Guest commentary: 50 years of giving back in Ventura County
By Crawford Coates
When Mohammed Hasan arrived at 24 years old in New York from what is today Bangladesh, the idea was to pursue a PhD at the University of Florida. But plans quickly changed when he discovered that a PhD in the United States is often associated with professorship.
“People kept saying to me, ‘So, you want to teach? You want to be a professor?’” But Hasan was clear, “I didn’t want to teach. I wanted to solve actual problems.”
After being accepted into a master’s program at the University of Iowa, Hasan decided to take a different path.
“It was exciting to arrive here. I had an open mind and could absorb a lot. I was interested in finding out and discovering whatever came my way,” said Hasan. “When you learn another culture, many people will judge it against their culture. But if you adopt a more open mind, you get to see it all.”
Hasan immediately took to Iowa. “It was cold in the winter and there was nothing to do but study. It was the best place for me,” he says. “I had only seen snow once before in my life before in my life.”
After earning two master’s degrees — one in transportation and another in environmental engineering — Hasan’s path took him westward still to transform this education into experience. After a brief stint at an engineering firm in Pasadena, he accepted a position with the Ventura Regional Sanitation District. So began 50 years of service to the County of Ventura.
A LIFE OF SERVICE
These have been fulfilling, busy decades for Hasan (he doesn’t particularly like or use the word “busy”). While at the Sanitation District, his team implemented the first solid waste management plan for the county. He then became, in 1979, the utilities superintendent for Water and Wastewater at the City of Oxnard.
“Mohammed thinks about the constituency. He really believes in what he does,” said John Zaragoza, mayor of Oxnard, who has counted Hasan as a friend for nearly 45 years — since the two were division heads for the city of Oxnard. “I know he’s very concerned right now about saltwater intrusion into Fox Canyon. That’s a big, long-term problem. But he’s out there sharing that information now. He knows tomorrow is just around the corner.”
Today, Hasan is an elected director at the United Water Conservation District in Oxnard, which is responsible for abating saltwater intrusion into Fox Canyon. He’s also an elected commissioner at the Local Agency Formation Commission for Ventura County (LAFCO), which oversees government boundary-making and orderly development. He is a co-founder of OceanForesters, an engineering firm looking to reduce the impacts of climate change by building coastal resiliency, as well as vice president of El Concilio Family Services, a nonprofit serving farm workers and those in need of citizenship services. He does all of this as owner of an engineering consulting firm, Hasan Consultants, which recently celebrated 40 years of business in Ventura.
His quest for knowledge and service continues. In May of this year, Hasan flew to Milwaukee to be awarded the BC.WRE, the highest post-license certification in water resources engineering accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Boards.
“I believe as human beings we aren’t very big in and of ourselves. Through our actions as organizations, we can have a much greater influence,” Hasan said.
LEARNING FROM HELPING OTHERS
Since his decision to focus his education on real-world social and engineering problems, Hasan has kept a steady focus on doing work that matters to him personally. This holds true both for his professional and philanthropic endeavors. Hasan notes there’s a difference between professional and volunteer work. One, for him, compliments the other.
“I get paid for my professional work. So I’m intense about it. Because I need to deliver what I say I’ll do. Nothing is smooth, you have to finish,” he says. “But with volunteer work I get to see the people I’m serving, and I have a bigger purpose to help them. When I serve, I learn. I give, but I get so much back. I have a quest to learn more in life.”
For Hasan, part of knowing himself and learning about the world comes from serving others.
“Mohammed leads with his heart,” said Ventura County Supervisor Janice Parvin. “I work with him on the LAFCO, and you always know he does his homework. He asks all the right technical questions. But it’s not just his expertise that brings people along with him. He really cares.”
This combination of technical expertise and passion for the work, said Parvin, is rare. “It’s why he’s a leader and mentor to so many in Ventura, both in and outside of government,” she said.
The reason for Hasan’s resolute focus on Ventura County for the last 50 years is simple.
“This is my home. If I need something – a favor, a question – I pick up my phone and I know who to call. That, and I love our weather,” he said.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION
He encourages people, especially young people, to get involved wherever they are. “Kids nowadays get lost,” he said. “It’s not their fault. There’s too much information and negativity out there. It’s hard to stay on the subject. I think the important thing is to channelize your efforts. One human can only do so much. Stay on your path.”
That path might be the family, or a city, county, state — even the entire globe. There are needs at every level, he says. For younger people, he asks: “Where in life are you? Have you been exposed to things? Find somebody you admire and shadow them.”
But, he says, work hard to avoid negativity. “Negativity can come from parents or teachers or friends. There are so many people who are negative about everything. If you find someone who lifts you up and inspires you, cherish that person. Smile within. Even for the little things, we must pat ourselves on the back.”
He adds that young people should spend an hour every day getting good at something.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Hasan, who walks most mornings around Surfer’s Point and Ventura promenade, doesn’t like to talk about his age. He loves to cook and share the fruits and vegetables he grows in his home garden. It seems as much a plan for achieving longevity as it is an approach to living a good and balanced life. “When I can no longer be helpful to others, this is when I will stop,” he said.
“When people are depending on you, you have to keep going,” he said.
Crawford Coates is the head of marketing at FirstWatch and author of Mindful Responder: The First Responder’s Field Guide to Improved Resilience, Fulfillment, & Presence — On & Off the Job.
