About Us

Integrated Solutions for Complex Challenges

Ceto is a climate-focused boutique consultancy offering pragmatic, interdisciplinary insight to help clients navigate complex planning, policy, and infrastructure challenges. We believe a flexible, systems-based approach is essential. It allows us to understand the issues communities face today and to evaluate the full range of impacts that potential solutions may create. Our work integrates economic, physical, and social dimensions, with a strong focus on environmental justice, to support outcomes that are resilient, equitable, and grounded in real-world context.

Our Story

Ceto grew from a shared commitment to bridging the gap between science, economics, and policy in the face of increasingly complex coastal and environmental challenges. What began as a focused effort on coastal access and economic valuation has evolved into a broader practice that supports interdisciplinary problem-solving across climate resilience, land use, infrastructure, and equity.

Our team brings together expertise in coastal science, economics, environmental planning, and public policy. We are united by a belief that real solutions must account for both technical realities and human impacts. We care deeply about protecting coastal environments and expanding public access, while also recognizing the tradeoffs and constraints that shape decision-making. That balance of values and pragmatism defines our approach to every project.

The Team

Dr. Phil King

Co-Founder | Principal Economist

Dr. Phil King is a founding partner of Ceto Consulting and serves as Principal Economist and Policy Advisor. He brings decades of experience in coastal economics, fiscal policy, and benefit-cost analysis, with a focus on how federal and state programs impact local governments and communities.

Phil’s work spans shoreline management, infrastructure valuation, and regulatory compliance. He has advised agencies at all levels of government, published widely in peer-reviewed journals, and contributed to policy decisions through clear, data-driven analysis.

He is also Professor Emeritus of Economics at San Francisco State University, where he served as Department Chair and led the university foundation’s fossil fuel divestment strategy. His work reflects a deep commitment to rigorous, practical solutions that serve both communities and coastlines.

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Sarah Jenkins

Co-Founder | Principal Consultant

Sarah Jenkins is a founding partner of Ceto Consulting and serves as Principal Consultant and Operations Lead. She specializes in environmental economics, infrastructure policy, and climate adaptation, with a focus on translating complex data into clear, actionable guidance for public agencies, legal teams, and planning partners.

Sarah leads many of Ceto’s valuation and benefit-cost modeling efforts, including shoreline protection, stormwater infrastructure, and coastal access equity. She also oversees project operations and coordination across interdisciplinary teams, ensuring that every deliverable is both rigorous and grounded in real-world decision-making.

Her work reflects a commitment to practical, equitable solutions that balance environmental, economic, and community priorities.

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Dr. Kiki Patsch

Co-Founder | Principal Scientist

Dr. Kiki Patsch is a founding partner of Ceto Consulting and serves as Principal Scientist. She brings deep expertise in coastal science, climate adaptation, and environmental planning, with a focus on connecting scientific research to real-world policy and infrastructure decisions.

Her work spans shoreline change, sediment budgets, sea level rise impacts, and the physical consequences of coastal development. At Ceto, she leads the firm’s analysis of geophysical processes and helps clients understand how coastal hazards intersect with planning, regulation, and community resilience.

Dr. Patsch is also a Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University Channel Islands. She earned her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied under Dr. Gary Griggs. Her work reflects a commitment to science that is clear, applied, and accessible.

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Our Clients

Ceto Consulting partners with state agencies, local governments, regional coalitions, law firms, land-use attorneys, NGOs, and public interest organizations on projects spanning climate resilience, economic valuation, coastal planning, and policy analysis.