CEC Greater Houston Environmental Summit 2018 Table Talk Hosts

Annually, CEC hosts the Greater Houston Environmental Summit, a networking and learning event for the extraordinary people who work at or are interested in the work of environmental organizations in the greater Houston region.

Exploring Hurricane Harvey impacts on our environment and communities – especially in surprising, unexpected ways.

Friday, August 10, 2018
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Learn more & register

Table Talk host bios (see also Featured Speakers, each of whom will host a table immediately following their presentations):

Keith Koski, Manager, City of Houston Building Materials Reuse Warehouse
Keith Koski has worked in design and construction for most of his adult life. He has striven to minimize waste in his projects as much as possible. Since 2009, Mr. Koski has had the privilege to manage the City of Houston Building Materials Reuse Warehouse, a component of the Solid Waste Management Department. The Reuse Warehouse accepts building materials from individuals and companies, diverts them from landfills, and gives them to non-profit organizations for free.

T’Noya Thompson, Report Card Coordinator, Galveston Bay Foundation
T’Noya Thompson joined Galveston Bay Foundation as Report Card Coordinator in May 2017.  Born and raised in the Bahamas, T’Noya felt connected to nature at an early age as there was much to explore and learn from. A deep connection to the ocean inspired her to attend Texas A&M University at Galveston where she received a B.S. in Marine Biology in 2005. From there, she began working at Moody Gardens in the Animal Care Department. Over past 12 years, T’Noya served a number of roles at Moody Gardens and connected with the community on various levels. She is currently pursuing a Global Field Project Master’s Degree in Biology at Miami University through Project Dragonfly. T’Noya is passionate about collaborating conservation with community engagement and is excited to apply her experience to GBF. She looks forward to connecting with the community to preserve Galveston Bay for future generation.

Joanie Steinhaus, Campaign Director, Gulf of Mexico, Turtle Island Restoration Network
Joanie Steinhaus is the Campaign Director for Turtle Island Restoration Network in their efforts to protect the Gulf of Mexico. Joanie has been involved with formal and informal education programs for over seventeen years, as a public school teacher and she has worked at informal education sites including the Houston Zoo, Keep Austin Beautiful and the Lower Colorado River Authority. She has extensive experience in the education of youth and adults about stewardship and conservation of our natural resources. Joanie has worked with a variety of organizations, both locally and state-wide, to advance conservation and sustainability issues. Her diverse knowledge and passion about the environment in the Texas area has shown in her outreach work to local politicians, community groups, homeowner associations and the general public to help them understand the value of protecting the local flora and fauna. Joanie currently serves on the Board of Clean Galveston and is a Sanctuary Advisory Member for the Flower Gardens Bank National Marine Sanctuary in a Conservation Seat.

Anton Edwards, Acquisition Specialist, Avenue C.D.C.
Anton Edwards joined Avenue as the Property Acquisition Specialist in 2015 after working 15 years in the real estate industry as an REO property manager. As the in-house agent for Avenue, his role is to acquire and develop single family, multifamily, and construction projects in the Northside and Northline communities of Houston. His current projects include Avenue Park, a 53 unit development of affordable housing; a concrete home in Acres Homes; and developing and implementing new landscaping techniques to mitigate floodwaters. During the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Anton transitioned into the role of Interim Repair Manager for Avenue CDC, coordinating the organization’s response to the growing housing crisis in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.  During that time over 20 homes were repaired, and over $100,000 in appliances and household goods were distributed. Anton is a Los Angeles native who graduated from Eisenhower High School in Houston and received a B.A. in Political Science from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. The mission of Avenue CDC is “Building affordable homes and strengthening communities”.

Matthew Tresaugue, Manager, Houston Air Quality Media Initiative, Environmental Defense Fund & One Breath Partnership
Matt Tresaugue handles the day-to-day coordination and organization of the One Breath Partnership, which involves local environmental groups working to reduce air pollution for a healthier and more resilient Houston. He also manages communications for Environmental Defense Fund’s air quality work in Houston. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he previously worked as an award-winning reporter at the Houston Chronicle and newspapers in California.

Anja Machado, Executive Director, TWRC Wildlife Center
Anja Machado is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the center, including administrative, financial, human resources, fundraising, legal, public relations and marketing. Anja has multiple years of experience co-running a non-profit as a Director for United Way, as well as various years of management, communications, and event experience. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing as well as her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of West Florida. Anja moved to Houston two years ago with her Husband and Beagle, and thoroughly enjoys finding out what this wonderful city has to offer. Anja is an avid animal lover and feels right at home at TWRC. In her spare time, she fosters and rescues domestic animals, and is excited to add rehabbing wildlife to the mix.

Theresa Morris, Gulf Program Coordinator, Turtle Island Restoration Network
Theresa is a graduate of Texas A&M University at Galveston, with both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Marine Biology. Her master’s thesis focused on marine microbiology, analyzing bacteria of ship ballast water and the locations of ballast water exchange. She also worked at the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility in Galveston Texas during undergraduate work. After volunteering for Turtle Island Restoration Network, she became the patrol coordinator for the sea turtle nest patrols and eventually the Gulf Program Coordinator. Her work covers research, advocacy, outreach, education and volunteer coordination.

Erin Kinney, PhD, Research Scientist, Coastal Ecology, HARC
Erin Kinney is a Research Scientist at HARC specializing in coastal and wetland ecology. Her research interests include wetland restoration, impacts of land use and eutrophication on coastal systems, and carbon and nitrogen cycling in wetlands. Erin graduated with a PhD in biology from the Boston University Marine Program and a BA in environmental and evolutionary biology from Dartmouth College. She previously worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the department of marine biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston and at the Ecosystem Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.