Executive Committee

Richard Johnson earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rice University and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. He currently serves as the senior executive director for Rice University’s Office of Sustainability, where he leads Rice’s sustainability program and oversees a team whose work spans aligning university goals with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals; energy and water conservation, procurement, and analytics; utility planning and visioning; design and specification review; zero waste initiatives; green building; climate action planning; campus engagement; and so much more.  Richard co-directs Rice’s Environmental Studies program and holds an appointment as a professor in the practice of environmental studies in sociology.  He serves as the chair of the Futures Council for the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture.  Richard is a husband, father, foodie, traveler, and has served as a volunteer public radio deejay for over 30 years.

Kelly Wellman, MBA has served as the Sustainability Director at Texas A&M University since March 2008. She is responsible for developing and administering the campus Sustainability Master Plan, overseeing a grant-giving organization called the Aggie Green Fund and monitoring institutional sustainability performance through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Kelly represents the Division of Finance and Operations on the President’s Sustainability Advisory Council, the Sustainability & Environmental Management Committee, the Solid Waste Minimization Committee, and the Tree Campus USA Committee.

Gary joined Baylor in April 2024, bringing over a decade of sustainability leadership experience in higher education, municipal government, and non-profit sectors. He believes that higher education has a crucial role for a sustainable future by educating leaders, driving innovation, modeling solutions, convening conversations, and leading by example. He brings deep experience working with diverse stakeholders for programs and initiatives in sustainable operations, research, curriculum, student engagement, and public leadership. Gary holds a MS in Biology with a concentration on Ecology and Conservation from TCU. He was the co-founder and co-director for RCE North Texas, a Regional Centre for Expertise that convenes key stakeholders from industry, non-profit, local government, and education sectors in order to address pressing regional sustainability issues while leveraging resources and expertise across sectors. Gary believes that everyone has a seat at the table to create a more sustainable future and is always keen to talk through big ideas and collaborations.

Andee Chamberlain serves as the Interim Sustainability Program Manager and Energy Conservation Senior Specialist at Texas State University. She is a native Texan and attended the University of North Texas, where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a Certified Energy Manager, Project Management Professional, and a LEED Associate with experience working on state-wide programs in California, Hawaii, and of course, Texas. She has developed energy conservation programs for a variety of customer types (including schools), overseen several renewable and utility efficiency projects, helped implement the State of Hawaii Beverage Deposit recycling program, and led sustainability programming for more than a decade with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Most recently, she joined Texas State University, helping to improve energy conservation efforts on campus and recently stepped in as Sustainability Program Manager. Key affiliations and committees include Austin Creative Reuse Board of Directors, TXST Energy Conservation Committee, TXST River Education and Stewardship Alliance, and TXST Environmental Service Committee. She is as passionate about protecting the environment as she is about enjoying it. She and her family are avid kayakers, campers, and outdoor explorers that can be found on most weekends playing outside or enjoying live music.

Bonnie Davis serves as the Sustainability Manager at The University of Texas at Tyler. She has worked at the university since 2011, serving in various roles in communication and facilities. She leads obtaining sustainability incentives, is the liaison with government agencies and private organizations related to sustainability and works with faculty, staff, and students to develop and coordinate sustainability initiatives on campus and in the community. She has served on multiple committees, including president of the staff senate, representative of the UT System employee advisory council and currently chairs the Patriot Trees Committee and is an officer of the Texas Energy Manager Association Tyler chapter. Bonnie holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Master of Business Administration from UT Tyler.

Anne Egelston is an associate professor of environmental policy and program director of environmental science at Tarleton State University. She has a twenty-year career spanning academia and industry in the fields of climate change, sustainability, and air permitting and is the 2022-2023 Engaged Faculty Award winner for the College of Science & Mathematics.

Caitlin (she/they) coordinates the Climate Leaders Program, a student-led experiential learning program focused on climate action planning at UT Austin. She also manages external office communications through @texassustainability and office newsletter, and lends a hand with Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting, the campus Tree Campus Higher Education (TCHE) committee, and ArbNet Arboretum certification. She is currently a dual degree-seeking graduate student in the Master of Public Affairs and Community & Regional Planning programs.

Neil Kaufman is the Assistant Director of Sustainability for Urban Agriculture at Dallas College. This is a new position that seeks to support the growth and management over the campus gardens and student engagement. Prior to coming to Dallas College, Neil was the sustainability manager for University Housing and Dining at UT Austin where he launched numerous campus gardens and UT Farm Stand, the nationally recognized student-led farmers market. Neil has a degree in wildlife biology from Texas State University. His background covers everything from wildlife conservation, botany, and climate science to composting, food production, and ornamental horticulture. In his spare time, he teaches composting workshops throughout Texas.

Karen Marin-Hines started at Texas Tech University in the Office of Energy Management as an Energy Analyst in 2018 and has served as the Campus Sustainability Officer since June 2023. Karen leads reporting and outreach efforts for the Office of Sustainability and coordinates with campus and external stakeholders to promote sustainability efforts. In conjunction with the Office of Energy Management, she provides statistical and billing information to aid Auxiliary customers in monitoring their building energy efficiency. She chairs the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee and is responsible for preparing the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS) report. Karen has a Bachelor’s in Geography/Environmental Studies from UCLA and a Master’s in Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management from Texas Tech University.

Jim Morris is the Associate Vice President for University Operations at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. This includes oversight of campus safety, university police, master planning & construction, facilities management, energy management, and sustainability. Prior to his time at St. Edward’s, Jim was the Assistant Director for Facilities (Environmental and Energy Management) with Virginia Beach City Public Schools. He has an M.S. in Environmental Health from Old Dominion University and a B.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary. 

Rebecca Ornelas has served as the program coordinator for the Office of Sustainability since March 2022. Her job responsibilities include managing the bike shop and supervising student workers who support the shop. She also manages the BeakCycle program, social media, Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting and executing monthly engagement events. Rebecca also assists with current UTSA awarded grants: the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Ms. Ornelas holds an Associate of Science degree from Dallas College, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from UTSA.

Grant serves as the Sustainability Program Manager at The University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to UT Arlington, he worked on circularity and environmental justice issues related to the plastics value chain, on how to incorporate social responsibility and equity considerations as part of solutions, policy, and guidance through engaging corporate industry, NGOs, and local governments across the United States. Grant was a member of the North Central Texas Council of Government’s Resource Conservation Council and is currently involved in the Air North Texas Coalition. Grant earned a BS in Geography from the University of North Texas, where he was the Vice-Chair of the We Mean Green Fund. He also earned an MA in Sustainability & Development from Southern Methodist University, where he was also selected to be part of the Clinton Global Initiative University 2022 Cohort, focusing on the Environment and Climate change. Grant was a part of Circular San Antonio’s first delegation of sustainability professionals to Denmark and Sweden in 2024 and was recognized by GreenBiz as an Emerging Leader for Circularity in 2023.

Jeremy San Miguel serves as the Interim Director for Sustainability at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He manages growing partnerships, academic and research programs, events, reporting and assessments, and institutional initiatives that grow sustainability throughout the Region, Texas, and International Success Measures. Jeremy has over 8 years of experience in higher education, spending most of his time in student affairs, healthcare administration, counseling & case management, sustainability and research, and nonprofit work. He holds a B.A. in social work, a M.S. in social work, a M.A. in public administration, and is pursuing a Doctor of Educational Leadership. Jeremy sits on numerous social, environmental, and economic committees and advisory boards that seek to improve quality of life for the Rio Grande Valley and its many residents. In his spare time, he can usually be found in a fitness class, reading up on the latest journal articles, or singing karaoke with his friends. His cardinal belief aligns with Anne Frank’s famous mantra “no one has ever become poor by giving”.

As UT Arlington’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Meghna works collaboratively to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments at UT Arlington, and to address opportunities to promote sustainability in several areas such as energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, education, outreach, community engagement, and interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused curriculum. She has spearheaded launching a Regional Center of Expertise for Education in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in North Texas, a program of the United Nations University, and the North Texas Food Policy Alliance. She serves and represents UTA on several Advisory Boards including the National Academy of Science Board on Higher Education and Workforce Development—Policy and Global Affairs, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and on the Board of Directors for International Council for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI USA). She graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Management, MS in Environmental Science, and MS in Chemistry.