Volunteer Leadership
Justin Hicks
Chair
Originally from McKinney, Texas, Justin has lived in Greater Houston since 2016. Justin, a public finance attorney at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bank counsel, and disclosure counsel in connection with tax-exempt financings for cities, counties, school districts, special purpose districts, and nonprofit corporations. Justin holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Spanish from Southern Methodist University. Justin is passionate about sustainable flood resilience and equitable access to natural spaces, particularly in the Spring Creek and Greens Bayou watersheds, and looks forward to raising awareness of BLC’s mission throughout the diverse Houston community. In his free time, Justin enjoys cycling, hiking, kayaking, traveling, and exploring Houston’s natural gems with his wife, Mónica. Justin is a BLC Ambassador, an Eagle Scout, and a Texas Master Naturalist.
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Committee Service: Donor Relations (Chair) & Equitable Community Engagement
Watershed: Greens Bayou
Alex Noll
Vice Chair
Alex Noll is a Texas transplant and an environmental lawyer at a large international law firm in Houston. Alex’s passion for environmental conservation dates back to her high school days, when she spent a semester attending Conserve School in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin, a semester school focused on connecting teenagers to the natural environment. Alex became involved in Bayou Land Conservancy as a way to give back to her community and to become involved in the protection of natural spaces in Harris County. Alex is passionate about diversity and inclusion, and is eager to facilitate access to nature for all. Alex holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. In her free time, Alex enjoys exploring parks and trails around Houston with her husband, Alan, discovering new wine bars, and forcing her cats (Stella and Luna) to love her.
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Committee Service: Equitable Community Engagement (Chair) & Finance
Watershed: White Oak Bayou
Michael Jimenez
Treasurer
Hailing from San Antonio, Michael is currently a global advisor for Chevron, utilizing his Chemistry BA from University of Texas-Austin and his MBA in Finance from Our Lady of the Lake University. Growing up his best memories are of traveling to national parks, camping, and hiking and he enthusiastically shares those experiences with his daughters now, taking them to different BLC preserves whenever possible. Before joining the board Michael became engaged through BLC’s Finance Committee.
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Committee Service: Finance (Chair) & Equitable Community Engagement
Watershed: Cypress Creek
Mary Bauer
Secretary
Mary is a native Houstonian and accounting professional. After graduating from Villanova University with bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Finance, she moved back to her hometown and is excited to expand her community involvement. Her passions include exploring the outdoors, traveling, trying new recipes, and spending time with her husband and pets. She works as a certified public accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and serves local energy and industrial products clients. Most weekends, she can be found walking or biking the nearby bayou trails or trying out the newest local restaurants. She is eager to share her financial background with BLC and spread the organization’s mission.
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Committee Service: Finance
Watershed: White Oak Bayou
Karina Contreras
Karina, a proud tapatia from Guadalajara, Mexico, has been involved in Bayou Land Conservancy since she graduated from the Ambassador Program in the fall of 2022. Karina is a board member for Community Assistance Center and mentors Conroe ISD students. Her experience walking across northern Spain as a pilgrim on the Santiago de Compostela trail opened her heart to all things Spain. She spent time volunteering at the volunteer office in Santiago de Compostela where she met and welcomed thousands of people from around the world. She brings her passion, love for the outdoors, and sense of adventure to BLC as a docent and member of the Equitable Community Engagement Committee. As a Texas Master Naturalist, Karina is excited to share her knowledge and love of the outdoors with the Bayou Land Conservancy community.
Karina enjoys Spanish wines, yoga, and walking long distances through parks and trails. When she's not working for Conroe ISD or enjoying the fresh air, she can be found curling up on the couch with her grand-dogs, a hot cup of tea, and her favorite book of the week.
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Committee Service: Equitable Community Engagement
Watershed: Cypress Creek
Matt Genotte
Matt is a native Houstonian with a passion for the great outdoors, all things restoration, native plants, and rewilding Texas. He is an avid hiker and hunter, and wants everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy wild places. Matt has worked as a professional ecologist and environmental scientist for more than 20 years, specializing in wetland science, ecological restoration, and project management. Matt currently oversees a team of more than a dozen restoration ecologists in Texas and Louisiana. He is excited to use his experience to help BLC preserve land, protect wildlife habitat, reduce flooding, and make natural areas more accessible to all people. When Matt is not working or volunteering, he can be found on the trails with his wife and three small children doing scavenger hunts to keep them excited about finding new things in nature.
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Committee Service: Lands
Watershed: Oyster Creek
Violet Mak
Violet’s career spans over two decades of transformative work in landscape architecture, urban planning, and sustainable site development. She is known for crafting solutions that respect the environment while addressing the needs of diverse users. Violet earned her Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University in 2005. A champion for sustainability, Violet has been instrumental in promoting SITES-certification for all her projects, which set benchmarks for sustainable land development and ecological restoration. Her passion for connecting people with nature has led her to design award-winning parks, public spaces, and urban greenways that foster community engagement and environmental awareness.
Beyond her professional practice, Violet is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and certified yoga instructor. She is an avid gardener and nature lover, who can be found running local trails, hiking and camping in State and National Parks and practicing yoga in her free time.
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Committee Service: Lands
Watershed: Cypress Creek
Glen Roscoe
Glen Roscoe joined the BLC Board in 2023 after living in Houston with his wife Michelle for seven years. Growing up outside Seattle, Washington, he developed a deep passion for conservation and the outdoors from a young age, exploring the nearby mountains on regular hiking and mountaineering expeditions. His family includes multiple ranchers and retired Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service employees. Glen is an infrastructure private equity investor with Stonepeak and received an undergraduate degree in international affairs and economics from The George Washington University and a Master of Finance from INSEAD.
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Committee Service: Donor Relations
Watershed: White Oak Bayou
Amanda Van Dusen
Originally from Indiana, Amanda has called Texas home for over 20 years. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from Purdue University, she joined her husband in Houston, Texas, where they now run a civil engineering consulting firm and raise their two teenage daughters. For Amanda, spending time in nature has been a constant source of restoration. A Texas Master Naturalist and BLC Ambassador alum, she has a passion for being an advocate for and an agent of learning about natural resources. Amanda is driven to expand support and further elevate awareness for BLC's mission in many ways including her involvement as a BLC Trail Docent. ​
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Committee Service: Lands (Chair), Equitable Community Engagement
Watershed: Spring Creek
Nana Baker
Rice Board Fellow, Ex-Officio
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Nana is a dedicated Houstonian who has called the city home for over 16 years. Originally from China, Nana moved to the Texas during high school, bringing with her a rich cultural background and fluency in both Mandarin and Cantonese. An honors graduate of the University of Houston, she is currently pursuing an MBA at Rice University. As an executive in the small business sector, she also has significant experience in commercial real estate, with a deep commitment to both business growth and community impact. Passionate about contributing to the well-being of her community, Nana actively participates in various volunteer efforts. While involved in commercial development, she is a firm believer in the importance of balance—understanding the need for sustainable land use to preserve quality of life for future generations.Nana’s unique combination of professional expertise, community involvement, and a strong commitment to sustainability reflects her belief in fostering a harmonious balance between business and the environment.​
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Watershed: Buffalo Bayou
Bayou Land Conservancy is able to manage and permanently protect thousands of acres thanks in large part to the thousands of hours provided by expert volunteers. These volunteers are biologists, Master Naturalists and others with an interest in land preservation. We are also directly supported in our efforts by local, state and federal agency representatives.
Baseline Crew
Damien Carey | Birder, Lake Houston Area Nature Club
Geoffrey Newton | Geologist, Texas Certified Master Naturalist
Matt Weaver | Texas A&M Forest Service
Mickey Merritt | Texas A&M Forest Service
Conservation Crew
Jeff Hodges
Brian Beebe
Diana Philpot
Tom Philpot
Amisha Patel
Roy Cuellar
Jeff van Oonk
Ray Audas
Jim Pflugrath
Betsy Radtke
Aram Derewetzky
Be Watershed Wise
To find out which watershed you live in, click here.