Board of Directors
Steve Stelzer, President
In his former role as the Program Director of the City of Houston Green Building Resource Center since 2008, Steve offered green building strategies to plans brought in by the public, developed and maintained green strategy displays and education programs, and maintained codegreenhouston.org, the green building portal of the City of Houston. Steve was a career architect in Houston prior to joining the City, with a BS in Architecture from the Ohio State University in 1976, and an MBA from the University of Houston in 1989. He is an advocate for backyard composting and moving the needle on zero waste and curbing pollution.
Jessica Wilt Navas, Vice President
Jessica Wilt is the Executive Director of the Central City Co-Op, Houston’s organic food Co-Op. She is passionate about bringing people together, building community to make meaningful change, and sustainability. The first of its kind in the city, the Co-Op now acts as a micro-business incubator and hub and provides a space where members and non-members can shop daily to support local organic farmers, growers, and makers. Jessica is also Vice President of the Sunset Heights Civic Association, serves on the Houston Symphony’s Wine Auction and Collector’s Dinner committee, volunteers with animal rescue organizations, and advocates for saving historic trees. She has worked abroad as a journalist for a major D.C. newspaper, is fluent in Spanish, and loves to travel. Jessica holds a Master of Science in Community and Economic Development from The Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Wittenberg University. She and her husband Erick live in the Heights with the pets that adopted them, Kiko, a Shiba Inu, Luna, the cat with the magnificent tail, and other rescues.
Alex McCray
Alex McCray currently works for the City of Houston at the Houston Permitting Center as the Project Manager for Houston’s Construction Code Modernization (CCM) project, to adopt current building codes that lay the foundation for resilient buildings as laid out in the Resilient Houston Plan and Climate Action Plan.
Previously, Alex was the Director for Mayor’s Office of Environmental Affairs for the City of Atlanta. He was awarded the Community Service Award by Atlanta City Council and awarded Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Environmental Ennovation. He has held many board positions and currently serves on the Houston Chapter of the International Code Council.
Eden Taylor
Eden is a conservation communicator and dedicated advocate for environmental protection, serving as a board member for the CEC in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. She brings her expertise in communication and public engagement to the CEC, helping to advance its mission of connecting and supporting environmental organizations.
In addition to her role with the CEC, Eden is the Communications Manager for the National Wildlife Refuge Association. In this capacity, she manages the Association’s website, email marketing, and social platforms, leveraging these tools to broaden the audience and support for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Eden earned a B.S. in Natural Resources Ecology & Management with a concentration in Conservation Biology from Louisiana State University. She is passionate about bridging the gap between conservation science and the public through compelling communication. In her free time, Eden enjoys hiking, wildflower photography, finding quaint places to read under trees, and paying attention to the smaller things in life that often get overlooked.
Amanda Hsieh
Amanda leads the development and implementation of ClimeCo’s digitalization and automation strategy with the goals of creating value for clients and partners. She assists business leaders enhance long term value by guiding the integration of sustainability into their operations with a focus on commercial opportunities. Amanda joined ClimeCo after its acquisition of Global Affairs Associates (GAA), the women-owned ESG and sustainability consulting firm in Houston. Before GAA, Amanda worked to better social and environmental conditions in IKEA’s North and South American supply chains and improve the environmental footprint of its products.
Amanda co-hosts the ESG Decoded TM Podcast and frequently speaks publicly on ESG and related topics. She was a contributor to Climate Risks in the Texas Power Sector: Stakeholder Views and Management Approaches. Amanda earned a B.B.A. in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas in Austin.
Susie Hairston
Susie Hairston is a mother, grandmother, environmental advocate, and teacher (now retired). She has been on the City of West University Place Recycling Board, and was appointed to the City of West U’s first Sustainability Task Force. A huge proponent for food waste composting, she has helped move West U towards increasing its food waste composting by helping organize a drop-off pilot, encouraging residents to sign up for curbside food waste pick-up, volunteering at school and city events to collect food waste, and helping develop a food waste diversion program for West U Elementary. She co-teaches a master recycler course, and in her past life, developed and taught an environmental studies course for high school students. She spends much of her free time reading about environmental issues, particularly climate change and plastics, playing with her grandchildren, communing with nature, and walking her dogs.
One thing Susie has realized over the years on her journey to try to make a difference is that you have to bring others along with you, form coalitions, develop community. That is why she joined the board of CEC, to help it grow its mission of connecting environmental organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens to work on protecting our shared environment.
Please contact us today if you are interested in joining our board!