Winners of the 2019 Shoal Creek Awards

March 30, 2019  | By Shoal Creek Conservancy

We are proud to announce the winners of our 2019 Shoal Creek Social awards! We are honored to celebrate these individuals who’s dedicated work in conservation, within the Shoal Creek watershed and beyond, positively impacts us all. Awards will be presented at the Shoal Creek Social held the evening of May 7, 2019 at the New Central Library in downtown Austin.

 

Winners of the 2019 Shoal Creek Social Awards

Bob Armstrong Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation – Laura Huffman

This award is named after Robert Landis “Bob” Armstrong, the 24th Texas Land Commissioner. Mr. Armstrong inspired this award because of his distinguished career devoted to public service. His environmental activism at the state and federal levels impacted millions, including his work in the creation of Big Bend Ranch State Park. This award is presented to an individual who, over the course of their career, has made an outstanding impact toward environmental conservation in Central Texas.

This year, we are very pleased to honor Laura Huffman, who has served as the Texas regional director for The Nature Conservancy since 2009, advocating passionately for the preservation of land, water, wildlife and way of life in Texas and beyond.

A native Austinite, Laura grew up on Shoal Creek and spent her childhood enjoying and learning the value of nature. Today, she is a leading voice on thoughtful urban growth, addressing water scarcity, creating resilient communities and grappling with the impacts of population growth and climate change. In her decade of work at The Nature Conservancy, she has served on a number of its global and national committees. In addition, she has published over 30 articles and opinion pieces and has weighed in as a subject matter expert at events like the Clinton Global Initiative America, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the UN Climate Change Conference COP23, The Atlantic’s CityLab Conference and the ICLEI World Congress.

Laura’s distinguished public service record includes more than 15 years in city management for the City of Austin and the City of San Marcos. She earned her master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Texas A&M University.

Join us in congratulating Laura Huffman and celebrating her great work in conservation!

 

Rising Star Award – Justin Bates

The Rising Star Award is presented to a young professional who is making waves in the local environmental community. This award is given to someone under 40 years old who has both made positive contributions in the environmental realm in the Austin area, and will continue to do so as their career advances.

This year’s recipient is Justin Bates, an urban planner and parks professional who works to advance collaborative approaches to park and natural resource management. Justin has supported projects both locally and across the state, including multi-jurisdictional trail plans, landowner-driven conservation planning, and community visioning for parks and open spaces.

Justin currently serves as the Deputy Superintendent of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and the Waco Mammoth National Monument, and previously worked for the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program. Prior to joining the National Park Service, he worked for local governments in Vermont and Oregon. Justin holds a degree in biology from Williams College and a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Join us in congratulating Justin Bates for all he has accomplished in conservation thus far, and for his bright future ahead!