Sandra Greenway
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Ms. Greenway joined Connemara Conservancy Foundation in February of 2011. Her background includes leadership positions with Shakespeare Dallas and The Arts Magnet H.S. Advisory Board where she spearheaded organizational evaluations, change management, turnaround plans and strategic planning. A current member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), she has over fifteen years experience working on annual, capital and endowment campaigns. Her work history includes stints at The Dallas Opera, the Dallas Museum of Art and Denton County Friends of the Family. Ms. Greenway holds a B.A. from Lyon College and an M.F.A. from the University of Mississippi. A former board member and volunteer for small arts groups in Dallas, Ms. Greenway now spends her time serving as the Philanthropic Liaison for DeLos Vodka, working with the Texas Land Trust Council and enjoying her home in Savannah, Texas. |
RJ Taylor |
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RJ Taylor is the Conservation Director for the Connemara Conservancy Foundation; the regional land trust serving the North Texas region of the state. Taylor’s primary role is contacting landowners about their options for protecting family lands and preparing conservation easements on these lands as a tool for permanent land conservation. Taylor joined Connemara after working 15 years as a Senior Environmental Scientist in the environmental consulting field and numerous years as a geologist in the oil and gas industry.
Taylor previously worked in the Dallas area with an engineering firm doing environmental permitting, wetlands delineation, mitigation and natural resources site assessments for developmental and transportation projects. Taylor is licensed as a Professional Geologist and certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist. He has also gone through the Texas Master Naturalist program in Houston and is a member of the North Texas Association of Environmental Professionals (NTAEP). |
Gailon Brehm |
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Gailon Brehm has been a volunteer for Connemara since 2000, has served as a board member since 2003 and now chairs the Meadow Committee. He has lived in Oklahoma, the high plains of eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle, and California prior to moving to Plano in 1977. Now retired from a satisfying career in electrical engineering, he enjoys birding, grandchildren, home and landscape projects, volunteering, and travel with wife Paula.
Gailon feels that the lack of public land in Texas, in sharp contrast to California, emphasizes the critical importance of the mission of Connemara Conservancy: "Saving the land we love". His volunteer efforts will hopefully further our success in conserving more undeveloped land and in utilizing conserved land to provide more public enjoyment and education. |
Clyde Camp |
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Clyde Camp grew up as an Air Force brat. After a 30-year stint with Texas Instruments as an Electrical and Systems engineer, he moved to Allen, TX in 2001.
Since 2010 he has managed Connemara's website and been increasingly involved with the various Meadow Preserve activites. In 2011 he became a Texas Master Naturalist, helping with the Blackland Prairie Chapter website. He also works with the Allen Garden Club, the North Texas Water Garden Society. He serves as a trail guide for Connemara, the Heard Museum and LLELA when the opportunity arises.
At home, Clyde enjoys reading Science Fiction, astronomy, woodworking, the desert Southwest and hacking (in the original good sense). He and Kathi, his wife of 40+ years, have two married daughters and two grandchildren. They also live as surrogate parents to two macaws named Jazzy and Sugimac.
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Bob Mione |
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Native Texan. Grew up in Amarillo ("lots of meadow, few trees and not much water") where he learned his love of nature and the out of doors from his Mother, his maternal Grandfather and the Boy Scouts. Picked up his appreciation for all things aquatic from his Dad-whose family had been fishermen in Sicily. Became seriously interested in bird watching while attending the University of North Texas and learned photography while on a short tour of duty with the U.S. Army. Got involved in serious wild life conservation projects while living in St. Louis and spent many hours "in the field" in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Gardening became a big hobby while living in St. Louis, where he was involved with "urban gardening" in the Inner City. Always enjoyed working with young people, first as a tennis coach, now as a "appreciate Mother Nature" coach. Spent 30 years in leadership positions with the Department of Defense and looks forward to bringing that experience to the position of Meadow Manager. Views the Meadow as a true "urban oasis" and never takes a step into it without saying: "Thank you Frances Williams for having such a wonderful vision". |
Vanna Oberholz |
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Vanna Oberholz has acted as the Volunteer Coordinator and a Meadow Committee member since fall of 2009. After developing a love of the outdoors through years and years of camping with her grandparents and other family members, Vanna enjoys any opportunity to get outside and experience nature. Living in the Dallas area her entire life (raised in Richardson, living in Dallas, finally settling in Allen), and seeing the urban sprawl develop over the years, she jumped at the opportunity do her part, spreading Connemara's mission of protecting open spaces, and sharing the uniqueness of the Connemara Meadow with the public.
Vanna graduated from Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Arlington, earning a Bachelor and Master's of Science in Civil Engineering. She also earned her Professional Engineering license, and worked in both building and bridge design. The highlight of those years was being a part of the design team for the Dallas High Five, which she had spent the better part of her life driving through.
Vanna and her husband Jim are the proud parents of two girls, Katelyn (aka the youngest Connemara volunteer), and Nicole (aka soon-to-be the youngest Connemara volunteer). While Vanna loves being a stay-at-home mom to her girls, the engineer side of her needed a cause, and supporting Connemara fit her personality as well as the family's: Vanna and Jim are happiest when spending time outside, and look for any opportunity to instill this love of nature in their children. Having the protected oasis of the Connemara Meadow so close to home is priceless, and giving back to the organization as a family is a cherished commitment. When not tending to family or Connemara business, you can often find Vanna running on neighborhood trails, training for her next half marathon. |
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List
of Volunteers