The
Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club is an outdoor
recreation and conservation organization representing
approximately 24,000 Texans and 13 regional groups
from Big Bend to Houston.
Our State Conservation
Office, located near the State Capitol in Austin, serves
as a lobbying office and grassroots communications
center supporting advocacy and education about our
environmental priorities: Clean Air & Water, Smart Energy Solutions, Texas Land & Wildlife Legacy, Responsible Transportation Choices, and Water for People & the
Environment. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club
values diversity and promotes environmental education
and environmental justice in our efforts to fulfill
our mission to explore, enjoy, and protect our Texas
natural heritage and to protect public health.
Chapter Director
Conservation Director
Clean Air Program Director
Water Resources Coordinator
Water Research Associate
Communication Coordinator
Coal Campaign Coordinator
Administrative Assistant
BlueGreen Alliance Coordinator
Transportation Policy Associate
Scheleen Walker
Cyrus Reed
Neil Carman
Jennifer Walker
Tyson Broad
Eva Hernandez
Jerome Collins
Dave Cortez Kari Banta
Scheleen Walker became Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club in January, 2013, the second director for the Chapter.
Prior to working as Legislative Director to Representative Donna Howard (Austin) since 2006, Walker managed the Air Quality Program for Travis County. She was a regional leader in the adoption of a ground-breaking public planning program under the Clean Air Act.
Walker earned a M.S. in Environmental Planning from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in English and Policy Studies from Rice University. Walker was Legislative Aide in Washington, D.C. to Congressman John Bryant (Dallas) for nine years. She was a project manager on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews throughout Texas.
Walker, a fifth generation Texan, grew up in Dallas, spending summers with her extended family in Central and Northwest Texas. She has lived in Austin since 1996, and has a 10-year old son.
Cyrus Reed, Ph.D., Conservation Director,
Acting Chapter Director
Cyrus has a Ph.D. in Geography from the
University of Texas at Austin, with a focus on water policy
and the dispute over the Rio Grande water with Mexico.
Prior to becoming conservation director, he served as
Sierra Club's lobbyist on energy and air quality issues
during the 2005, 2007 legislative sessions, and
directed the Texas Center for Policy Studies, an environmental
policy and advocacy organization based in Austin, for five
years. He is presently working on energy issues
and their impacts. Cyrus has
also worked as a journalist and has spent considerable
time in Mexico, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Neil Carman, Clean Air Director
Neil is involved in a broad range of Texas air quality
issues including : 1) reviewing emissions and technical data on industrial
sources of air pollution and particularly their impacts on communities
of color and low-income neighborhoods; 2) commenting on one-hour ozone
nonattainment programs; 3) implementation of the new EPA eight-hour
ozone standard; 4) EPA's Title V federal air operating permit program;
5) educational outreach to Sierra Club members on local air quality;
6) evaluating air toxics monitoring around industrial sources; 7) working
with citizens to train them how to take air samples near industrial
sources; and more.
Jennifer
Walker, Water Resources Coordinator
Jennifer works primarily on the Texas Living
Waters Project. She monitors and is a member of the Lower
Colorado Regional Water Planning Group. She has served
on that group as the Environmental Representative for
almost three years. The Living Waters Project is working with
the Regional Planning groups to assure that water is available for people and wildlife.
Jennifer also monitors other water planning
entities from the central Texas area down to and including
Matagorda Bay.
Tyson Broad,
Water Research Associate
Tyson works primarily on the
Texas Living Waters Project to assure water
is available for people and the environment. Tyson
monitors issues primarily related to the Edwards
Aquifer and the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers.
He is an environmental representative on the Bay-Basin
Stakeholder Group tasked with preparing an environmental
flow regime for the Guadalupe and San Antonio
Rivers. He also participates in the Edwards Aquifer
Recovery Implementation Program stakeholder process,
the Groundwater Management Area process, and the
environmental scoping process for seawater desalination
in Texas.
Kari Banta, Transportation Associate
Kari works on statewide transportation policy issues, monitoring the
Legislature and the Texas Department of Transportation. Following the
goals of the Sierra Club's Green Transportation campaign, she
advocates for increased choice in transportation modes, Complete
Streets, bicycle and pedestrian amenities, and more fuel efficient
vehicles. Prior to the Sierra Club, Kari worked as a transportation
planner and rural Texas city comprehensive planner. She has a Master
of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of
Texas at Austin.
Eva Hernandez,
Coal Campaign Regional Representative
Eva's responsibilities include grassroots organizing,
assistance in coordinating coal campaign activities
and meetings, interaction with volunteers, assistance
in publication and distribution to news media, and
response to inquiries from members, volunteers, and
the general public.
Dave Cortez, Coordinator, Texas BlueGreen Apollo Alliance
Dave works primarily on the
Texas BlueGreen Apollo Alliance Project to create Texas jobs
in renewable energy, in energy conservation and efficiency,
in infrastructure for advanced fuel vehicles, electric
transportation and to tap the skills and productivity of
the Texas workforce.
Dr.
Ken Kramer Chapter Director (Retired)
Ken is retired as Chapter Director and volunteering as Chair of the Water Conservation Committee for the Chapter Executive Committee. Ken has a Ph.D. in Political
Science from Rice University and his special area
of interest during his academic career teaching
and conducting research at Texas state universities
was environmental policy and administration. He has 25 years experience working
on water and other environmental issues as an academic, an environmental
group leader, and public policy specialist. He
has been appointed to numerous task forces
and advisory committees by Texas state officials,
including the Governor of Texas and the Speaker
of the Texas House.
Jerome Collins, Administrative Assistant
Jerome's responsibilities include
administrative and general office duties, assistance
in coordinating chapter activities and meetings,
interaction with volunteers, assistance in the
publication and distribution of chapter newsletters
and other publications, and response to inquiries
from members, volunteers, and the general public.
Jerome brings administrative experience
to this position in facilities management,
supervising volunteers, trail maintenance teams, graphic design,
newsletter production, website management and managing operations budgets.
