The composition of our team is changing, and it’s a very bittersweet moment for all of us. Let me explain.

When Patrick McAtee joined our team over two and a half years ago, we knew it was temporary; we just weren’t sure how temporary. Patrick had just earned his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, and had returned to Omaha to begin his law career. We had an immediate need to fill a few gaps temporarily (Patrick started the day before my daughter was born) so we excitedly added him to the team.

Lo and behold, the market for sharp intellectual property and environmental law attorneys wasn’t quite what Patrick had hoped, so we’ve been blessed to have him with us far longer than we ever expected. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Patrick recently accepted a position with the United States Patent & Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. and will wrap up his time with Verdis at the end of June. His intellect, wit, and passion for our work will be deeply missed.

Don’t despair, friends in green. We have a plan.

First, it’s high-time that I introduce everyone to our newest associate, Sally Hopley, who joined us a mere four months ago. Sally comes to us by way of Chicago where she was working as a buyer for Whole Foods while finishing up her masters degree in Natural Resources from Virginia Polytechnic University. Her graduate degree combined with her International Studies undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha give her a great perspective for approaching our work. To date, she’s been a huge asset to the team and is involved with nearly all of our clients.

Next, I’m excited to announce that my good friend and co-owner, Daniel Lawse, will be leaving his position as the Assistant Director of Campus Planning and Sustainability at Metropolitan Community College (MCC), where he has helped MCC be a sustainability leader in our community and joining us full-time. I couldn’t be more excited to finally have Daniel thinking about and working full time on this exciting adventure we call Verdis. The talents, knowledge, experience and strengths he brings to our team and to our clients are exceptional, and we are all quite excited to begin fully integrating him into every project. Daniel will be joining us full time in the middle of July.

Finally, we are looking to hire a new senior associate. We’re growing, and we expect that growth to continue. Hiring someone new is always exciting as well as nerve-wracking, but I have a really good feeling that the next great Verdisian is out there, poised and ready to make a move. Download the job posting here.

There you have it! As they say, change is the only constant. We wish Patrick nothing but the best with his work in D.C. I am really excited for him and his opportunity to apply his engineering and law degrees. And we are excited to get Daniel, Sally and the next Verdisian rolling.