About Zilker 351

Jesús is Chief Executive Officer of Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, a nonprofit organization creating and maintaining an innovative linear park system around a restored Waller Creek in downtown Austin in partnership with the City of Austin. Jesús brings experience from City of Seattle, where he served as Superintendent of the Department of Parks and Recreation for nearly six years, and over 20 years of public service leadership experience in several major metropolitan jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. Prior to that, he served as director of the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation. Aguirre holds a BA in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He serves as Chair-elect of the board of the National Recreation and Park Association and current chair of the board of the Children and Nature Network.

Karen is a co-founder and director of the Austin-based One Skye Foundation. Having been philanthropically active since 2000, she currently serves on the boards of the Barton Springs Conservancy and Texas Book Festival and is a member of the Austin Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund. Karen has served on the boards of National Charity League-Austin, A Legacy of Giving, Round Rock Health Clinic, Girlstart and Avance. In addition to having served as board chair of the Texas Book Festival, Karen is a former board president of the Round Rock Health Clinic and was honored to receive the Sertoma Volunteer of the Year Award for her work at the Clinic. Karen is a graduate of The University of Texas, McCombs School of Business.

A founding partner with Terrile, Cannatti & Chambers, LLP, Michael is actively involved with community issues relating to Barton Springs Pool, neighborhood association matters, and neighborhood planning through board service with Barton Springs Conservancy (2014 to present); Friends of Barton Springs Pool (2009 to present); Tourism Commission (2018-present); Zilker Park Working Group (2018-2019); City of Austin Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals (2008-2016); Residential Development Regulation (McMansion) Task Force (2006); West Austin Neighborhood Group (1999 to present); Leadership Austin Essential Class of 2010; Central West Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan Contact Planning Team (Chair, 2010 to present), and 2006 Roberta P. Crenshaw Honor Award.

Jason is an Associate Principal and the Austin Director for DTJ Design, Inc. He is a registered landscape architect and planner. He has a background in both architecture and landscape architecture and has completed numerous projects in 15 states in the U.S., as well as in Canada and Mexico. Jason has been with the Friends of Austin Nature and Science Center since the group’s re-formation in 2018 and is working to complete the ANSC’s Vision Plan. Jason holds three board/chair positions for Washington University in St. Louis. He has also been a frequent guest critic at The University of Texas School of Architecture. Jason is currently a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Urban Land Institute. He is a former RECA Leadership Development Council Class Member and Oversight Committee Member, as well as the former Vice Chair of Development for the USGBC.

Deena has lived in Austin for 15 years and has called District 5 home for the last 12 years, living in the South Lamar, Southern Oaks, Texas Oaks South, and now Onion Creek neighborhoods. A former City of Austin employee with nearly 11 years of service, she worked for Council Member Bill Spelman, the City Clerk’s Office, and as Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis’ Chief of Staff. Deena is a now a producer for a video game startup focused on treating mental health issues through gaming therapy. Her love of the city, its parks, and its natural beauty has never ceased. She and her husband, Jim, have a three-year old dog, Tito, and a kindergartner, Rodolfo, who attends Blazier Elementary, where Deena also serves as a Vice President of the PTA.

Rachel is a Human Capital Investor who is passionate about growing, educating, and expanding the pipeline of diverse leaders across the globe. Rachel is the External Engagement & Partnerships Lead for Google Cloud Go-To-Market, and previously worked as Global DEI and Recognition Program Manager where she operationalized a holistic Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategy and roadmap that ensures Google Cloud Strategy & Operations continues to seek, retain, value and develop people who represent the diversity of our world and who are building an environment where everyone belongs. Rachel serves as Global Chair for Black@ Cloud and Global Chapter Expansion Lead for Mixed@ Google; two of Google’s employee resource groups. As a community volunteer, Rachel previously served as a Commissioner on the Austin Economic Prosperity Commission and President for the Austin Trail of Lights Foundation, making her the first African American to hold this title.

A native Austinite and fifth-generation Texan, Chris Miller is the Vice President of Lending for Texas Methodist Foundation. He is a 2013 graduate of the Banking School of Louisiana State University, and 2007 graduate of Baylor University where he created the Alumni Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Baylor. While at Baylor, Chris met his wife Kellie, and they have three daughters together (6, and twin newborns). Chris has been active in the Central Texas nonprofit sector as former President of Young Men’s Business League and Austin Sunshine Camps. Additional nonprofit involvement has included I Live Here I Give Here, Zilker 351, and Meals on Wheels. Chris enjoys spending time with his family, volunteering, watching sports, investing in real estate, exploring Austin, reading, and working out.

A third-generation Japanese-American (san-sei), Evan is an architect and founding member/Principal of Taniguchi Architects, which he established in 1978 with his father. In 2012 Taniguchi Architects was recognized with the AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award, the highest honor of the local AIA Chapter. Evan is committed to social equity and justice and has served the African-American and Asian-American communities and fought for women’s reproductive rights. As a City of Austin Design Commissioner for 14 years, Evan advocates for urban equity, affordable housing and mitigating climate change. Evan’s family has been involved in shaping Austin. His father, Alan, developed the first Town Lake Master Plan while his grandfather Isamu created the Japanese Garden at Zilker Park as a gift to our City. Evan helped found the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy to preserve his Grandfather’s legacy.

Colin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Parks Foundation (APF), where they strive to improve the more than 300 parks in Austin. Prior to joining APF, he was a Development Director at Livestrong, where he raised millions of dollars critical to the fight against cancer. Colin is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and a dedicated member of the Austin community. He is a proud graduate of the Leadership Austin Class of 2010, a former board member and chair of The Trail Conservancy, and a founding board member of both the Austin Lessons Under the Lights Foundation and the Austin Clubhouse, and former chair of the governance committee and chair of the Sustainable Food Center board. When not in the office, he and his wife Michelle, daughter Pearl, and son Miles can be found playing in parks, pools, and trails around Austin.

James Russell, Event Manager+*

Colin Wallis, CEO+*

Joy Casnovsky*

Kayla Reese*

Erica Blue, CEO+*

Mike Cannatti, President+*

Karen Brimble*

Ralph Webster*

Jason Cheng, DTJ Design, ANSC Vision Plan+*

Iaian Tester*

Steve Barnick, Past President+*

Mike Cannatti*

Ashley Todd*

Sarah Williams*

Gayla Nakamura, Property Director+*

Paula Bookidis*

Flora McArthur*

Cherisse Robison*

Fleetwood Jacobs, Development Director+*

George Cofer*

Susan Goldberg, Owner+*

Kate Aoueille*

Lindsay Rohler*

Hanna Cofer, interim CEO+*

James Russell, Executive Director+*

Katie Robinson Edwards, Executive Director+*

James Russell*

Gordon Kelley, Club President+*

Holly Hawk, Development Director+*

Judith Craft*

Laura McCabe*

Mac Ragsdale, Second Vice President+*

Lisa Muir*

David Ponton*

President, Barton Springs Conservancy

Board Member, Barton Springs Conservancy

2021 Leadership Austin Fellow for Barton Springs Conservancy

CEO, Austin Parks Foundation

(Former) Advocacy Manager, Austin Parks Foundation

2021 Leadership Austin Fellow for Austin Parks Foundation

Facilitator-Guide, Austin Together

Facilitator-Guide, Austin Together