Citizens' Advisory Board
Ann Smith (Corpus Christi). Co-founder and director of the South Texas Alliance for Peace and Justice, and the Corpus Christi chapter of Tikkun, Mrs. Smith is also a leader in local women?s political circles and interfaith religious groups. Her son, Mikell, is a local environmentalist.
Jeanne Adams (Corpus Christi). Mrs. Adams is one of the activists behind the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and is known for nurturing activism on the environment. She is a leader in the Clean Economy Coalition, fighting against the Las Brisas power plant, and she was among the leaders of the Beach Access Coalition, which successfully defeated an attempt to privatize the beach. She has long-term connections with the Catholic community as a leader in Pax-Christi and a supporter of the church.
Dr. Samuel Freeman (Edinburg-Valley). Dr. Freeman is a longtime political science professor at the University of Texas-Pan American, and the campus sponsor of the student peace activism group. He is a Viet Nam veteran and the leader of many of the Valley?s antiwar and environmental activities.
Erik Toren (Alamo-Valley), Mr. Toren is a long time border resident who is a current employee of UT Pan American. Has been active in farmworker, labor, and immigrant issues and organizations in South Texas. Mr. Toren is currently a member of People for Peace and Justice & Flor de Nopal Sangha.
Jay Johnson-Castro (Laredo). Mr. Johnson-Castro is the director of the Rio Grande Study Center, and the former organizer of the West Texas groups of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. He is also the founder of No Border Wall, and is involved in many issues related to water in the border region.
Jean Carmona (Laredo). Carmona is an employee of the city of Laredo working in the field of public health. She is an environmental epidemiologist studying the impact of the environment on humans, including problems with water-borne disease, environmental asthma, etc. an environmental epidemiologist studying the impact of the environment on humans, including problems with water-borne disease, environmental asthma, etc.
Dr. James Earhardt (Laredo). Former director of the Rio Grande International Study Center, and expert on matters related to the conservation of water in the border area.
The Rev. Mike Barrera (Laredo). Baptist minister, member of the board of the Rio Grande International Study Center. Barrera is a water activist and environmentalist, and well-connected in the faith community in Southwest Texas.
Rebecca Flores (San Antonio and the Valley. Former president of the United Farm Workers and leader of the political community on the west side of San Antonio. Ms. Flores is a longtime organizer in various communities in Texas, and will be acting in the capacity of community outreach co-ordinator in the Rio Grande Valley.
Daniel Ryne Lucio (Corpus Christi). Graduate Student pursuing a Masters in Public Administration, with a focus on Environmental Science. Daniel is a member of the SEALS student environmental organization, the Clean Economy Coalition and the Corpus Christi Populist Progressive Caucus. He plans to pursue a J.D. in international law.
John Courage (San Antonio). Founder of Clean Elections Texas, the True-Courage Action Network, and the San Antonio Area Progressive Action Coalition, along with his wife, Zada True Courage, the SDEC representative for District 21 of the state Democratic Party. Mr. Courage is well-connected in much of Texas, and as a candidate for elected office, will be making the topic of water a prominent one in his campaign.
Dave Collins (Blanco). President of Preserve our Precious Water, and former management and political consultant. Mr. Collins serves on the board of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and frequently writes on environmental blogs for the organization and the San Antonio Express-News.
Mike Mecke (Kerrville). Water resources group director, Mitchell Lake Improvement Plan. Mr. Mecke writes on water issues for regional magazines and is the co-founder of the Texas Riparian Association.
Larry Joe Doherty (Burton). Noted attorney in the field of Ethics, former congressional candidate, and organizer of "When the Well Runs Dry," a conference that was scheduled October 3, 2009, in Brenham. Activist on water as human rights.
David Gray (Waco). Environmentalist and President of Heart of Texas Democrats. Longtime political activist and professional, he now devotes much of his time to climate change issues, particularly
related to water.
Wes Sims (Waco). Director of the Texas Farmers' Union, and climate change activist. Mr. Sims is a longtime farmer and rancher with holdings throughout Texas.
Barbara Budde (Austin). Director of the Parish Social Ministry of the (Catholic) Diocese of Austin and active member of Pax Christi.
Steve Beers (Austin). Board member of Save Barton Creek Association, ex-chair of the Austin Regional Group of the Sierra Club; supporter of the Save Our Springs Alliance. A freelance writer/editor, Mr. Beers has published in Texas Parks and Wildlife, among other publications. He does research for engineering, legal, and PR efforts, as well as government and non-profits.
Austin Adams (Austin). Mr. Adams, the son of Corpus Christi activist Jeanne Adams, is one of the directors of Netroots Nation and is part of the environmental planning committee for the 2010 Texas Democratic Convention. He is connected to many circles in the Austin area due to years of political activism.
Martina Cartwright (Houston). Director, Environmental Law and Justice Center, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. Ms. Cartwright is a board member of the Houston chapter of the ACLU and the Community-based Lead Poisoning Initiative. She is involved in many environmental groups which undertake studies on air quality and liveability.
David Baker (Wimberley). Mr. Baker has brought worldwide attention to Jacob's Well and the historic implications of drought in the region. He is a board member of the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association.