January 29, 2019
By Andy Balinsky, Chapter Chair
As 2019 opens, we'd like to welcome three new Executive Committee (ExCom) members to the Lone Star Chapter, and thank some departing members for their service. Joining the ExCom are Austin's Craig Nazor, San Antonio's John Hertz, and Austin's Derek Eckert. Also re-elected to the committee is Marta Elena Peña from the Rio Grande Valley. Although many of you voted for Flavia de la Fuente, she withdrew her name from consideration late last month due to her duties as Treasurer of the national Sierra Club Foundation unexpectedly being extended. As the Foundation is a key component of keeping our Chapter and other Chapters' good work funded, we are appreciative that they have a capable and willing person in that position.
Dr. Craig Nazor is a musician and music professor at Austin Community College, and has been very active with a number of Austin-area environmental groups in a wide range of wildlife, water, and land protection issues. He has a great interest in turtles and other reptiles as well as succulent plants.
John Hertz is an architect and professor focusing on sustainability, including passive solar design. You can see some of his designs at www.johnbhertz.com. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and has worked in several Latin American countries and Puerto Rico.
Derek Eckert is a financial planner with an Ecology degree. He has recently founded Syntropy, a firm that includes building green portfolios. In his free time, you can find him hiking and biking around the trails of Austin.
We look forward to benefiting from their knowledge and life experience on the ExCom. Keep in mind that any member can volunteer at the Chapter level and help out, whether you are on the board or not.
Departing from the ExCom is San Antonio's Terry Burns, who served six years on the ExCom, and McAllen's Sharon Almaguer, who served for a year. We greatly appreciate the volunteer time and perspective they provided to the board. Kountze's Ellen Buchanan remains on the board, transitioning from at-large member to Golden Triangle group representative.