SPRING FLING

HONORING PEASE PARK CONSERVANCY FOUNDER, RICHARD CRAIG
The Spring Fling is an annual event celebrating Pease Park at its most vibrant time of year.

WHO IS RICHARD CRAIG?

Richard Craig is a fifth-generation Austinite and the founder of Pease Park Conservancy!
Richard attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a BA with honors in Government; later earning a law degree from the University of Texas Law School. In 2008, after retiring from a 24-year career as the Assistant General Counsel at the Texas Comptroller’s Office, Richard devoted his time to establishing Trees for Pease. This volunteer organization sought to plant trees throughout Pease Park in response to a decline in the ecological viability of the green space. As a volunteer and chairperson for the group, Richard raised nearly $100,000 towards the initiative, engaged 333 volunteers, spread mulch, and assisted with the installation of irrigation systems. In 2010, these efforts won him the Mayor’s Environmental Awareness Award, and a year later, he was awarded Keep Austin Beautiful’s “Best of the Best” award. When Trees for Pease turned into Pease Park Conservancy in 2013, Richard served as the Board President, raised a quarter of a million dollars for the development of the Master Plan, and in 2014 steered the award-winning plan that was unanimously adopted by the Austin City Council. As a devoted Austinite, Richard has also served for the MUNY Conservancy, the UT Advisory Committee, and the Texas Memorial Museum. Without Richard Craig, Pease Park and Austin would not be the places they are today.

Looking Back at Spring Fling 2025

In its inaugural year, our 2025 Spring Fling honored the many contributions of Chuck Smith,
Pease Park Conservancy’s Chief Operating Officer, who retired the end of March, 2025.

Chuck was an integral part of the Conservancy since 2019. He oversaw the successful implementation of the award-winning Kingsbury Commons project, guided programming efforts, and stewarded the organization’s partnership with the City of Austin.

Spring Fling: Chuckstravaganza! featured Chuck’s favorite things, from food, to drinks, and more.