While just about everyone in the Clarke family chose West Virginia University, Jamison Clarke took a different route by attending James Madison University. Two experiences during his college years crystallized his passion for bettering the environment.

A five-week study-abroad summer program in Tanzania introduced him to the environmental issues in that region, while he learned a little Swahili. Jamison returned to complete an internship in Harrisonburg with the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Conservation District, which finds resources to help property owners avoid fines for environmental violations.

Jamison embraces a solution-based approach to tackling problems, which led him to join ONE Environmental Group in 2019. He conducts site assessments, drafts spill prevention and countermeasure plans for oil facilities and writes stormwater prevention programs for clients. Last fall, he started a project that took him to one of the least populous areas in the Commonwealth, Covington. That’s where Jamison collaborated on a two-year study that focused on water quality testing.

“I was up there three nights a week last fall and this fall,” he says. “That was really interesting, being able to be out on the river every day.” In his spare time, the Richmond native plays volleyball and basketball. One day he hopes to own a bunch of animals, but for now, he’s dedicated to just one — his cat, Maeve.