Board of Directors

J. David Bamberger has been joined by the following individuals to serve on the Board of Directors for the Bamberger Ranch Preserve. Having invested the better part of their lives towards the restoration of this 5,500 acre ranch in the Hill Country of Texas, the Bambergers took very seriously (and personally) their decision of who would operate this foundation after they were no longer alive. Each board member has demonstrated, either through their volunteer and work experience or through their personal lifestyle choices, a sustainable and "green" philosophy towards the environment. It is that underlying philosophy, as well as their diverse set of strengths, that make the Board of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve a well-functioning and cooperative organization.

Officers

J.David Bamberger, President

J. David Bamberger is the founder of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve. Not wanting to see his 33 years of land restoration to be dissolved and turned into a subdivision after his death, he created the Preserve in 2001 in an effort to keep the land and its educational contributions to society continuing on into perpetuity. The Preserve is now in its third year of existence. The ranch has long been recognized as the largest habitat restoration project on private land in Texas, and it has been a model for other area landowners to emulate. The educational stewardship message of the ranch has influenced literally thousands of landowners and subsequently thousands of acres of land. Every decision on the ranch begins with "what is best for Mother Nature?" and secondly, "how can we pass that education on to society?" J.David, along with his late wife, Margaret, have received numerous awards over the years, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Garden Clubs of America. The Bambergers and their work on the ranch continually receive awards from state and national entities such as the Texas Forest Service, the Texas Wildlife Association and the National Arbor Day Foundation. He has served on numerous boards such as the Texas Nature Conservancy, Bat Conservation International, and the San Antonio Area Foundation.

David K. Bamberger, Vice President

David K. Bamberger brings to the Board the life-long experience of the work at the ranch and the philosophy that accompanies it. His role is to make sure that the work that J. David and Margaret have envisioned for the Preserve will materialize. He is currently a free-lance editor and writer for local magazines.

Kerby Confer, Director

Splitting his time between Baltimore, MD and his ranch in Blanco County, Kerby joined our board of directors in November 2009. He and his wife, Judy, have been big supporters of the ranch's educational programs, having sponsored Johnson City Middle School's 5th grade classes to participate in overnight programs and most recently gave the ranch his astronomical observatory. (see our news and research page, as well as JDavid's November 2009 blog post for more about the observatory). Kerby brings to our board a vast and diverse business knowledge but most importantly, he brings a passion for JDavid's long term vision for Selah.

Ann Cook, Secretary

Ann Cook is a native Texan from Corpus Christi. She attended the University of Texas and Sam Houston State Teacher’s College, majoring in biology. She has taught summer classes at YWCA, volunteered at Memorial Hospital of Corpus Christ and assumed leadership roles in schools, scouting and community activities throughout her life. She lives in Blanco with husband, Arlyn and is a Certified Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. Ann currently serves on the Executive Boards of the Friends of the Blanco Library and Gem of the Hills, and acts as Secretary for the board of directors for the ranch. Ann has been one of our most passionate volunteers for more than 6 years, helping with school programs and advocating the benefits of outdoor education.

Anne P. Donovan

Anne Donovan's academic experience has focused on zoology, having attended Wellesly College and then graduating from the University of Texas, as well as graduate course work at Stanford University. She was awarded Teacher of the Year in 1999 from St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Her volunteer experience has been diverse, yet environmentally-minded: Travis Audubon Society, Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, Texas Memorial Museum, Capital Area Master Naturalists, and the Junior League of Austin, Texas. Anne's passion is truly environmental education. She has not only been an active board member of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve since 2002, but she has also volunteered additional time with the ranch's educational programs with school children.

Dodge Bamberger

Dodge Bamberger brings to the Board of Directors a life-time of experience around Selah, and is committed to maintaining the ranch's mission and purpose. Dodge is a mechanical engineering graduate from Texas A&M and is a Project Engineer for Lancer Corporation in San Antonio, Texas. He has been married to his sweetheart, Kate, since 1998 and they have beautiful twins, Dodge Jr. and Annabelle.

Dr. Robert Cocke

A long-time friend of Selah and the Bambergers, Bobby joins our board with a passionate enthusiasm for natural resource conservation in the Texas Hill Country. Bobby and his wife, Mary, are active philanthropists and own property on the renowned portion of the Blanco River known as the "Narrows".

Helen Ballew

Helen Ballew has been on the Bamberger Ranch Preserve Board since 2001 and has had vast experience in the environmental arena. With a Masters in field ecology and conservation from Yale, Helen has worked for several leading environmental agencies and foundations in Texas, such as the Hill Country Foundation, Texas Center for Policy Studies and the Texas Nature Conservancy. She is well-published, having had articles printed in Orion Nature Quarterly, as well as newspapers and newsletters.

Weldon "Rusty" Yates

We welcome new director, Rusty Yates,who brings to the board financial and ranch management experience. Rusty and his wife, Ellen, live at neighboring conservation development, The Preserve at Walnut Springs. Both are exceptional naturalists and Rusty is also a talented landscape photographer whose work has been featured not only in publications like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, but also in art galleries around the state.

Mary G. Wallace

Mary Wallace has served on the Bamberger Ranch Preserve's board since 2002. She is an environmental and civic leader in her community and in the State of Texas. She is board member and past-chairman of the environmental Defense/Texas and Currently serves on the Board of San Antonio Trees, The San Antonio Parks Foundation and the League of Conservation Voters. She was the first Directory of Citizens for Hike and Bike in Houston, an organization founded in the early 70's to develop green spaces and bike trails in a densely urban area. She has also had international experience: while living in Mexico, she worked with the United State Embassy on recycling issues and helped develop an environmental education program in the American School.

Jeff Francell

Although young in years, his work experience in the conservation arena is impressive. Jeff currently is Director of Real Estate for the Texas Nature Conservancy. He has worked extensively both for and with the Texas Nature Conservancy and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Government from University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Affairs of UT. Jeff actively serves on the City of Austin Parks Board as well as being a director of the Hill Country Conservancy. He and his wife, Marni, have two beautiful children who will never suffer from "nature deficit disorder" !

Max Scoular

Max Scoular joins our board as a young and passionate enthusiast of the Texas Hill Country. He is the founder and CEO of XG2,Inc., and has extensive consulting experience with large technology companies. A graduate of Stanford University with a BA in International Relations, Max served as a trade official with the US Department of Commerce as as a commercial officer with the US Embassy in Mexico. He currently resides on a ranch west of Austin, managing both cattle and wildlife programs. He also serves as a director of the West Cave Preserve.

Edward Hutcheson

Edward (Chap) Hutcheson joined the board of directors in 2008. He is a Managing Director of Platte River Ventures, a private equity firm and over the past two decades, he's served in senior management positions with publicly owned corporations in the telecommunications, financial services and oilfield services industries. In 1995, he co-founded Crown Castle International Corporation, the owner and operator of over 22,000 wireless communication towers in the U.S. and Australia. He served as company's Chief Operating Officer and CEO and continues as a director. Chap has a Bachelors of Science from Northwestern University, served 3 years as an officer in US Army. He has also served on boards of the Houston Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alley Theater and the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Chap received the Houston Leukemia Society's Service to Mankind Award. In 2004, Chap and his wife, Ethel, purchased a Gillespie County ranch and have since enjoyed restoring much of the cedar-infested land to grasslands.

Scientific Advisors

Dr. Louis Jacobs, President

Dr. Jacobs serves in an advisory role to the Board of Directors. Dr. Jacobs is an internationally renowned paleontologist and is the President of the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man at Southern Methodist University. The Bamberger Ranch is rich with Cretaceous period fossils and dinosaur tracks, and thus geology is a major component to educational activities. Dr. Jacobs is a frequent educator and interpreter at the ranch.

Dr. Fred Smeins, Professor

Dr. Fred Smeins is the Department Chair of the Rangeland Ecology Department at Texas A&M University. He advises both the Board and the staff on rangeland management issues. He is well-published and recognized in his field, and is considered by many to be one of the state's experts in regards to rangeland ecology and biodiversity.

Dr. Gary McCracken, Professor

Dr. McCracken is a nationally recognized bat biologist from the University of Tennessee. Dr. McCracken assisted with the construction of the Bamberger Ranch's man-made bat cave, the"Chiroptorium", which was completed in 1998. Dr. McCracken now leads scientific research on the Chiroptorium every summer, and he assists with educational programs and interpretation on bats and their ecological significance.

Education Advisor

Susan Sander

Susan Sander has been invaluable to the educational activities on the Bamberger Ranch for more than 10 years. She brings to the Board of Directors knowledge of starting and managing a nature preserve, as she founded and operated a community-based nature preserve in Kerrville, Texas, the Riverside Nature Center. She is currently the Director of the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District in Kerrville, and she brings intimate knowledge of the natural world of the Texas Hill Country to the staff and Board. Her academic background includes a masters in environmental land use planning and an undergraduate degree in philosophy.

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