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.

Ailisha is a community-driven leader with a passion for farming, herbalism, and spending time outdoors. A graduate of Farmshare Austin, Ailisha has experience growing organic vegetables for local restaurants and working on farms across Central Texas. A certified herbalist and 200-hour trauma-informed R-YT, she also brings experience in community programming and nutrition education.

Daniela is currently a junior at UT Austin, studying public relations, and is originally from El Paso. When she's not studying, you can usually find her somewhere outdoors, trying new coffee shops, or exploring art museums around town. As the Communications Assistant, Daniela is excited to share the beauty, stories, and hidden gems of Travis County parks with the community.

Jose, a native Austinite, spent much of his youth at Pace Bend Park and on Lake Austin. He began his career in advertising and founded Canales & Co., a branding agency, in 2014. After working with Travis County Parks Foundation to build its brand, he joined the board in 2022.

Courtney has lived in Austin since 1997 and has worked in residential real estate since 2005. She brings a strong understanding of how access to parks and outdoor spaces shapes quality of life in the region and regularly highlights these assets for clients.

Deron is a longtime Austin resident with a career in IT spanning wireless technology and public service. He brings a strong understanding of systems, infrastructure, and public sector operations, along with a personal commitment to environmental stewardship.

David served as Travis County Attorney for 18 years before retiring in 2020. His tenure emphasized legal ethics, criminal justice reform, governmental transparency, and environmental protection, including work related to Hamilton Pool and the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan.

Christy lives in western Travis County and has long supported parks, trails, and conservation efforts. She was part of the team that helped create Reimers Ranch and founded the Hill Country Alliance in 2004. She previously worked at Shield Ranch.

Amy is a landscape architect who moved to Austin in 2013 and has been dedicated to protecting the region’s green spaces. She has worked on the planning, design, and construction of City of Austin parks and consulted across Texas on park funding, site development, and land stewardship.

John serves as Director of Government Affairs at Dell Technologies and previously practiced environmental law in Washington, D.C., and Austin. He has also served in the Texas Governor’s Office and the White House.

Jared has more than 20 years of experience in horticulture, construction, and outdoor planning. He is Director of Client Development at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture and is a strong advocate for parks and public spaces.

Rudy is a City Council Member for the City of Pflugerville and a leader in law, public policy, and community engagement. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law and is active in legal and civic leadership across the region. He holds three degrees from UT Austin, including graduate degrees in law and public policy.

Charlotte recently served as Chief Information Officer at Amplify Credit Union and brings more than 40 years of executive leadership experience across the financial industry. She is known for connecting strategy to implementation and mentoring others.

Reggie is a veteran of the Navy Nuclear Submarine Service and previously served as an administrative law judge in Texas’ juvenile justice system. He spent 25 years with Consumer Reports Advocacy and also led the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club before retiring in 2019.

Ronnye has held leadership roles across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She has served as Chief Development Officer at Emory Oak Partners, Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, and Chancellor of WGU Texas, and remains active in civic leadership.

Tamera brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology and first became involved with TCPF as a volunteer. She contributes both technical expertise and community engagement experience, with a particular interest in Night Sky programming.