Sarah Visser
Leading Georgia’s Land Protection Efforts

By Angela Holland
Sarah Visser has been fortunate to experience a wide range of job titles throughout her 20-year career. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Sarah joined the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. In 2016, when I took on the role of President, Sarah was serving as the Executive Director of Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, and I assumed the board position vacated upon Jim Tudor’s retirement.

Shortly thereafter, Sarah was offered a new opportunity that would stretch her talents and broaden her knowledge. She joined the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD)’s Land Protection Branch as the Assistant Branch Chief. Today, she serves as the Branch Chief of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources Land Protection Division, overseeing programs related to solid waste, recovered materials and abatement (tires and asbestos), underground storage tanks, and hazardous waste—a wide variety of environmental issues now part of her impressive résumé.

In her current leadership role, Sarah is deeply focused on collaboration and education—key themes that have followed her throughout her career. She believes that partnership with the regulated community is essential to protecting Georgia’s environment.

“Our goal is compliance rather than enforcement,” she explains. “The rules and regulations are important to keep people and the environment safe, and as underground storage tank owners and operators, you are our partners in helping to keep your community healthy. How can we help you comply? We’re very interested in your feedback. We’d love to go on all inspections and find every station in compliance!”

That focus on partnership extends to associations like the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS), which represents many of the tank owners and operators her team works with. Sarah and her staff have been expanding outreach and offering new ways to help businesses stay informed and compliant.

“One area where we’ve been trying to help is annual tank registration,” she says. “In addition to a hotline, we’ve been offering in-person opportunities to get the help you need. If you’d like to attend an in-person event, please email [email protected]. Are there other training opportunities that we can offer? Let us know.”
Let’s learn a little more about Sarah and her journey.
 
Angela Holland: Tell us a little about your career path.

Sarah Visser: While getting my Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Georgia, I was fortunate enough to intern at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in what was then the Office of Waste Management (later to become the Office of Environmental Management). I was hooked on the combination of environmental work and supporting local governments.

When I graduated, DCA was hiring, and I went back and joined the Keep Georgia Beautiful (KGB) program. I loved coordinating special events for KGB, including the Bring One for the Chipper Christmas Tree Recycling Program and the Great American Cleanup. After a few years, I transitioned into the role of Education Coordinator and did board training for our affiliates, teacher training, and coordinated the Children’s Water Festival. DCA went through some restructuring during the 2009 economic downturn, and I spent a brief but wonderful time at the Georgia Forestry Commission coordinating a tree planting program for North Georgia communities. I still get excited when I drive through places like Jefferson and Rome and see those trees growing and providing benefits for their communities!

In 2011, I returned to Keep Georgia Beautiful as the first Executive Director for the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. A public/private partnership, the Foundation is an independent nonprofit housed at DCA. My role was focused on supporting the largest local Keep America Beautiful affiliate network in the country, helping develop new affiliates and helping our affiliates thrive by providing training and grant opportunities. I was so lucky to be supported by the best board while I was there, including you, Angela! I also had the opportunity to develop professionally in that role, serving on the National State Leaders Council for Keep America Beautiful, on the Keep America Beautiful Board, and participating in the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. It was that last opportunity that led me to my current role at EPD.

When a member of my IGEL class left her position as the Assistant Branch Chief for Land Protection at the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), she suggested I apply. I was deeply passionate about the work I was doing at Keep Georgia Beautiful, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the opportunity to work on a wider range of environmental issues and to influence state environmental policy.

I came to EPD in 2017, and it was a huge learning curve. While I was relatively familiar with the solid waste programs, hazardous waste was completely new to me. It was exciting and challenging to catch up to speed on those programs. The Land Branch covers a tremendously diverse group of environmental issues, and each day brings new challenges as we look for effective and creative solutions. In May of 2025, I was promoted to Branch Chief, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to settle into that role.

AH:What's made you so passionate about environmental issues?

SV: I was an accidental convert to environmental work. Initially, I planned a career in human services; the internship at DCA was critical in putting me on a different path. That said, when I look back, the seeds of my future career were there all along. I loved exploring nature as a child, and my family was committed to reuse and recycling. In my current role, finding solutions that allow sites to move forward while being protective of human health and the environment is really motivating to me. Our work touches every Georgian, and that is such a privilege.

AH: What made you want to work for the State?

SV: I’ve always been drawn to public service. Working with Keep Georgia Beautiful and the Georgia Forestry Commission gave me an understanding of the differences between levels of government. State government has the benefit of being able to affect policy but still be close enough to the action to see the difference you’re making in communities.

AH: What are the skills you honed at KGBF that prepared you for a role in Georgia's government?
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SV: I have been incredibly lucky in my career; I’ve loved each job and had the opportunity to do meaningful work that makes a difference in each role I’ve had. They’ve all brought new challenges and taught me new technical skills, but there have been some important through lines. Partnerships have been at the center of every role I’ve had, and providing meaningful stakeholder involvement is very important to me and something we’re actively working on in the Branch.

Communication and education have always been central to my work as well, whether that was giving teachers classroom tools or helping legislators understand technical issues impacting our environment. Identifying key priorities, strategic planning, and process improvement are all important skills that I’ve practiced along the way and use daily in my current role.

​AH: When you took on the Branch Chief role, did you feel prepared for it?

SV: I did. I spent about eight years as the Assistant Branch Chief, and in our Branch, the assistant and the chief work very closely together; it helped to make for a smooth transition.

AH: What do you like best about the role?

SV: The people. I can’t say enough good things about our Land Branch staff; they are incredibly bright and dedicated people. Working in state government can be tough, especially when it comes to salaries. We struggle to compete with other sectors and even other levels of government. I work with the smartest people I know, and they choose to be here because they are committed to making a positive difference in our state. It is a joy and a privilege to work with them.

AH: What have you worked to change in the Branch?

SV: The Land Branch was on a strong trajectory when I stepped into this role, so much of my effort since May has been about continuing that work. We’ve had a great deal of turnover in the last several years—more than 60% of our Branch since 2019. Staff training is critical, and we’ve been working to ramp up those efforts. We’re also working hard on improving and standardizing our stakeholder efforts across the Branch. Look for us to provide more opportunities to meet and discuss critical issues, as well as using technical advisory committees made up of government, nonprofit, and industry representatives to help draft guidance documents. Input from the regulated community and practitioners is critical to ensure that we have the full picture.

“Thank you for the opportunity to share a little more about what we do! Reach out to me anytime at [email protected] or (470) 725-9216.”
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