Environmental Solutions AQ, LLC (ENSOAQ) focuses on the protection of environmental resources in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and New Mexico. It is a woman- and minority-owned business, founded in 2010 by Monica Rakovan, Ph.D. A nine-year performance-based contract with the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center – to address the remaining environmental conditions at three Air Force installations in Ohio – jump-started the new business.

“Monica provided invaluable support in planning, scheduling, cost estimating, and providing sanity checks of proposed cleanup levels, exposure risk, and remedial technologies during her Air Force contract work. I found I could completely rely on her honest assessment of not only big picture strategies but also on which details were critical in overcoming obstacles and (often high profile).”

— J. Fringer, PE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Prior to founding ENSOAQ, Dr. Rakovan served as the Deputy Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences (now Institute for the Environment and Sustainability) at Miami University. During this time, Dr. Rakovan established the volunteer water quality monitoring program in Butler County; supervised water quality research projects in southwest Ohio; and taught graduate courses that included environmental assessments (Phase I/II due diligence), environmental sampling, watershed management, and water quality modeling.

Subsequently, Dr. Rakovan served as the Twin Creek Watershed Coordinator, a position funded by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and supported by Miami University. In this role, she facilitated community collaborations, developed a Total Maximum Daily Load nutrient plan for the watershed, and implemented conservation practices, especially to reduce nutrient pollution in Twin Creek and its tributaries.

Dr. Rakovan earned her Ph.D. in geology, hydrology, and geomorphology from Miami University in 2011.

ENSOAQ is certified by the state of Ohio as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) firm as well as US Small Business Administration as an 8(a) firm. The firm is also certified through the City of Cincinnati’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise program as a Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE).

To better serve its clients, the business recently opened a new headquarters in Hamilton County following 12 years of operating from Butler County. ENSOAQ also has branch offices in northern Ohio and central New Mexico.