This year, Dresdner Robin lost a beloved senior staff member and stakeholder, Geoffrey R. Forrest, LSRP, Director of Environmental Services. Having joined the company in 1996, the Australia native had over three decades of experience in the field of civil, geotechnical and environmental engineering. Geoff was a guiding force within the firm, serving as both a practitioner and mentor to staff at all levels.
Throughout his career, Geoff carried out numerous geological and environmental investigations for a wide range of projects – including hazardous waste sites, landfills, contaminated site assessments and brownfield redevelopments. He directed various privately funded projects involving soil and groundwater remediation.
A standout project includes the Ray and Joan Krocs Corps Community Center in Camden, NJ, where Geoff guided the city through the grant process and was instrumental in the project’s realization. The result was a thorough cleanup of a long-dormant landfill and a lifeline to impoverished and fractured families. The center provides social support, recreation and education.
Dresdner Robin President, Fred Worstell, noted, “Geoff’s efforts and demonstrated leadership within the key drivers of industrial site recovery and redevelopment across New Jersey were profound.”
Geoff also served as Treasurer of the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast (BCONE), which provides technical reviews for brownfield redevelopment projects in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Geoff was tasked with advising the board on expenditures, and left the organization in “great financial shape,” according to President Steve Jaffe. Geoff also enthusiastically supported BCONE’s Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop. His dedication to the coalition will not be forgotten, and a yearly award is being planned to commemorate his leadership and accomplishments.
Geoff will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.