The SDG&E Green Team educates and empowers employees to be environmental stewards at home, work, and in their community while helping us meet our company sustainability goals. Learn more about the work this team leads thanks to stand-out Green Team members like our Senior Environmental Specialist Shannon Foglia. 

Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at SDG&E? 

My name is Shannon Foglia and I’m a Senior Cultural Resources Specialist in our Environmental Services Department. I have been with the company for over five years, primarily working on Wildfire Mitigation programs, such as strategic undergrounding, electric system hardening and vegetation management. My role requires me to screen dirt disturbing projects to minimize impacts to and help avoid archaeological sites or fossils. This includes supporting projects from start to finish by providing design guidance and constraints and having contractors in the field during construction where needed. My team helps SDG&E be a positive environmental steward by protecting non-renewable resources. 

I grew up in San Diego, CA and went to UCSD for my undergraduate degree. Then, due to my love of travel, decided to move to England to study Roman Archaeology on the British frontier to earn my master’s degree. Afterwards, I moved back to San Diego and started my career as an archaeologist focusing on Native American and Californian archaeology. I am still passionate about Roman archaeology and last summer, I was able to complete a bucket list item by volunteering at a field school in Pompeii. I worked at the site for two amazing weeks. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, traveling, walking with my husband and my dogs, reading, and studying Italian. 

Why do you care about sustainability? 

I have always loved nature and feel that spending quality time in the great outdoors does wonders for your health and mindset. Some of my favorite vacations have included visiting earth’s natural wonders, such as Iceland. Being interested in sustainability and climate change helps me protect nature for future generations. 

What prompted you to get involved in the SDG&E Green Team?  

I joined the Green Team when I was still fairly new at the company. I wanted a way to network with individuals that were not in my department and broaden my horizons on different environmental topics. It also aligned with my position at SDG&E in Environmental Services, so I thought it was a great professional opportunity as well. 

What is one of your favorite activities with the Green Team? 

The annual Earth Day Fair is always a highlight for me. I love seeing all the booths, especially the animals. My favorite was meeting a sloth in person. During COVID we could not have our normal Earth Day Fair. However, we did have a native plant give away outside of our office. People that signed up to receive a plant could drive up to our booth and we put their chosen native plant in their vehicle. It was a great time for me to see more people in person after so long and I learned more about a few native species. 

What advice could you offer others on making more sustainable choices at work or at home? 

I have been focusing on reducing food waste at home. I do this by making a weekly menu for groceries so that no ingredients go to waste. If I’m buying something extra, I make sure to freeze it, so it does not spoil. Also, this allows me to do grocery shopping once per week, saving car trips!