Experienced biological process expert joins ClearStream to expand biological treatment solutions and strengthen long-term customer support.
ClearStream Environmental is excited to welcome Kirsten Sims to the team as our new Biological Process Subject Matter Expert.
With approximately 15 years of experience in water and wastewater engineering, Kirsten brings a unique combination of expertise in biology, engineering, business, product development, fieldwork, and technology. At ClearStream, she will guide the growth and development of the company’s biological process portfolio, helping bring ClearStream’s existing biological capabilities together into a more focused and comprehensive group of solutions.
Interestingly, water and wastewater wasn’t originally where Kirsten planned to end up.
Both of her parents are water and wastewater engineers, and as Kirsten puts it, she was determined to do something different. She studied biology at Gonzaga University, following the pre-med track while also studying chemistry and philosophy. As graduation approached, however, she realized that neither a clinical setting nor laboratory research felt like the right fit. She pivoted into engineering, eventually pursuing a master’s degree in biological engineering.
While completing her graduate studies, Kirsten worked in orthopedics, became a licensed patent agent, and began an internship doing fieldwork at a local wastewater treatment plant. It was there that she discovered how much she enjoyed the holistic and environmental side of engineering—and remembered something her mother had once told her:
“Doctors save lives, but water and wastewater engineers save millions of lives.”
The idea stuck. Kirsten ultimately found herself building a career in the very industry she had once been determined to avoid. Today, she has approximately 15 to 16 years of experience in water and wastewater engineering.
For Kirsten, great engineering isn’t simply about providing a piece of equipment. It’s about understanding the larger problem a customer is trying to solve and anticipating what they’ll need well into the future.
“I like approaching every project as if I was the one buying it. I don’t want to just buy the thing that gets me through the next one, five or ten years. I want to be looking 15, 20, 30 years out.” — Kirsten Sims
That long-term perspective is particularly important in water and wastewater infrastructure, where the decisions communities make today can directly influence their ability to accommodate businesses, population growth, and future development. Kirsten is passionate about looking beyond the immediate need to create systems that support communities and make life easier for the operators responsible for keeping those systems running.
Jeff Easton has worked with Kirsten previously and sees her combination of technical knowledge and hands-on experience as an important addition to ClearStream. He describes her as an expert in biological processes with experience spanning engineering and design, pilot studies, troubleshooting, scoping, pricing, and product development. At ClearStream, that expertise will help expand biological offerings while supporting projects throughout the entire product lifecycle.
“She has this huge wealth of knowledge and experience. She’s very hands-on, smart as a whip, and an amazing asset for us as we expand our biological offerings.” — Jeff Easton
In her new role, Kirsten will help identify opportunities where ClearStream can address gaps in the market and emerging infrastructure needs. Her work will include portfolio management, product support and development, and helping create a cohesive experience between ClearStream’s internal teams, engineers, sales representatives, and end users. Her goal is to help ensure projects are well-planned, well-designed, well-implemented, and supported long after installation.
That commitment to long-term support reflects the kind of relationship Kirsten wants ClearStream to have with its customers.
“We want to be the first call when there’s a question, whether it’s programming, something mechanical, or maybe a future upgrade.” — Kirsten Sims
Kirsten will also play an important role in ClearStream’s commitment to mentorship and knowledge sharing. As ClearStream continues to bring together experienced industry leaders and a growing generation of talented engineers, the goal is not simply to add expertise to the company, but to pass that expertise forward.
With Kirsten’s multidisciplinary perspective, hands-on experience, and commitment to developing solutions around the complete needs of the customer, ClearStream is excited about what she will bring to the company’s biological treatment capabilities and the customers and communities ClearStream serves.
Please join us in welcoming Kirsten to the ClearStream team!