Getting to know Ivey, Shoal Creek Conservancy’s New Executive Director
June 6, 2019 | By Shoal Creek Conservancy
Shoal Creek Conservancy officially welcomes our new Executive Director, Ivey Kaiser. Ivey comes to SCC from REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) and has been involved with Shoal Creek Conservancy in many ways since our beginning in 2013. We checked in with Ivey to learn more about her background, interests and hopes for the future:
Q: Welcome to SCC, Ivey! How long have you been in Austin?
A: I’m approaching 8 wonderful years in Austin. I moved here from Columbia, South Carolina during the height of the 2011 drought. It was extremely hot & dry, and everyone I met asked if I was dying from heat, but Austin actually felt more tolerable than Columbia’s usual hot and humid summers. I knew if I could tolerate the worst summer on record since the 30s, I’d be ok here.
Q: How did you learn about Shoal Creek Conservancy?
A: I first learned about Shoal Creek Conservancy when it first formed, and I was working at another environmental non-profit, Keep Austin Beautiful. Since then, I’ve continued to get more involved with SCC as a volunteer and as a donor while managing REI’s local grants program.
Q: What’s your favorite hidden gem on the trail?
A: I was shocked to recently discover (or maybe rediscover) the cliffs of Shoal Creek Trail between 29th and 31st Streets. You truly feel like you’re in a different place while hiking along that part of the trail. I plan to make that a regular place for walks and meetings from now on.
Q: What draws you to the outdoors – the Shoal Creek Trail or otherwise?
A: I enjoy unstructured time outside as a way to decompress and explore. It’s a way to relax and feel like you’re learning at the same time. Trails and rivers are the most intriguing to me, because they always beg you to go a little farther and discover something new. I love that the Shoal Creek Trail just happens to offer that experience right in the middle of the city.
Q: What’s your favorite weekend activity?
A: An ideal weekend involves getting out on a local river – swimming, kayaking, tubing or canoeing. Most weekends, I enjoy down time hanging out on our farm with our many pets and maybe going two-stepping in the evening.
Q: What do you see changing over the next few years for SCC?
A: SCC has been doing amazing work defining future projects for the trail and the watershed. I’m excited to help see these improvements come to life – including an overhaul of directional signage on the trail, safer crossings at trail and street intersections, new programs for the community and new partnerships with our neighboring businesses and residents. I hope to see more and more new faces on the trail every day.“
