Worcester Business Journal

F O C U S OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN BUSINESS BY SARA BEDIGIAN Special to WBJ E mily Scerbo has dedicated her career to working with mu- nicipalities to protect citizens and local watersheds, all while paving the way as a leader for women in engineering. Scerbo joined engineering and envi- ronmental consulting firm Tighe & Bond in 2013 as a project manager, where she pitched her business plan to establish and grow the firm's municipal stormwater practice, all while juggling motherhood with two young children. Since then, she has become a vice president and technical director for the water business line, growing the stormwater practice by increasing municipal clients and the firm's team of project managers. "She's really figured out how we can best sort of capture this piece of the market and build a team around it to make it really successful at Tighe & Bond," said Tiffany Labrie, senior vice president and water business line leader at Tighe & Bond. "For the employees, [it is] a really awesome opportunity to work on her team and to serve this important environmental need in our region." Scerbo guides her team to work closely with each com- munity, creating programs to help their needs and challenges, includ- ing sampling water, helping governmen- tal entities to write local stormwater codes, and devel- oping operational and maintenance plans for drainage systems. "It's really making sure I'm there both for technical support but also mentoring, answering questions, taking them to client meetings, pushing them to do things that are maybe out of their comfort zone," Scerbo said. "It's been really rewarding to me to see the group grow." Scerbo strikes the perfect balance between business strategy and remaining people-oriented, said Labrie. She's not just thinking about the vision ahead, but prioritizing individual clients, meeting their needs where they are, and pro- viding her employees with professional opportunities. When Scerbo started her career more than 20 years ago, she said she had most- ly male mentors and leaders, and as she began leveling up to leadership roles, she saw fewer women. In the last few years, she has seen more women in the room, but equal representation is not there yet. "It's a long road, and I can see people get frustrated that the progress is so slow, but over a couple of decades, it's [been] a huge difference," Scerbo said. Scerbo spearheaded the supporting women employee resource group, with the ultimate goal of creating greater retention of women at Tighe & Bond as they progress through their careers. She organized round tables, discussing advo- cacy, professional conduct, and gender bias for both men and women. Now, she leads the diversity, equity and inclusion committee, which oversees all of the resource groups. "It is a game changer to have a venue for conversations about what it is to be a woman in this particular field," Scerbo said. When Scerbo started her career at Tighe & Bond, she was navigating motherhood with young children, as was Labrie, who began at the firm a few years before Scerbo did. For this reason and their similar background and experienc- es, they have always been drawn to each other as professional peers, Labrie said. Scerbo was a pioneer for working part time, which had generally been unheard of in consulting engineering, as the workload can be very demanding, said Labrie. "I was really excited that she was changing the game for working parents and the consulting engineering industry," Labrie said. "She was doing something new that folks hadn't done before, and not only was she doing it, but she was doing it successfully." Scerbo is an emerging leader in storm- water management in New England, frequently speaking at conferences and serving as a trainer at industry events. She is an active member of the New England Water Environment Association and has been invited to speak at con- ferences including the NEWEA Annual Conference in Boston and the Maine Stormwater Conference in Portland. She presented at the joint NEWEA and New England Water Works Association Young Professionals Summit in January. Emily Scerbo Vice president and technical director for stormwater management Tighe & Bond, in Worcester Residence: Westminster Education: Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from Tufts University How are things changing for professional women? Women have historically been underrepresented in the AEC industry, yet women at my company are in all of the places where decisions are made: in the board room, in the C-suite, on the senior leadership team, and leading key business initiatives. I do not take this for granted! This progress is the result of decades of persistence by those who came before me. Our industry is stronger when all voices are heard and everyone belongs. Scerbo leads the way for women in engineering 22 Worcester Business Journal | October 6, 2025 | wbjournal.com PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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