When Sarah and Curtis first joined CMS, a subsidiary of CWES, they were both entry-level environmental analysts learning the fundamentals of stormwater compliance. Today, Sarah is the company’s National Compliance Manager, and Curtis serves as Vice President of Operations, overseeing work in more than a dozen states.
Sarah and Curtis’s career paths debunk common myths and misconceptions about what it’s really like to work in the stormwater industry, proving that a career in this field is anything but ordinary.
Most people assume a career in compliance is dull, but Curtis has found the opposite. Even as Vice President, his role is highly dynamic and field-oriented. “Compliance never sleeps,” he says. “I’ve done this for over a decade now, and I still walk onto projects and wonder, how the heck did water do that?”
For Sarah, variety comes from traveling throughout the Southeast. She is part of a small group of professionals who hold a CPESC certification, which means no one else can perform the inspections she’s called out for. “This job is anything but boring,” she says. “No two days are the same because you’re always on different construction sites. Even the same project changes each time you’re there because things are moving so fast.”
Many assume a career in environmental compliance requires a certain degree or educational background, but Curtis explains why this isn’t the case: “No one graduates from college with knowledge in stormwater. That’s one thing I like about it because when we hire someone for an entry-level role as an environmental analyst, we can give them a knowledge base that not a lot of people have.”
Stormwater compliance isn’t all long days alone in the woods. As Curtis explains, it’s a human industry just as much as it is an environmental industry. “You need strong communication skills,” he says, “because you have to explain the importance of the work we’re doing.”
Sarah adds, “I’ve always considered myself an introvert. I thought I’d keep to myself and not have to talk much, but being in the stormwater field definitely brought me out of my shell. I’ve definitely become a more outgoing person because of this job. And that’s not just helped in my professional career, but in my personal life, too.”
Sarah and Curtis’s careers are proof that you can do meaningful work and build a future for yourself. “People think you can either do good or make money,” Curtis says. “But you can feed your family, pay your bills, and have a positive impact. That gets lost in translation for a lot of people.”
Sarah sees it, too: “A lot of people take clean water for granted. Being in an industry where I can help make it more accessible is fulfilling.”
But CMS proves that serious work can come with seriously fun rewards.
“It was clear from day one that CMS always puts people first,” Curtis says. “Even as we’ve grown, we still fly our staff out for a holiday party every year. We’ve gotten so big now that we have to host two parties, one in Colorado and one in Florida. It would be easy not to spend the money, but it’s something we’re really proud of. As the company has scaled, the values didn’t disappear.”
Sarah has felt the impact of this investment: “At the company party, there’s so much laughter going on that it’s infectious. I convinced everybody, including Jeff (CEO) to go to a karaoke bar. There’s not a lot of jobs where you want to continue hanging out with your coworkers like that. It makes my heart happy!”
But culture isn’t just holiday parties once a year — it’s about how you’re treated day in and day out. Both Curtis and Sarah have experienced the down-to-earth leadership that has rippled across the company.
After coming from a company where she was told to “care about people less” to move up, Sarah was drawn to CMS’s culture, which was more caring than cutthroat. “There’s a lot of mutual respect between all levels,” she says. “When I came in as a young analyst, there was never the feeling that my superiors were better than me.”
When it comes to how she gets her job done, Sarah says there’s a level of trust to do things your way: “I never feel like I’m being micromanaged. I’m encouraged to organize my tasks in a way that best fits my working style. There’s no right or wrong way to do things. There’s a big sense of trust.”
When it comes to culture, Curtis says, “There’s the industry standard and then there’s the CMS standard, and they are very different.” From hiring and promotions to benefits and continued education, CMS goes above and beyond to hire the right people and treat them right.
To keep the culture as positive as it is, good character is a big consideration in hiring and promoting. “We look for two things in a candidate: they need to be smart and they need to be a good person,” Curtis says. “We can develop the skills in between.”
Sarah agrees: “Stormwater can be taught, but you want people who have passion, kindness, and drive. Those qualities can’t be taught.”
Good character can get your foot in the door, and advancement is earned as fast as you’re willing to learn and grow. “After about five months with the company, I got my first promotion — way quicker than I expected,” Sarah recalls. “They made it clear they were growing and new opportunities would come up, so I took advantage.”
Curtis has seen the same pattern company-wide, citing their promote-form-within policy: “When we move into new areas, we ask our own staff if anyone wants to be the new area manager. Opportunity is yours for the taking.”
Curtis speaks proudly about the benefits CMS is able to offer. “On day one, we provide everyone with a company vehicle they can take home. That is not industry standard.” In an industry that typically pays hourly, he adds, CMS “guarantees a 40-hour work week even if hours are low” and pays overtime.
Sarah says the company’s insurance offerings are only getting better, too. “Our 401(k) gets matched immediately — there’s no waiting period. CMS always says our mental and physical health is more important than our job, and they back it up. We even have pet insurance!”
CMS invests heavily in professional development and continued education, from company-wide participation at the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) conference, to the Environmental Permitting Summer School Sarah has attended for the past three years. “You get to immerse yourself in an environment where the common goal is to improve compliance and the environment,” she says. “As a fairly young professional, it’s great to learn from folks who have been in the field for 20+ years.”
CMS also offers its employees the opportunity to elevate their value through a first-of-its-kind partnership with EnviroCert, the gold standard in environmental and stormwater certifications.
Sarah has fielded multiple job offers from clients but remains committed to CMS: “The people and the potential keep me here. I probably wouldn’t have reached the level of National Compliance Manager, as quickly as I did, anywhere else.”
CMS produces some of the most highly sought-after professionals; yet, they choose to stay because of the positive culture, purpose-filled work, advancement opportunities, and great benefits.
If you’re looking for your next career opportunity, visit cwes.com/careers to see open positions across all CWES brands.
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