Getting to Know the SCC Board – Ted Siff, President
January 28, 2019 | By Shoal Creek Conservancy
Shoal Creek Conservancy’s Board President Ted Siff sat down to talk about his experiences serving for different organizations throughout the years, as well as his role in developing Shoal Creek Conservancy.
Ted Siff has been an active participant in public service for many years. He began his service at an internship with the Center for the Study of Responsive Law, where he learned the importance of being a public servant, taking an active role in one’s government and helping to create meaningful policy for health and safety of all citizens. Since then, he has co-founded several organizations that do just this- notably Texas Public Interest Group (TexPIRG) and our very own Shoal Creek Conservancy!
Siff’s experience has provided him with the essential ingredients for a successful board member of a non-profit. The two sides he highlights are fundraising and policy. In Shoal Creek Conservancy’s case, the initial fundraising portion was taken care of before the conception of the official organization. A year and a half before SCC became an official non-profit, current Executive Director Joanna Wolaver, the organization’s first intern, Jimena Cruz from UT’s architecture school, and Siff himself, established a financial budget for the first three years of Shoal Creek Conservancy’s life, which allowed the organization to focus on the policy side of the non-profit. Since then, the Board has slowly assumed the role of fundraising and now operates in several committees focusing on various aspects of the organization, namely: Executive, Governance, Development, Ambassadors and the newest, Technical Advisory, committees. Each are an area of expertise that contributes to the success and growth of SCC.
With five years under its belt, Shoal Creek Conservancy is a growing nonprofit organization, due largely to the participation of the Board members. Siff commends the board on successfully helping the organization expand and scale, having tripled the yearly budget since the beginning and continuing to grow the 5-member board to a dozen and counting. “A Board’s role, whether it be Shoal Creek Conservancy’s board or any other, is to ensure the life and health of the organization. I’m proud to say that our 5-year-old is healthy and growing,” Siff said of SCC.
Looking into the future, Siff is excited for SCC to continue to promote a healthy and resilient creek and trail for everyone to enjoy. Shoal Creek is a public space that he hopes to protect and preserve for the entire community and will continue to be improved upon for years to come.
Ted Siff helping mulch at Duncan Park during Austin Parks Foundation’s: It’s My Park Day in November 2018.
