Foundation

As a nearly native Austinite, Joanna grew up hiking and swimming at Travis County Parks. Now she brings over 20 years of nonprofit management and program experience to the Foundation, including serving as the founding executive director of Shoal Creek Conservancy. She enjoys traveling, backpacking and adventuring with her husband and curious young son.

Amy was born and raised in Houston. After years of traveling to Reimers Ranch Park to rock climb, she decided to make Austin her home. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in astronomy education, outreach and night sky preservation, including leading programs for Reimers Observatory. Her background is in physics and astronomy, earth and space science education and geography. Her favorite place to be is outside in nature with her husband and 3 daughters.

Christy lives, hikes and paddles in Western Travis County. She was part of a team that ultimately created Reimer’s Ranch and has long been an advocate for parks, trails, and conservation easements. She founded the Hill Country Alliance in 2004 and spent four years working at Shield Ranch.

Born and raised in Austin, Jose spent much of his youth at Pace Bend Park and on Lake Austin launching his boat at the 360 boat ramp. Jose started his career in advertising, and founded Canales & Co, a branding agency in 2014. After working with Travis County Parks Foundation to build the brand, he joined the board as a director in 2022.

Deron frequently experiences the parks as a soccer player, hiker, runner, kayaker, and fisherman. He understands the balance of environmental stewardship and sharing nature's virtues with present and future generations. A 20+ year resident of Austin, Deron has split his IT career between wireless technology and public service.

Greg grew up in Texas and is an avid supporter of parks, open-space, and conservation efforts across Central Texas and the Hill Country. He, his wife, and two young daughters are frequent visitors to the parks of Travis County. In his role with J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank, Greg advises families and nonprofit organizations on a wide range of financial issues and is passionate in helping them achieve their goals.

David served as Travis County Attorney for 18 years before retiring in 2020. His service was marked with a priority for legal ethics, criminal justice reform, governmental transparency, and environmental protection including Hamilton Pool and the creation of the 30,000 acres, Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan.

John, his wife Ann, and their three grown children and three grandchildren regularly can be found walking, jogging and playing in local parks in Austin, NYC and Denver. John currently serves as a director of government affairs for Dell Technologies and previously practiced environmental law in Washington, D.C. and Austin and served in the Texas Governor’s Office and White House.

Reggie James, a veteran of the Navy Nuclear Submarine Service, worked as an administrative law judge in Texas’ Juvenile Justice system. He spent 25 years with Consumer Reports Advocacy becoming regional director after 10 years. He also led the Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club until retiring in 2019.

Kristin is the CEO and owner of ECPR Texas, a public relations firm that serves companies and organizations serving others. Because she spends many of her working hours indoors, she loves to spend time outside of work outside walking and hiking. Kristin’s favorite Travis County park is Northeast Metropolitan Park where she’s spent many hours watching her son play soccer.

Rudy is a Council Member for the City of Pflugerville. The son of Haitian immigrants, Rudy is the first generation in his family to graduate from college – and he has three degrees from UT Austin, including graduate degrees in law and public policy. He is an attorney with the firm of Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, is a tireless advocate in the community and serves on an amazing number of boards, has received many awards for his community and mentoring work, and is married and has three daughters.

Courtney has lived in Austin since 1997 and started her career in residential real estate in 2005. She has a strong connection with the parks as the outdoor lifestyle and quality of life afforded by our parks are critical to her clients and a huge factor in deciding to move to Austin. Courtney loves the outdoors and is a park super-user! Courtney is married to Brett and they have two children who love the outdoors and Travis County Parks.

Ronnye is the Chief Development Officer at Emory Oak Partners, leading business and organizational development efforts. She has a diverse career in government, corporate, and non-profit sectors, including roles as Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor. Ronnye has also served in higher education, notably as Chancellor of WGU Texas. She has been appointed to various boards and commissions and has received several honors. A native of El Paso, Ronnye holds a B.A. from the University of Texas and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She lives in Austin with her husband and four children.

Tamera brings over 25 years of IT experience to the board of directors after first becoming involved with TCPF as a dedicated volunteer. Inspired by the organization’s impactful work, she often lent her time tabling at various events and working alongside our partners. In her free time, Tamera enjoys the great outdoors, whether it’s hiking at Reimers Ranch or taking a refreshing swim at Bob Wentz Park. Her passion as a board member truly shines through her love of astronomy, especially through her involvement in TCPF’s Night Sky Programming.

Kaitlyn will graduate from UT Austin in 2025. She is majoring in urban studies and minoring in Economics and Landscape Studies. Her passion for Travis County Parks drives her commitment to making these vital spaces accessible to everyone. An avid park enthusiast, Kaitlyn loves exploring new parks, especially those that offer swimming opportunities.

Julia is a senior at the University of Texas with majors in Sustainability Studies and Geography, and minors in Business and Sociology. A Hill Country native, she is passionate about getting people outside and engaged with their local green spaces. When she is not exploring new hiking and running trails, Julia can be found reading or trying local restaurants.

Darren is a recent 2024 graduate from the University of Texas with a degree in Journalism. With a passion for environmental sustainability and a personal appreciation for urban parks, he is excited to promote the benefits of Travis County parks as our new marketing and communications intern. Darren can be found biking through our urban parks in the early mornings or playing some games of basketball at any available court.