Meet the CFM - Madeline Baker

Interviewed and Written by Kayla Kelly-Slatten, JD, CFM*

Fresh, spunky, kind, and approachable. Meet Madeline Baker, a civil engineer with a background in ecology and evolutionary biology helping to shape the future of floodplain management. From the Central Valley to Northern California, Ms. Baker has worked on a variety of flood projects, including those with habitat restorative benefits and valuable agricultural impacts. While she began her floodplain journey prior to obtaining her CFM, today Ms. Baker highlights the CFM as a conduit of compassion, using the accreditation to advise small-budget organizations and to advocate for diversity in the floodplain community.

After graduating from UC Merced in 2010, Ms. Baker worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service before spending some time in the biotech industry, neither of which felt like the right career path. Determined to find something meaningful and interesting, Ms. Baker began reading job descriptions and realized those that caught her eye required a civil engineering degree. So, naturally, Ms. Baker became a civil engineer. Although she had to make-up nine undergraduate courses and pass an additional ten graduate classes, Ms. Baker’s determination pushed her to complete her civil engineering degree from San Jose State in just two and a half years. This determination has carried over into her career as she began working within the floodplain community. Although empowered by her civil engineering degree and open to ideas and opportunities, not all firms she worked for pushed Ms. Baker to grow professionally. The Floodplain Management Association was an unknown organization to her, as was the Association of State Floodplain Management. Thus, when Ms. Baker had her daughter, she used it as a new chapter and took a job in Sacramento with a firm that encouraged her to participate in conferences, workshops, and professional development. It was here that a mentor guided Ms. Baker to her first FMA conference and encouraged her to sit for the CFM exam.

To Ms. Baker, the CFM exam brought together all aspects of the floodplain world, beyond that of engineering. Even with previous exposure to the various laws, regulations, and socioenvironmental components of floodplain management, the CFM exam enhanced Ms. Baker’s vision to a broader perspective. Ms. Baker continues to view her CFM as a window to opportunities, both for her and for her clients. These opportunities offer space to be creative, innovative, and collaborative in order to better address floodplain issues and concerns.

Currently, Ms. Baker represents the firm Larsen Wurzel & Associates as a project manager, overseeing the planning and implementation of flood-related projects, such as the Little Egbert Multi-Benefit Project. As the Assistant Secretary for the Joint Powers Agency (JPA) tasked with overseeing the Little Egbert Multi-Benefit Project, Ms. Baker relies on her experience and her CFM to make informed decisions regarding the habitat restoration planned for the western portion of the tract and the levee updates planned for the eastern portion of the tract.

With her background in both ecology and engineering, Ms. Baker has the technical knowledge and skillset to address the holistic vision of the Little Egbert project. However, her CFM allows her to view the project from a floodplain community standpoint, highlighting project opportunities and constraints both upstream and downstream from the tract. Moreover, Ms. Baker’s CFM grants her another tool when she speaks with landowners, community stakeholders, and local governments, all affected by the Little Egbert Project. While this project is made simpler by its single land owner, the vision of it, although logical, is complex, multi-pronged, and expensive. Thus, Ms. Baker needs to continue to push for collaboration and resources, using her expertise and certifications to advise the JPA and guide decision-making towards a successful multi-benefit outcome.

Between raising a family and balancing multifaceted flood projects, Ms. Baker’s time is precious. And yet, she finds the breadth to bring kindness and compassion to other aspects of the floodplain community. From sitting on FMA’s Emerging Professionals Committee to counseling short-staffed flood management organizations, Ms. Baker refines the meaning of the CFM accreditation. Yes, the CFM brings Ms. Baker confidence as she researches and responds to clients, but her CFM also gives her a voice to help bring more diversity and racial-bias awareness into the floodplain community. One by one, CFM to CFM, Ms. Baker communicates the importance of highlighting diversity in all aspects of floodplain management, from disaster response and recovery to inclusivity among the technical experts working on floodplain projects. The CFM should not be a door-closed for any, but an open door to all, presenting opportunities for growth and development, just like it did for Ms. Baker. 13