This month, we are thrilled to spotlight Claire Garvin, our Chief Operating Officer (COO), whose contributions have helped propel the growth of Hollaway to new heights.
Claire began her professional career in 2003 with a laboratory testing company, which helped her gain basic knowledge of state and local regulations. This position led to her first environmental consulting gig and, from 2005 through 2016, Claire worked as an environmental consultant supporting various projects and industries, including transportation, pipeline, power, infrastructure, and biological monitoring. This 11-year journey took her throughout the Gulf Coast to places like Houma, Louisiana; Lufkin, Texas; Pearl, Mississippi; and even north to Alaska and the Northern Lights.
In 2016, after getting her fill of muddy boots, bug bites, and miles of field work, Claire made a life-changing connection with Leslie Hollaway, who was at that time focusing on the company and building a strong foundation for growth and success across the region. The attraction of being part Hollaway, a woman-owned small business, was powerful. Claire joined the team as the Director of Environmental Services and led the environmental team through various projects, working with Harris County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas General Land Office, private developers, municipalities, and others. In addition to her role on the environmental team, she helped lead the communications side of Hollaway to deliver large-scale community engagement efforts in support of significant projects in the region. In 2018, Claire moved into an executive leadership role as Vice President and became COO shortly after.
“I was excited to connect with Leslie and hear about the vision she had for Hollaway and the future. I had so long been part of huge corporations, and I was ready to be part of something more intimate where I could see the impact in my community and make an impact myself.”
As COO, Claire plays a pivotal role in the success of Hollaway by focusing on growth, financial health, and efficient operations. Her organization skills, strategic thinking, and meticulous execution are instrumental in the company’s day-to-day operations. Throughout her career at Hollaway, Claire has consistently demonstrated commitment to Hollaway’s core values, vision, and mission. Her impressive track record includes:
- Joining Leslie Hollaway and Jennifer Smith in ownership of Hollaway
- Developing and implementing a Hollaway-specific Operations Manual, Safety Plan, and Crisis Management Plan to increase efficiency across departments
- Implementing new technology to better support Hollaway projects
- Completing the “Mini MBA Program” through Pepperdine - Graziadio Business School
- Obtaining the Society for HR Management People Manager Qualification
- Completing the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching Program
- Completing the Dale Carnegie Leadership for Managers course
Claire says, “Hollaway has created space for me (and all employees) to grow, develop, and perfect skills that are valuable not only to Hollaway, but to myself."
Outside of her professional accomplishments and work with Hollaway, Claire regularly participates in volunteer opportunities, including panel discussions with both the Girl Scouts and FIRST Robotics and helping with Blodget Urban Gardens (you can spot other Hollaway folks in the picture below). She also prioritizes time to visit one of her favorite places…the beach. Whether it’s that island south of the city or a coastline halfway across the world, she finds her happy place with her toes in the sand and the sound of waves in her ears.
We are so happy to have Claire as part of our wonderful team and are thankful for her unwavering dedication to our shared vision of success.
To learn more about Hollaway and our extraordinary team members, visit our website at www.hollawayenv.org.
