ted siff, Interim President
Ted has been advocating for parks, open space, trails and environmental protection in Austin for decades. Professionally, he has been the Texas state director of the Trust for Public Land as well as the Executive Director of the Austin Parks Foundation. As a volunteer, he serves on the Conservation History Association of Texas (CHAT) and the Shoal Creek Conservancy boards and co-founded the Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG). He has also co-led the effort to create the Austin Outside coalition.
Joanna Wolaver, Immediate past president
Joanna Wolaver is the executive director of Travis County Parks Foundation. With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Joanna is dedicated to assisting mission-driven organizations in reaching their full potential. Joanna has held a variety of positions at nonprofit organizations, including serving as the founding executive director of Shoal Creek Conservancy. She has also managed three successful open space and transportation bond campaigns in Texas and New Jersey. Joanna received a Master’s degree in Geography and the Environment from the University of Texas and an undergraduate degree in Urban Planning and Environmental Sciences from Bryn Mawr College. She is an Austin (almost) native, arriving at the age of five. She enjoys traveling, hiking and adventuring with her husband and curious young son.
Kari Spiegelhalter, vice-president
Kari is the Co-Founder & Partner at Mend Collaborative Landscape Architecture & Planning. Kari works on a broad range of parks, ecology, and equity-related planning and design projects that enhance urban ecosystems, public health, and environmental justice. She is especially interested in how participatory design processes build ecological and social resilience in communities.
Marianne DeLeon, Treasurer
Marianne DeLeon joins the board of Austin Outside with nearly 24 years of experience in resource development for mission-driven nonprofit organizations. Marianne has worked at a variety of nonprofits including: a reproductive health clinic in the former Soviet Union; the Dallas Regional Office of the International Rescue Committee, where she worked to resettle refugees; and AIDS Services of Austin, where she worked to empower people facing issues related to HIV and AIDS. Since working alongside her Pease Park Conservancy colleagues to revitalize Kingsbury Commons, she has become executive director of Texas Book Festival. She lives in East Austin with her super sweet teen son and crazy dogs.
beth larkin, secretary
Beth is an Associate at Studio Balcones who brings extensive project management and marketing expertise from her 13+ years of experience within Austin’s robust greenspace, parks, and active transportation nonprofit scene. A true plant nerd (she’s not someone you want to hike with if you are looking to move quickly) she will stop and wax poetic about ecological systems, horticulture, and whatever critters appear, so be warned. Prior to joining Studio Balcones, Beth worked for nonprofit coalition Austin Outside (AO), which works to champion vibrant and thriving outdoor places for all in Greater Austin. Previous to that, she served for 9 years on the senior leadership team as the Project & Creative Director for The Trail Foundation, now The Trail Conservancy, and helped develop and manage many iconic Butler Trail projects. She graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M with a degree in Landscape Architecture in 2006. Beth is an avid knitter, voracious reader, food lover, hiker, swimmer, painter, weight lifter, and accumulator of hobbies.
Drew CarmAn
Drew is the Director of Park Planning & Design at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture. His career-long focus on park, trail, and open space planning comes from 15 years of experience working in both the private and public sectors. His expertise in developing major capital improvement projects for public parkland range from master planning to construction documentation, cost estimating, bid and construction phase services. Apart from his passion for creating compelling outdoor places for people, he spends his creative and artistic energy as an avid musician, painter, and occasional welder.
Melinda Chow
Melinda is co-executive director of Austin Youth River Watch (AYRW) and has been with AYRW since 2016. Prior to AYRW, she served as manager of Hot Science - Cool Talks at the UT-Austin Environmental Science Institute. Her professional experience spans over two decades and includes working with Austin public radio stations KUT & KUTX, Girls Rock Austin, the South Memphis Alliance in Tennessee, and the National MultiCultural Institute in Washington, D.C. Melinda has lived in Austin since 2006, and she has served on the boards of the international Girls Rock Camp Alliance, and the Dumpster Project. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Anthropology, and a master’s degree in Applied Anthropology.
Priya Patel
Priya is a City Planner & Urban Designer at Black + Motal Architecture & Urban Design. Priya’s interdisciplinary knowledge in the field of design gives her the technical capability and creative capacity to work on solving some of the biggest challenges facing our cities today. She is a board of directors alternate for CNU, Central Texas Chapter, and serves on the Education and Outreach Committee.
tom wald
Tom Wald is a long time bicycling and walking advocate. He is Executive Director of the Red Line Parkway Initiative, supporting a 32-mile linear park and public space along the Capital Metro Red Line. He also serves on the boards of Safe Streets Austin and People United for Mobility Action. He formerly served on the Austin Bicycle Advisory Council and Pedestrian Advisory Council, he co-founded the Orange Bike Project, and he was the first Executive Director of Bike Austin.