Alicia Rusthoven
Native Horticulture Coordinator

Alicia is a native Austinite, a recent graduate from The University of Texas with a degree in Environmental Science, and a Master Naturalist. While at UT, she worked with the Campus Environmental Center and led a student-run farm. It was there that she found her passion for connecting people to the outdoors and to their food systems, something she wishes to carry out at Pease. In her free time, she enjoys biking, reading, camping, and making collages.

Allison Johnson
Director of Community Engagement

Allison Johnson fell for Austin when she arrived here to obtain her MBA from the University of Texas and became committed to the nonprofit community over the next 10 years while working in marketing and communications at Generation SERVE. Allison is thrilled to help our community members connect with nature, right here in the middle of the city, in all of the ways that keep us healthy and connected - through play, reflection, volunteerism, and learning.

Email: allison@peasepark.org

Bret Kiester
Director of Park Operations

Bret comes to Pease Park Conservancy with 20 years of operations experience in the nonprofit sector. Before joining the conservancy Bret spent the past 12 years serving as a Center Executive for the YMCA of Austin in Hays County. In addition, Bret has served his community as the Board Chair of the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce, member of Hays CISD Student Health Advisory Council, and has served on several city of Buda commissions. Bret volunteers as a Project WILD educator for Texas Parks and Wildlife and loves our state parks. Bret is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a degree in Public Administration, married, and has two boys.

Chuck Smith
Chief Operating Officer

Chuck Smith is a fifth generation Austinite, who understands the importance of Austin's park system as a vital component of what makes Austin special. He has been an integral part of the Conservancy since 2019, serving as Chief Operating Officer during which he has overseen the successful implementation of the award-winning Kingsbury Commons project, guided programming efforts, and stewarded the organization’s partnership with the City of Austin. With his extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, including a notable tenure as CEO of Equality Texas, Chuck brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to the Conservancy’s mission. He enjoys the hike & bike trails and shares his home with his Great Dane, Cleo.

Email: chuck@peasepark.org

Dalton Smith
Park Operations Coordinator

Born in Round Rock and raised in what was a small town of Liberty Hill, Dalton, with his family, volunteered in Pease Park and throughout Austin which gave him a greater appreciation for the outdoors as well as his community. Dalton prefers the physical aspects of the work to that of a typical desk job, and takes immense pride and joy in his ability to maintain, facilitate and regulate aspects of Pease Park. Dalton is certified in basic life support and first aid through the American Heart Association and is a certified Landscape Irrigation Technician. He is also certified in Pool & Spa operations through the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance. He has completed the Landscape Water Budgeting course through the Texas A&M School of Irrigation. On his off days you will find him hiking the trails in Austin or soaking up the sun in one of the many local swimming holes.

Della Orr-Harter
Development Coordinator

Della, an eighth-generation Texan, is returning to Austin after completing a service year with AmeriCorps in southern California. Her love for the outdoors began at a young age, and she cherished the opportunity to live just a block away from the ocean. During her time there, she engaged in various outdoor activities, from snorkeling with sharks to whale watching, car camping, beach cleanups, surfing, and innumerable beach walks. Eager to be closer to her family and pursue a career centered around conservation, Della is thrilled to return to her home state of Texas. Raised in a family deeply committed to nonprofit work, she feels a natural calling to dedicate her career to meaningful causes. Recognizing the urgency of addressing climate change, Della is determined to make a positive impact on our planet. With her return to Austin, Della is excited to re-engage with the vibrant rhythm of the city and contribute to the ongoing efforts in conservation and environmental stewardship.

Jordan Fuhrer
Chief Revenue Officer

Jordan is a Virginian turned Texan. Somewhere in between, she graduated from the University of New Hampshire and moved to Austin sight unseen, the city captured her heart instantly. She has dedicated her career to making a difference for the lives of community members and is eager to bring a decade of nonprofit development experience to Pease Park Conservancy. Jordan has a natural passion for fundraising and for fostering meaningful relationships in support of an organization's mission. No matter where she has lived, she has always found her way to the nearest park. She believes parks play a crucial role in bringing people together and in shaping communities for the better. In her free time, Jordan enjoys exploring Austin (bonus points for dog-friendly spaces), finding new running routes, and paddle-boarding with her husband and their dog, Charlie Jo.

Luis Ortiz-Colon
Park Programming Coordinator

Luis was born in Puerto Rico but has been in Austin most of his life. He has been visiting Pease Park for years, and is a recent graduate of UT Austin with degrees in Sustainability Studies and Geography. Having interned with the Conservancy previously, he is excited to be working for the organization full time toward its mission to promote inclusivity, community, and sustainability. He enjoys observing nature, learning about human-environmental dynamics, hiking, swimming at Barton Springs Pool, and visiting the beach as often as possible.

Marrisa Bandera
Park Operations Tech

Marrisa Bandera grew up in Austin, Texas. She is excited to be part of the Conservancy, where she can spend time working outdoors and learning about plants, trees, animals, and other wildlife. Her favorite season is spring. She finds hard work rewarding both personally and visually. Marrisa is CPR and First Aid certified. She holds a certificate from the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association as a certified Landscape Associate.

Merly Gomez
Park Operations Tech

A native Latina Texan, Merly was mostly raised right here in Austin. In the summer of 2021 Merly completed a 6 month certification in the rigorous Texas Conservation Corps program. This public service work involved heavy duty trail repair and camping out in nature, her favorite part. The experience led Merly to an even greater appreciation of nature and parks. Merly studied for a Geographic Information Systems Level 1 Certificate so that she can dedicate her growing career to parkland geography. When not at work, Merly loves outdoor activities such as hiking, paddle boarding, and camping.

Mike Harris
Director of Finance

Mike obtained a B.S. in engineering and an MBA and applied those degrees to his initial career in marketing and operations for the semiconductor manufacturing and defense industries. Longing for more purpose, Mike recently pivoted and obtained a Technical Accounting Certificate from ACC with the goal of utilizing these skills for a community-minded organization. Mike is excited to bring his analytical and data driven skillset to the team at Pease Park Conservancy. The ability to assist in creating outdoor recreation opportunities in an urban park through the work of finance and accounting makes for a seriously interesting experience. Mike grew up in Virginia, moved to Austin 25 years ago, and enjoys running, backpacking, and science fiction.

Email: mike@peasepark.org

Nicole Netherton
Chief Executive Officer

Nicole is a Houstonian who found her spiritual home in Austin during her time at The University of Texas at Austin, but she also lived in (and loved) New York City in the early 2000s. Nicole entered the nonprofit world in 2016 after being inspired by a life-changing trip to Antarctica: seeing the fragile ecosystem 7,000 miles from home sparked a shift toward environmental work. Before that, she had a 15 year career in marketing for a book publisher, and her professional background is in development, marketing, and management. Her professional passions include protecting wildlife and native ecosystems in Central Texas, increasing equitable access to nature, and mentoring women toward conservation careers. She excited to be a steward of a place that is so important to Austin’s past, present, and future, both for people and for nature.

PAX
Pease Park Conservancy Mascot

PAX is our friendly neighborhood squirrel and a resident of Pease Park. Pax values sustainability, environmental stewardship, and is an ambassador for accessibility to the outdoors. As an eastern grey squirrel, PAX enjoys the dense canopy at Pease Park and can even be seen making an appearance at some of our community events.

Annie Linebarger

Annie was born and raised in Austin and attended high school in Bonners Ferry, Idaho where she developed a love of nature, hiking, and camping. She attended UT Austin (Hook-em!) and rowed for Texas Crew, then studied abroad in Sydney, Australia for a year. After receiving her B.S. in Biology in 2008, she backpacked around the world, then spent several months in West Africa volunteering at a hospital. In the spirit of adventure, she settled back in Sydney for medical school where she lived before moving back to Texas and completing Family Medicine residency in Galveston.

Annie is passionate about preventative and integrative medicine, mindfulness/meditation, and educating patients on the importance of mental health in relation to physical well being. She and her husband, Jason, have three children, Twila, Wesley, and Wyatt.

Bailey Harrington

Bailey has over 15 years of entitlement, design, permitting, and construction support experience spanning over $1.5 billion in real estate development projects, and prior to moving to Austin was a commissioned Engineer Officer in the U.S. Army serving a year-long deployment in RC(S) Afghanistan. Bailey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), and Leadership Austin.

Carrie Hicks
Development Committee Co-Chair

Carrie Hicks grew up in Southern California and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in economics before pursuing interior design in New York and LA. Eventually she and her husband, Robert, found their way to Austin (spoiler: he’s from Austin) and currently live with their three children and one dog just steps from Pease Park. Carrie feels strongly about supporting Austin’s public green spaces as well as fostering community through educational outreach and engagement.

Catherine Lucchesi
President

Catherine has a lifelong passion for connecting diverse leaders and communities through movements. A graduate of NYU and McCombs School of Business, she has over 8 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. During her career she organized citywide programs serving over 110,000 people and raised over $57 million for the Austin community. Passionate about building equity in green spaces and conservation, she is committed to supporting the future of Pease Park. Catherine is a Young Patron of Yellowstone Forever and chair of Austin Speech Labs OWAAT committee. She and her husband, Tucker, enjoy long walks in the park with their dog, Louis.

Charlton Lewis

Charlton is a Senior Lecturer and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, where he earned a Post-Professional Master and a Bachelor of Architecture. He has taught continuously at UTSOA since 2006, in design and construction courses, and in seminar courses such as Race and Gender: By Design, which examines the relationship of design relative to narratives of race, gender, equity, and diversity. Over the last several years he has served in various service capacities on both UTSOA and university levels, including as Co-Chair of the UTSOA Committee of Diversity and Equity, and on the University’s Graduate Education Task Force. He is currently the faculty liaison for the UTSOA chapter of NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architecture Students), and a faculty representative for the Design Futures Public Interest Design Forum. He is also currently serving as the Educator member on the Texas Society of Architects, and on the University’s Faculty Advisory Committee on Budgets.

Diana Anzaldúa

Diana Anzaldua is a first gen psychosomatics therapist dedicated to embodied trauma alchemy. She is the founder of the award winning health and wellness centers; Austin Trauma Therapy Center and Contigo Wellness. Diana is a social change activist and influential leader in community-organized mental health equity and reform in historically marginalized communities. Her vision of decolonized healing and anti-oppressive trauma-informed leadership create safe spaces for other survivors to grow, embrace their resilience, and heal; in-community with others. She is passionate about the connections between healing and nature and sees parks as an essential component of mental health and wellbeing.

Gerardo Gandy

With a well-cultured background in architecture, interior design, and brand strategy, Gerardo works with some of Austin’s largest developers. He is on the front lines of creating the vision for how the urban, cultural, and architectural landscape is transforming in Austin. As a member of the steering committee for Gensler’s Community Impact Program, Gerardo helps steer the firm’s vision for community impact by focusing efforts and resources on initiatives ranging from non-profit collaborations, mentorship programs, and community engagement events. Gerardo was named the 2018 Associate Member of the year by the AIA Austin and is the recipient of the 2020 Austin Under 40 Awards in the category of Architecture, Construction, and Engineering.

John Donisi
Vision Plan Implementation Committee Chair

John Philip Donisi is an attorney and civic volunteer. He has served in leadership roles for various nonprofits, including Preservation Austin, Envision Central Texas, and the Heritage Society of Austin. He and his family reside in the Snead-Rieck House, overlooking Shoal Creek and Live Oak Meadow.

Katharine Wilson Bayer
Board Past President

Katharine Wilson Bayer is a designer based out of Austin. She can often be found in one of her hometown parks, marveling at the peace and openness of greenspaces. Her objective at the conservancy is to creatively approach solution making and expand understanding of the park's resources while remaining aware of context, consequence, and value. Her framework​ for understanding is influenced by aesthetic theory, creative cultural activism, literature and its relation to landscape, and capacity building through community involvement. With delight and itchy curiosity, she strives toward constructing landscapes that enrich and enliven.

Laura Billings Key
Board President Elect

Laura Key, a native of Louisiana, has a deep love for the outdoors. Her time spent living in San Francisco and New York City, where she frequented Golden Gate Park and Central Park, deepened her appreciation for the vital role green spaces play in shaping great cities. Now in Austin, she's passionate about preserving the city's first and oldest park, Pease Park, where she cherishes the unique flora and fauna it supports. Laura, along with her husband Garrett, their two children, and their dog Stevie Licks, can often be found enjoying and staying active in Pease Park.

Mary Tipps

Mary has been walking the trail at Pease Park since college. She lives in Old Enfield and can be found most weekends at the park walking her dogs.

A Houston native, Mary has a degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas. She currently is the Executive Director of a statewide advocacy association.

Previously to the Conservancy, Mary served as Board Chair for Dress for Success and volunteered with the Austin Children’s Shelter in addition to being on it’s Board of Directors.

Melissa Sarkar
Treasurer Finance Committee Chair

Melissa brings more than 25 years of diverse operational experience including managing both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. She spent 20 years with Busch Entertainment Corporation culminating in her role as Vice President of Operations. After meeting her husband in 2007, she decided to hang up her theme park hat and moved to Austin.

She is excited about the energy Pease Park Conservancy brings to reimagining what a city park can provide to the surrounding community.

Micah King

Micah is a shareholder at Winstead. He focuses on land use and real estate development, as well as governmental affairs, with an emphasis on local government. Micah regularly represents clients before city councils, boards, planning and zoning commissions, and other governmental bodies. Previously, Micah served as an Assistant City Attorney to the City of Austin. A Texas native, he earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

Michelle Strauss
Secretary
Nominations, Governance, and Strategy Committe Chair

Michelle is a 5th generation Texan who grew up in Houston and now calls Austin home with her husband and their three boys. After living in Houston, NYC, Dallas and Los Angeles, Michelle learned the positive impact urban green spaces can have on mental and physical health and is passionate about preserving and making those spaces accessible to all. Michelle also serves on the Leadership Council for Dell Children’s Hospital, the Gala Committee for Texas Book Festival and she and her husband are also ardent supporters of Austin PBS / Austin City Limits. Michelle and her family have lived above Pease Park for several years and can often be found biking, running and playing in the park.

Morgan Burnham
Development Committee Co-Chair

Morgan grew up in Dallas and attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a BA in corporate communications. After working and traveling as a communications consultant for 6 years, she and her husband moved from Washington, DC to Austin to start a family. Morgan, John, and their three children live just above Shoal Creek and love their daily walks through Pease Park with their dog, Banks. Morgan grew up enjoying the park over holidays with her extended family in Austin and believes in the power of urban green spaces to bring families, neighborhoods, and communities together.

Myra Goepp

Myra was raised in Chicago where parks and public spaces are a core component to many neighborhoods and provide programs that redirect young energy in positive ways. When she moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas Engineering program, Myra lived at the doorstep to Pease Park. She found respite in a daily morning run on the creek side trail. Today, Myra is President at Benchmark Land Development, where she works to find better ways to build complete communities that thoughtfully provide for all the dynamic parts of life, such as where you rest your head, educate, work, shop, eat, play, volunteer, rejoice and collaborate.

Nan McRaven

Dr. Nan McRaven is the owner of McRaven Consulting, a Public Relations and Government Affairs firm, located in Austin, Texas. Before starting her own firm, Nan held positions in the private, non-profit, and government sectors. Her work experience includes: Texas State Director of The Trust for Public Land; Senior Director, Freescale Semiconductor; Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Motorola Inc.; Vice President of Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; and Personnel and Budget Director for Travis County.

Dr. Pradeep Kumar

Dr. Kumar is a board-certified gastroenterologist who spent time in Houston, Dallas, San Diego, and Hawaii before settling in Austin in 2002. He and his family live near Pease Park and they enjoy spending time together on the trails. He has an interest in public education about health-related issues, appearing regularly on FOX7 Austin Morning News. He also was the host of his own award-winning call-in radio show discussing health care issues and questions until 2009. His family loves to travel and ski. He speaks English, French, and Tamil, and is excited to use his many talents to benefit the Conservancy.

Raasin McIntosh

Raasin is the Founder of Raasin in the Sun and Director of Parks and Placemaking at Downtown Austin Alliance. She is the community’s creative placemaking gift. She is a visionary, creative, and Track and Field Olympian, whose career spans nearly a decade specializing in community arts initiatives in cross-disciplinary collaborative work.

She attended the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a BA in Communications. She has extensive experience in curating, managing, producing, facilitating and coordinating, public arts, public space activations, creative placemaking, restorations, and community engagement initiatives.

Lead by a humanitarian drive to change the world for the better through the arts, she represents our community to the highest level through the art of storytelling, intentional solution based ideas to strengthen and enhance the city’s cultural identity while promoting/providing economic viability for all artists and creatives alike.

Rob Shands

Rob is a Partner with RedLeaf, where he is primarily focused on capital markets, financing activities, acquisitions, vertical development, and strategic partnerships.

He holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Mississippi. He has been on the Board of Directors for the Hill Country Conservancy, the Board of Directors for the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), and the Board of Directors for First Bank, N.A.

Robin Camp

Robin has been a project manager for custom homes, as well as City of Austin public projects, including many city parks. She currently manages construction projects for The University of Texas. She led a series of Habitat for Humanity construction sites, including all women volunteer-built houses and served on the Austin Habitat for Humanity board of directors. Pease Park first came to her attention while in the UT Architecture School when she wrote a research paper on the park. Many years later, after riding through the park as a commuting cyclist and spending countless hours with her dogs in the park, she has brought her talents in design and construction to Pease.

Sean Compton

Sean’s journey as a landscape architect and planner has taken him from Texas A&M to Africa, California, and across the Pacific Rim. Growing up throughout the United States and abroad, he greatly appreciated the richness of different cultures and diverse habitats. He found that, regardless of location, people share a deep connection to place.

After returning to Austin (several times), Sean has dedicated his practice to designing healthy communities, vibrant mixed-uses, and conserving exceptional lands for future generations.

Sean believes in the power of thoughtfully designed public spaces and nature to promote wellness and foster human connections. His morning walks with the family dog, Ava, are a refreshing way to start each day.

Susannah Auby

Susannah serves as the Texas Book Festival's Development Director where she cultivates relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations who share a love of books and place great value in connecting authors and readers throughout Texas with the annual Festival and year-round community programs. She raised her children on good books, playing in the backyard, and minivan road trips, and feels lucky to be living in a city that values community green space as much as Austin does.

She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley where she studied rhetoric, followed by a Masters in Business Administration from Columbia University. Prior to joining Texas Book Festival and with more than a decade of volunteering, she worked with investment banks to optimize their business strategies and grow their market share.

Wendy Dunnam Tita

For more than two decades, Wendy Dunnam Tita has sought to integrate innovation and forward-thinking strategy with exceptional design quality. She is a Page Principal, and the firm’s market leader for Housing and Hospitality projects. As an architect, Wendy champions the conversation between design, craft, and people to advance and nurture this essential collaboration, and to enrich the human experience of architecture and its making. As an Austinite since 1988, Wendy is committed to the rich artery of Pease Park and other urban greenspaces that serve as places to explore, play, and connect our diverse and growing community.

Yusuf Bajwa

Yusuf is an attorney with Sanders Bajwa LLP, where he advises on commercial real estate transactions and represents clients in complex business disputes and securities class actions. He resides in Old Enfield with his wife Lauren and their three daughters.