27 Aug Mayor’s Community Cabinet features Austin EcoNetwork founder

Austin EcoNetwork subscribers and partners just gained a formal voice at the table with the inclusion of our very own Chief Inspiration Officer Brandi Clark being invited to serve on City of Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s Community Cabinet.

Yesterday’s Statesman’s blog (http://budurl.com/bcmayorcabinet) and today’s print edition featured the announcement of this Cabinet. The blog cites Mark Nathan, Leffingwell’s chief of staff, as saying that the mayor will want to know what issues and projects the group members are working on.

The blog says "…Leffingwell has made good on a campaign promise by forming a Cabinet of community leaders that he will meet with once a quarter to seek input and advice on policy issues….coming before the City Council in the short-term and long-term, including plans for a new water treatment plant and a possible rail and transit election next year."

In addition to Brandi, several of the appointees have been professional advocates for environmental issues such as Susan Rieff, Executive Director of the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center; former Parks Foundation Director Ted Siff; Past Chair of Envision Central Texas Dean Fritz Steiner; Former DIrector of the Trust for Public Land Nan McRaven, and all-around steady enviro advocate Karin Ascot who served on the City’s Environmental Board for years, chaired the Sierra Club and been on the Save Our Springs board, among other things.

Other members such as Annette LaVoi, Perry Lorenz and Frank Fernandez have been regular supporters of green initiatives.

As a full-time networker, advocate, organizer, educator and public speaker on a broad range of sustainability-related issues, Brandi is a good choice tobring the voice of the environmental community to the Cabinet. Brandi brings with her a constant filter for "How could this be done more sustainably?"  Brandi is excited about it too, "I look forward to getting to know and working with this distinguished group of community leaders! I would like to help shape Austin in a way that cares for the people of today and tomorrow as well as the planet that sustains us."

The entire Cabinet consists of:

• Karin Ascot, Board member of SOS Alliance and former Chair of Austin Sierra Club

• Russell Bridges: Government and Community Affairs Manager, 3M Corp.

• Paul Carrozza: Owner, Run-Tex.

• Perla Cavazos: Former legislative aide, Texas State Senate.

• Raymond Chan: engineer, Raymond Chan & Associates.

• Danette Chimenti: president, Austin Neighborhoods Council.

• Brandi Clark: founder, Chief Inspiration Officer, Austin EcoNetwork.
  

• Cloteal Davis Haynes: contractor; former member, Austin Planning Commission.

• Gary Farmer: president, Heritage Title; former chair, Greater Austin Chamber.

• Frank Fernandez: executive director, Green Doors.

• Gus Garcia: former Austin mayor; former trustee, Austin Independent School District.

• Jesus Garza: former Austin City Manager; executive vice president and chief operating officer, Seton.

• Joene Grissom: entrepreneur; former chair, Community Action Network.

• Hopeton Hay: manager, Historically Underutilized Business Technical Assistance Program, University of Texas.

• Paula Hui: owner, Paula Hui Real Estate Services; Board of Directors, Austin Asian-American Chamber of Commerce,

• Terry Lickona: producer, Austin City Limits.

• DeWayne Lofton: risk manager, Texas Association of School Boards.

• Perry Lorenz: residential developer, Constructive Ventures.

• Annette LoVoi: trustee, Austin Independent School District.

• Louis Malfaro: president, Education Austin.

• Susan McDowell: executive director, LifeWorks.

• Nan McRaven: chair, Austin Community College Board of Trustees.

• Sylvia Orozco: executive director, Mexic-Arte Museum.

• Rev. Joseph Parker: senior pastor, David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

• Susan Rieff: executive director, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.

• Cookie Ruiz: executive director, Ballet Austin; chair, CreateAustin Working Group.

• Ted Siff: former executive director, Austin Parks Foundation.

• Fritz Steiner: dean, University of Texas School of Architecture.

• Eleanor Thompson: community activist.

• Michael Whellan: lawyer; president, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody.