California Public Utilities Commission-regulated projects. His work has included preparing routing/siting studies, evaluating project feasibility/constructability, managing the preparation of all associated environmental documentation, and negotiating and securing appropriate jurisdictional agency authorizations and permits. During this time, he has also utilized his qualitative analysis skills to establish and lead Insignia’s air quality and noise analysis service offerings in support of Insignia’s clients. Throughout his career, Robert has championed continuous process improvement in all areas of Insignia’s business, concentrating his efforts on automating field- and office-based tasks. Most recently, this has included pioneering the development of custom mobile and desktop applications designed to streamline the collection, validation, and processing of field data; interface with clients’ existing business systems; and present data using interactive dashboards and tailored reports. He holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara.

Erin Keochekian

Chief Operating Officer

Erin Keochekian has more than 25 years of experience in environmental planning and permitting, field review and feasibility studies, environmental training program development and facilitation, and environmental compliance management. She has performed constructability reviews for utility development in highly sensitive areas, has overseen numerous environmental resource studies and planning documents pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act, and has conducted compliance inspection and documentation of over 1,200 miles of linear infrastructure across the U.S. Erin has extensive experience with permitting and agency coordination at the federal, state, and local levels. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Boston College. When not assisting clients, Erin enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, and traveling.

Armen Keochekian

Regulatory Services Program Manager – Southern California

Armen Keochekian has over 26 years of experience with planning, permitting, and managing environmental compliance programs for large-scale utility projects. He has inspected over 1,000 miles of natural gas pipeline construction across the U.S., as well as hundreds of miles of electrical transmission lines in California, Nevada, and Colorado. Armen has been a Certified Professional in Sediment and Erosion Control since 2002 and a Qualified Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan Developer/Practitioner (QSD/QSP) since 2011 and has been a presenter and trainer for the International Erosion Control Association, International Right-of-Way Association, Association of Environmental Professionals, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Southern Gas Association. Armen holds a B.S. in Soil Science and Environmental Science and Technology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. When not consulting, Armen enjoys watersports, hiking, and traveling with his family.

Alisa Lykens

Regulatory Services Program Manager – South Central/Eastern Region

Prior to joining Insignia almost 6 years ago, Alisa Lykens worked for more than 30 years as a federal regulator of energy projects and a National Environmental Policy Act expert. Most recently, she has become an expert in environmental justice assessment; her background as a subject matter expert comes from the stakeholder outreach she has conducted over the years, including working directly with representatives of Native American tribes; federal, state, and local agencies; and public citizens. She has performed hundreds of natural gas pipeline construction inspections, ensuring compliance with agency conditions and erosion control requirements. Under her management, and as a Project Manager, she has issued hundreds of environmental impact statements/assessments over the course of her consulting and federal career. Alisa holds a B.S. in Biological Resources from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. In her spare time, she likes to travel across the country with her dogs, visit friends and family, and root for Washington, D.C. sport teams.

Jeffry Coward

Compliance Management Program Manager

Jeffry Coward has over 20 years of experience conducting surveys for sensitive wildlife and plant species, performing jurisdictional determinations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and overseeing implementation of mitigation measures during project construction. He has extensive training and experience surveying and monitoring for various sensitive species during inspection efforts on numerous large-scale utility projects. Jeffry has also managed large teams of biological, archaeological, and paleontological monitors in the field during construction of large infrastructure projects. Jeffry has been a Certified Professional in Sediment and Erosion Control since 2012 and holds a B.S. in Ecology and Systematic Biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He enjoys fishing, golf, gardening, hiking, swimming, and hanging out with his family.

Erin Tomaras

Biological Resources Program Manager

Erin Tomaras has more than 7 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and compliance management, including the preparation of state and federal permitting applications and planning and compliance documents pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act. She is well-versed in regulatory research and analysis and developing permitting strategies. She has worked closely with resource specialists and agency representatives during the planning and construction phases of large- and small-scale utility infrastructure projects and has managed environmental compliance teams for natural gas and access road decommissioning projects. She holds a Master’s of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington. Erin enjoys gardening, baking, hiking with her dog, and rooting for the Huskies and Blue Devils.

Adam Lievers

Compliance Management Team Lead

Adam Lievers has 10 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and compliance. He has specific experience managing multidisciplinary environmental compliance teams for electrical and natural gas transmission projects for which he ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations through the implementation of mitigation measures. He also has experience preparing and reviewing project Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations; conducting inspections of storm water best management practices; and providing strategic guidance to clients on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. He has prepared and implemented SWPPPs and conducted environmental inspection for over 175 miles of linear projects, including both natural gas and electrical transmission projects. He has been certified as a Certified Professional in Sediment and Erosion Control and a Qualified SWPPP Developer/Practitioner. Adam holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Northern Arizona University. In his free time, he enjoys surfing; mountaineering and camping across the West and in Baja; and spending time with his daughter, wife, cat, and two rescue dogs.

Bradley Jacobsen

GIS Team Lead

Bradley Jacobsen specializes in all things geographic information systems (GIS), including spatial analysis, cartography, three-dimensional modeling, Global Positioning System mapping, and visualization simulations. After he received a B.A. in Geography from Sonoma State University, he immediately began his career in consulting, where he provided GIS services for a variety of disciplines, including biology, seismology, hydrography, and geology. Throughout Bradley’s career, he has supported multiple Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Plans, modeled earthquake aftermath scenarios for the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, and acquired a dense technical skill set, which has supported Insignia since 2011. Bradley’s two favorite hobbies include listening to and making music in his home recording studio and surfing as much as he can.

Lauri Branch

Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist

With 30 years of experience, Lauri Branch has managed a wide variety of energy projects spanning the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. She is well-versed in global environmental policy advisement, strategic program management, public policy and outreach, sustainable development, environmental permitting, project management, and regulatory research and analysis. As Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist, she is instrumental in Insignia’s project permitting strategy, routing and siting, environmental compliance, impact avoidance and minimization, and compensatory mitigation. A biologist by training, Lauri has extensive experience with National Environmental Policy Act compliance and federal agency consultations. Lauri is also certified as a Registered Environmental Manager with the National Registry of Environmental Professionals. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from McNeese State University in Louisiana.

Anniken Lydon

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Anniken Lydon has over 10 years of experience in environmental planning and permitting, with a specialization in coastal permitting. Her experience includes site review and project siting; preparing state permits; presenting projects to state regulatory commissions; reviewing and evaluating permit conditions; and ensuring compliance for a variety of projects. She has worked on many complex projects that require high levels of coordination to ensure that permit dependencies occur in the correct order and projects stay on schedule. Her project experience includes work on electrical transmission submarine cables, communications cables, and operations and maintenance for utilities, in addition to a variety of restoration, mitigation, shoreline protection, and sediment management projects. Anniken also has direct agency experience as a former staff member at a coastal development agency in California and has worked closely with other regulatory agency staff and resource specialists. As a Senior Planner/Project Manager, Anniken regularly assesses potential permitting pathways, opportunities to minimize permitting requirements, and manages project schedules. Anniken holds a Master of Science in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Anniken enjoys hiking with friends, gardening, and camping.

Kyle Rommel

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Kyle has more than 16 years of environmental consulting experience and a strong background in the analysis, mitigation, and regulatory compliance associated with subsurface impacts. He also specializes in permitting, compliance management, and the preparation of a wide variety of environmental documents.

Julia Norton

Senior Planner/Project Manager

Julia Norton has more than 8 years of experience in environmental planning, permitting, and resource management, including the preparation, review, and analysis of state and local discretionary permits; site review and project siting; environmental resource analysis deemed CEQA-equivalent by the State Natural Resources Agency; project management; presenting projects to state and local regulatory commissions; reviewing and evaluating permit conditions; and development of long-range policy documents. Julia has experience as a former staff member at a state coastal development agency in California and has worked with regulatory staff and resource specialists. Julia holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Minor in Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley. In her free time, Julia enjoys bicycling, hiking, skiing, traveling, and listening to live music with friends and family.

Mark Oates

Senior Biologist

Mark Oates has developed a diverse background in biological research and environmental compliance over the past decade; he has worked extensively in marine, estuarine, aquatic, and terrestrial systems throughout the contiguous United States. Since 2014, Mark has provided various services to construction clients as a contractor-supplied biologist in the form of pre-construction surveys, construction monitoring, water quality sampling, worker environmental awareness programs, natural resource protection plans, and a wide array of environmental compliance reporting. He is also proficient in the management and preparation of environmental documents that comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Federal Endangered Species Act, and California Endangered Species Act.

Matt Bristol

Senior Biologist

Matt Bristol has more than 10 years of experience in biological resource management with more than 6 years of experience in southern California. He has completed a wide range of biological field surveys, including desert tortoise, freshwater mussel, and rare plants. He has also planned and implemented restoration projects within arid lands and riparian habitat to support recovery of sensitive species. Having worked for multiple federal land management agencies, Matt is experienced in navigating both the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act during project permitting and implementation. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. In his spare time, Matt can be found surfing, birding, or hiking.

Zachary Leigh

Senior GIS Specialist

Zachary Leigh has spent more than 15 years working with geographic information systems (GIS). He specializes in creating custom geodatabases and map products suited for an array of business applications ranging from a single parcel to statewide projects. He has been involved with high-level GIS analysis projects, developing client relationships to provide superior GIS and land surveying services. His analysis was used to address environmental concerns and to create reports detailing the quantity of specialized material resulting in more precise bid submittals from contractors, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan impact maps, and environmental compliance maps. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon and holds a minor in biology. He currently maintains a security clearance from the Department of Defense.

Terry Wolverton

Senior Consultant

Terry Wolverton has more than 35 years of experience in electric distribution planning, electric and natural gas transmission line permitting, and land purchases for substation construction. Through his years of experience at Sierra Pacific Power Company and TransCanada, he became known for his hard work and team-building skills, while emphasizing respectful collaboration as a key component of building consensus with the many stakeholders involved in energy infrastructure projects. Terry held a Senior Right-of-Way Agent designation through the International Right of Way Association, for which he has been the Sierra Nevada Chapter 46 president twice. Terry and his wife live outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, and enjoy their children and grandchildren visiting their home as often as they can.

Matt Bley

Senior Consultant

Matt Bley has worked in the energy and environmental sectors for over 30 years. As a director for two major energy companies, he facilitated the approval of more than 130 capital expansion projects. As an assistant director and manager for two state environmental agencies, he oversaw the implementation of statewide programs, including watershed management, stormwater management, and land conservation easements. He is well-versed in project management, strategic planning, and regulatory guidance. As a Senior Consultant, Matt is instrumental in Insignia’s project permitting strategies and NEPA compliance, as well as assisting clients with energy projects authorizations. Matt has two degrees from the University of Maryland: a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Geography with a focus on Environmental Management and Planning. Matt lives on a small farm in Virginia and participates in various sports. 

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