Florham Park, NJ – Olga Abinader, Director of Environmental Review and Land Use Planning, (Matrix) was featured on ‘The Joy of Living’ hosted by Dr. Joy.

Abinader joined Dr. Joy to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month, and the vibrant and rich culture it celebrates. She spoke on her role in bringing more people of color and women to consider STEM as a career. “Representation matters…when others see people in leadership positions who look like them…it opens the door to pursuing those careers.”

She spoke about the mentors who helped her. In regard to when mentorship should begin she stated, “The younger the better…tell your children about your job…they’re going to see their mommy does this and therefore they can do it too.” In this way, the younger generation will not be stopped by the boundaries felt by those before them.

According to Jayne Warne, PE, Matrix President, “Olga is the personification of the wonderful role diversity plays at our company, in STEM fields and in the environmental industry across the board. She is definitely an inspiration to other young women who wish to pursue STEM.”

To listen to the segment, please click here: https://bit.ly/3XzAJ2F

About The Joy Of Living With Dr. Joy Show

Hosted by Dr. Joy, Episodes of “The Joy Of Living” provides practical advice on one of eight wellness elements: physical, mental/emotional, occupational, social, financial, environmental, intellectual, and spiritual.

About Olga Abinader

Olga Abinader, ENV SP, is the Director of Environmental Review at Matrix’s New York city office. Born in the Dominican Republic, Abinader emigrated with her family to Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1990s. Her family maintained strong connections to their Caribbean heritage by speaking only Spanish at home. As a fully bilingual English and Spanish speaker, Abinader translated for family and friends who had limited English skills. In 1999, Abinader assumed a leadership role in the “La Union Latina” organization, established in 1987 at Salem High School to celebrate Latin-American culture and traditions. In 2007, Hispanic Business Inc. recognized Abinader as a Winner’s Circle Scholar at the Hispanic Business’ annual Woman of the Year Awards event.

As the former Director of the Environmental Assessment and Review Division with the NYC Department of City Planning, Abinader led hundreds of active City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) applications to support transit-oriented growth, housing production and affordability, economic development and resilient and sustainable communities across NYC. Abinader received her Master of Urban Planning from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Brown University.

Over the course of her career, Abinader has been honored with numerous speaking engagements, awards, and recognitions, including: Guest Speaker on the ¿Que Pasa, NJ? PBS Talk Show (2022), LatinX Podcast with Randy Gomez (2022), and ‘The RNJ Morning Program’ with Host Bert Baron; the Manager of the Year Award (Joe Salvo Award) at the New York City Department of City Planning, New York, NY (2019); Scholarship Honor and Guest Speaker at the 5th Annual Hispanic Business Woman of the Year Awards, Las Vegas, Nevada (2007); Panelist Speaker at the New Jersey Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The Art of Being a Modern Latina Event, Lyndhurst, New Jersey (2022); and Podcast Guest and Committee Member for the “Today Is The Day Changemakers” organization, a global digital platform for leaders making a significant positive societal impact (2022).

Abinader was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as a ‘2022 Notable Hispanic Leader’ Honoree.

In 2023, Abinader was appointed to the Brown University Advisory Council for the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES). Founded in 2014, IBES is a thriving interdisciplinary Institute for climate, sustainability, and environmental education and research, achieving national and international stature as one of the top programs of its kind.

About Matrix New World Engineering

Matrix New World Engineering is a company of engineering and science experts who focus on some of the nation’s most pressing long-term challenges, including climate change, resiliency, ecological restoration, contamination studies, water supply, disaster response, and urban revitalization. Matrix believes solving environmental challenges through careful planning and engineering is an indispensable measure of success.

Matrix has offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, Louisiana, and Chicago, coupled with project experience throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

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