Staff:



Ivey Kaiser, Executive Director

Ivey grew up in Columbia, South Carolina where she attended the University of South Carolina and began her love of working with environmental advocacy and outdoor recreation. Since moving to Austin in 2011, she has worked with Keep Austin Beautiful and REI, managing community programs, events and corporate grant giving. Ivey has been involved with Shoal Creek Conservancy since its inception and joined the staff as Executive Director in 2019. In her spare time, Ivey enjoys exploring local trails and rivers and spending time with her large herd of animals, husband and daughter.


Maria Darr, Programs Director

Maria grew up in Connecticut where she developed a love for the outdoors and spent her youth exploring the lush woods of New England and playing in the creek behind her colonial home. Maria received her B.A. in Anthropology and Journalism from The University of Connecticut and her M.A. in Human Skeletal Biology from New York University.  Since moving to Austin in 2013, Maria has managed volunteers and programs for over 9 years,  at Austin Habitat for Humanity and Shoal Creek Conservancy. In her free time, Maria loves to cook and explore parkland in Texas and beyond with her husband and daughter.


Sierra DaSilva, Watershed Manager

Sierra grew up in the East Texas piney woods and moved to Austin in 2009. She has a background in Texas botany, ecological restoration and GSI, education, and working with volunteer crews. Sierra has previously worked for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, taught ecology labs at Texas State University, held a fellowship with the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility, and interned with Shoal Creek Conservancy. She holds an MS in Biology from Texas State. Sierra lives in South Austin with her husband, son, dog, two rabbits, and six chickens. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and botanizing, photography, and gardening.


Daniel Kavelman, Projects & Policy Manager

Daniel grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he spent time exploring public lands and cultural treasures. Since moving to Austin, he has worked in local advocacy both professionally and as a volunteer, advocating for more inclusive land use policies and greater transportation options. He has previously worked for Farm&City and interned at the City of Albuquerque. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Letters and Music Performance. Outside of work, Daniel likes to read, make music, and bike on Austin’s paths and trails.


Krista Kelly, Volunteer Coordinator

Krista has spent much of her time exploring the outdoors since growing up in Maryland surrounded by forests and the beautiful changing seasons. When she moved to Austin in 2016 she became passionate about community-based environmental work and pursued a degree in environmental studies and theatre at Southwestern University. In her undergraduate career, Krista has gained experience in her field by working as a sustainability ambassador on her college campus and as an intern at the Austin Youth River Watch. In these positions, she was provided the opportunity to engage with other passionate locals as a way to network and spread awareness, in order to improve the environmental conditions of Austin. In her free time, Krista enjoys baking, traveling with her partner, and snuggling her two kitties, Gryffin and Moo.


Ada Forbes, Development Coordinator

Ada is proud to call herself a born and bred Austinite and has been enjoying the natural spaces her hometown and surrounding areas provide all her life. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Government and Spanish Language and has been working in the nonprofit sector since the early days of her education, mostly focusing on membership services and community building. Ada feels passionate about preserving the green spaces in her hometown and finds fulfillment in working with other like-minded, mission-driven individuals. Outside of work, Ada enjoys spending time near a natural body of water, practicing her throwing skills on the potter’s wheel and knitting.


Emily Myers, Office Administrator
Emily’s background is in project management within numerous high-tech industries, and she just has a knack for helping things run efficiently. She grew up in Oklahoma, graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and moved to Austin in 2012 after living in North Texas and the San Francisco Bay Area. She enjoys spending time outside at the many trails and outdoor events in the area.

Board of Directors:



Michelle Slattery, PLA, ASLA, President
Michelle Slattery is a Landscape Architect and is currently Director of Land Planning at KFM Engineering & Design.  She received a Master of Landscape Architecture in 2008 and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies in 2005, both from The University of Texas at Austin.  Her broad experience with large scale planning through construction details for a wide range of public and private projects gives her an edge in developing unique solutions. Her desire is to create spaces that enrich our lives, but she is particularly passionate about the preservation of cultural landscapes.  Michelle served as Chair of Inherit Austin and on the Board of Directors for Preservation Austin from 2015-2017.  In 2018, Michelle was integral in the creation of the Shoal Creek Trail: Vision to Action Plan.

RJ Endsley, Vice President

RJ Endsley, Vice President of Halff and Operations Manager of the South Austin office, has spent the last decade working on and leading some of the most diverse projects in the Austin region. His portfolio includes complex stormwater drainage infrastructure, multi-modal urban improvements, and green infrastructure in rapidly developing corridors. His work in active transportation, first and last mile connectivity and developing holistic solutions have provided an opportunity to practice sustainable design while establishing ways to help communities continue moving forward.

A native Texan from the coastal bend and an Austinite since 2013, RJ’s passion for community growth can be seen across all his work and extracurricular activities. RJ was previously a founding steering committee member of the Halff Community Initiative, an employee driven non-profit focused on supporting organizations within communities Halff’s employees work and play in.  RJ and his wife, Jenn, spend their free time traveling with their two labs, immersing themselves in new adventures and eating their way through the local cuisine.


Ulf Habermann, Treasurer

As Vice President at Cirrus Logic, Ulf Habermann leads financial planning and analysis, corporate real estate and facilities, as well as corporate procurement. Prior to joining Cirrus Logic, he worked for Advanced Micro Devices in both Austin, Texas, and Dresden, Germany. Ulf grew up in Berlin, Germany, and graduated with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance, controlling, and international business and management from the University of Applied Sciences of Nuertingen, Germany.  When not in the office, Ulf loves to pursue his passion of flying small aircraft.  He and his wife, Kathryn, live in South Austin.


Hector Leiva, Jr., Secretary

Hector Leiva, Jr. is originally from El Salvador and lived in Miami before settling in Austin almost a decade ago, along with his wife and two daughters. He has a deep-seated appreciation for family, travel, and nature, which led him to living in Austin and joining the Board of Shoal Creek Conservancy. Hector works at IDEA Public Schools as Chief of Staff for the Chief Human Assets Officer.  He brings valuable connections to our community’s families, as well as experience in professional and bilingual communications, government relations, and diversity, equity and inclusion work. We look forward to working with Hector to continue to reach more of Austin and the surrounding area’s families and make the Shoal Creek Trail more welcoming and accessible for all.


Felicia Garcia, Immediate Past President

Felicia Garcia is a public affairs professional working in brand engagement and corporate social responsibility. She is currently a Manager of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company where her focus is public affairs, government relations, stakeholder partnerships, strategic communications, sustainability and community related programming. Felicia previously worked as a Public Affairs Manager for H-E-B in the Central Texas Region and as the Director of Community Engagement at the Central Texas Food Bank.

Felicia graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Communications and a B.A. in Sociology with a certificate degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits. And she recently received a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication from American University.

In addition to serving on the board at Shoal Creek Conservancy, Felicia also serves on the boards of Austin Ed Fund, Con Mi MADRE, and Communities in Schools Central Texas, and supports numerous other organizations in leadership rolls such as the YWCA for Greater Austin, Young Hispanic Professional Association of Austin, YNPN Austin, and the Young Women’s Alliance.


Steve Davis

Born in Houston, Texas, Steve Davis came to Austin in 1975 to attend the University of Texas. Nearly five decades later, he’s still here. After graduating with a B.S. degree in Radio-Television-Film in 1979 and a J.D. degree from the School of Law in 1983, Steve pursued a legal career that primarily focused on administrative and electric & telecommunications law. He worked at the Office of the Attorney General representing state agencies in court and then at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, as both an administrative law judge and assistant executive director, before starting his own practice in 2000. Steve retired at the end of 2019. He has also moonlighted as a film critic for the Austin Chronicle since 1982. Among other organizations, Steve has previously served on the boards of Pease Park Conservancy and AGLIFF. He has lived downtown near Shoal Creek since 2010 and enjoys walking the trail frequently.


Brian Greig

Brian Greig is a native Austinite who attended Austin High School, Washington & Lee University, and the University of Texas School of Law. Greig practiced law with Norton Rose Fulbright for over 40 years before retiring and currently serves as a director of the Save Muny Historic District. He devotes his time to community service, having worked for several years on education and job training programs with Austin Community College and Central Texas school districts. Greig is also chairman of the Headliners Club, a downtown business club. His granddaughters especially love Shoal Creek.


Perry Horton

Perry Horton runs the listing division at Lead commercial and provides investment sales & listing services for local owners, businesses and investors. Perry also manages the purchase and sale of office, industrial, and land in Austin and the Central Texas market. In addition, Perry owns and manages an extensive downtown portfolio across multiple asset classes.

As a fifth-generation Austinite with real estate roots and family history dating back more than 100 years in Austin, Texas, Perry has a deep passion for the history and culture of Austin, which is conveyed through his work and restoration projects.

Outside of real estate, Perry likes to spend as much time as he can outdoors with his wife, Lauren, their two daughters, Hallie and Caroline, and their two Labrador retrievers. He is an adventure seeker and an avid runner and triathlete. Perry seeks valuable and long-lasting relationships with clients and local businesses, where his skills, honesty, and knowledge can help those around him achieve common goals.


Jeffrey Richard

Jeffrey Richard has more than 35 years of professional experience in high-level interaction with senior policy makers, business executives and elected officials at the local state and federal levels.  He has consulted with education and public sector clients in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Cleveland and Reno, and in every major city in Texas.  With only one exception, Jeffrey has met and worked with every President of the United States since the late Ronald Reagan, including President Joe Biden; and he has developed strong friendships with several members of Congress. He is a former executive staff member with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and is also a lifetime member of both the NAACP and Urban League.

Jeffrey is himself a former regional locally elected official, having been elected to every Officer position on the Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees, including Board Secretary, Board Vice Chair, and Chairperson of the Board since 2004. Jeffrey is the former president and CEO of the Austin Area Urban League as well as Vice President of Education and Workforce Development for the Austin Chamber. He worked more than 12 years directly in Washington, DC as a staff member in the U.S. Congress–both in the House and the Senate–and also with the United States Conference of Mayors, where he helped to create the innovative Mayors Business Council.

Jeffrey earned a B.S. degree in Economics and Political Science from TCU and a Master’s degree in Public Policy in urban economic development from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Jeffrey is also a licensed Christian Minister. He and his wife, Naomi, have an adult daughter, Rebecca, in law school.


Lauren Taylor

Lauren Taylor is a multi-disciplinary, multi-modal planner with experience from early project development to construction. She serves as Vice President – Texas Planning Lead for WSP USA Inc. where she manages a team of planners across the state. Lauren graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Environmental Science and graduated with her Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management from Virginia Tech. She is passionate about preserving green spaces, sustainability, and providing equitable opportunities for all members of the community. In addition to serving on the Shoal Creek Conservancy Board, Lauren is actively involved in the Central Texas Association of Environmental Professionals, CapMetro Public Safety Advisory Committee, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.


Amy Wanamaker

Amy Wanamaker is the Director of The University of Texas at Austin’s Campus Real Estate Office.  She manages the acquisition, disposition, redevelopment, management, and leasing of a diverse portfolio of real estate assets throughout the globe for the university. In addition to acquisitions, project management and leasing, Amy has broad experience in commercial real estate brokerage, strategic planning, liquidating foreclosed commercial properties, and large scale auctions.


Diana Wheeler

Diana Wheeler has lived in Austin since 1998, and she and her husband have been in the Allendale neighborhood since 2000. She worked with Shoal Creek Conservancy as a neighbor/stakeholder during the creation of the Shoal Creek Trail Plan, promoting the Shoal Creek Blvd bike lanes, and for the past two years she’s helped coordinate neighbors and a group of teen boys, including her son, to work with SCC to develop the rain garden on Woodview Avenue.

Diana has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Yale with a concentration in environmental education. Since being in Austin she has worked in IT, but her passion remains working on programs that facilitate environmental protection. She currently works for Austin Energy as and IT Manager. Diana was on the Board of Camp Fire Central Texas from 2004-2020, on the Allendale Neighborhood Association (ANA) Board from 2016-2021, and she currently serves on the City’s Urban Transportation Commission.


Ted Siff, Founder and Former Board Member

Ted Siff, president of Park Place Publications, LP, has been a senior manager and part owner of several Austin publishing companies including Third Coast Magazine, The Quorum Report, and Texas Monthly.  He has also been a leader in conservation and park advocacy as the Texas Director of the Trust for Public Land, a board member and then executive director of the Austin Parks Foundation and volunteer treasurer of numerous Austin and Travis County bond campaigns. He is a board member of other public interest and conservation nonprofits as well as board president of the Old Austin Neighborhood Association.