Casis Elementary celebrates 75 years
By Alana Moehring Mallard
Casis Elementary celebrated its big anniversary — 75 years — on March 5 with a student program of dancing to music popular through the decades, an alumni reception for former students and staff, and an evening community celebration on the Casis Quad.
Casis is named for Josephine and Lelia Casis, sisters and longtime educators at UT and Palm Elementary. The school opened on March 5, 1951, during the 1951-52 school year.
“The strength of Casis lies in its connections,” AISD superintendent Matias Segura said during the celebration. “It lies in parents volunteering their time, and y’all have volunteered lots of times.”
During a program in the auditorium, principal Sam Tinnon took the students through Casis questions of namesake and colors and mascot, with the student body roaring back to him their colors of blue and white, their cougar mascot, and their namesakes, Josephine and Leila Casis.
The Casis 75th Anniversary committee included April Allen, Chelsea Combs, Paige Davis, Courtney Ewing, Ashley Hollmig, Dora Lee
Little, Jinx
Maurer, Sarah Mendez, Laurie Pompa, Jessica Pieratt, Katie Romano, Sam Tinnon, and Lindsey Victoria.
Casis alumnae Sarah Douglas Ford and Sarah Hawthorne Cain, former Casis 2nd grade teacher Bonnie Cross, Casis alumnae Katie Case and Stephanie McDonald Edgar, and former Casis principal Amy Kinkade
Casis 5th grade teacher Derek Springer, Casis student Madeline Pieratt, Casis alumnus Bo Jenkins
A Casis 5th grade Dance Through the Decades number Casis students Lucy Stitt, Elise Allen
AISD superintendent Matias Segura and trustee Lynn Boswell with Casis PTA president Laurie Pompa
Heather and Bobby Chesne
Casis alumni Whitney May Knight, J. Pieratt, Sarah Hawthorne Cain, and Rob Pieratt
Casis 2nd grade students Sawyer Davis, Ellie Richardson, Annie Hollmig, Rooney Emery, Eden Davidson, Maggie Coover, and Sloane Jaeschke
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATIE ROMANO
Casis alumni, parents, and students view Casis history at the alumni reception
Former Casis staff and teachers, front, Anne Ostartiki, Jennifer Vail, Barbara Nichols, Amy Kinkade, Martha Oliver, Patti Hirsh, Charlotte Nacozy; back, Sandy Candler, Jo Cornwell, Farrell Robertson, Bonnie Cross Casis 75th Anniversary school-wide assembly
Casis kindergartners Dance Through the Decades Performance – 1960s
Casis 2nd grade students dancing to ’80s music
Casis 5th graders Dance Through the Decades
Principal Sam Tinnon with Casis staff and alumni at the alumni reception
Casis students, faculty and staff, and parents form a giant 75
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Casis principal Sam Tinnon
Casis students Lucy Stitt, Elise Allen
Casis principal Sam Tinnon with former Casis principal Amy Kinkade Casis alumnus Reid Umstattd
Around the Neighborhood: opening expanding celebrating
Around the Neighborhood: opening expanding celebrating
Tiny Grocer in Hyde Park gave its restaurant a mini-makeover to Tiny Grocer Café
neighborhood spot, at 4300 Speedway in Hyde Park’s old post office building, serves all day classics from breakfast to deli items and sandwiches, to steak frites and roast chicken, and is open seven days a week with a new kids’ play area, a walk-up wine window, and new inside booths
Howson Branch Library will host a Mayor’s Book Club discussion on May 9 of this year’s pick, Jason Mott’s People Like Us. The discussion caps several months of activities including a storytelling workshop at Howson, a grief writing workshop at University Hills Branch, and a conversation with the author at Austin Central. Howson’s discussion, from 10:30am to 12:30pm, is at 2500 Exposition Blvd. Mayor’s Book Club is sponsored by The Library Foundation
Barbara Morgan
OBY FORREST PREECE
n a recent morning, I enjoyed a conversation with Barbara Morgan, Executive Director of The Austin Film Festival (AFF), in her corner office. Yes, it’s only fitting that this woman, who has led the festival to become the top event of its kind in the country, should have a location of importance in her business environs.
Heading into its 33rd year, the festival features screenwriters whose stories power the film and television entertainment industry and is one of the top US outlets for film premieres. Over 12,000 scripts and 6,000 films are submitted to AFF for judging each year. “On Story,” the Emmy Award-winning TV show featuring screenwriters that Barbara originated 15 years ago, is seen on 85% of PBS stations nationwide. The annual AFF Film and Food Party is one of Austin’s most popular fundraisers. AFF’s Ghost Ranch Retreat, held each year in New Mexico, is a sought-after spot for writers and filmmakers to hear professional talks and hone their craft. The festival’s Young Filmmakers Competition gives students ages 13-18 a chance to show their work to the world for free. And oh yes, Barbara and her management team oversee an army of 1,200 volunteers — around 600 of whom are active during the festival.
Now about that corner office — it’s the back bedroom of a 1950s house in a mixed-use neighborhood, two blocks east of I-35, south of Disch-Falk Field. As I sat there with Barbara, using a fold-up desk she provided for me, I told myself there couldn’t be anything more Austin-centric than this. I’m talking with the chief executive of a prominent
national operation that is headquartered in a place that, well, doesn’t look like 30 Rock. As she says, “This thing could never have happened anywhere else but Austin.”
Like many movers and shakers in this town, Barbara is skilled in several fields. She came to UT in 1979 to major in petroleum engineering. Then she moved into math. She began her career arranging financing for radio and television stations and dabbled in music management. In 1993, she had just finished making a broadcast station deal for a friend in the Panhandle. While they were having a meal, he asked her why there weren’t any mainstream film festivals in Austin.
A few weeks later, she was at a dinner party, and the topic came up again with the newly appointed Texas Film Commissioner in the room. Barbara asked her what it would take to make a festival happen, and the commissioner said, “Write a business plan and bring it to us.” Barbara did just that, and Governor Ann Richards saw it and liked it. Somehow, a Statesman reporter got wind of the idea and wrote a story about it.
Barbara quickly called Marsha Milam, a marketing expert and event planner, to bring her into the loop. Then Fred Miller, a national-level film producer and Marsha’s
neighbor, asked if they’d like to go have drinks and chat about the plans of making the festival bigger than just Austin. After some discussion, Fred tossed out the key idea: to center the event around screenwriters rather than just showing films and bringing in big-name directors. Barbara went to a pay telephone and called well-known screenwriter Al Reinert in Houston to ask if he’d appear at the event. He agreed and provided a contact for his writing partner, Bill Broyles. Then Barbara’s good friend Robert Draper brought in Bill Wittliff. Having this core group of all-star writers was crucial. “I believe in kismet,”
Barbara says.
She adds that if they had just made it a film festival, the business model wouldn’t have worked. “There’s no way to make enough money from just showing films.” Then she had the idea to solicit scripts for judging and awards, thereby bringing more of the spotlight onto that part of the film industry. The first year, 1,200 scripts were submitted for appraisal. Now they receive around ten times that many each year. To say the least, it’s challenging to get the scripts read, but they have built the process up over time, and it is efficient.
Barbara soon found out that the writers — even at the top level of the profession — were often dismissed by the very industry they helped forge. Writers were not usually invited to premieres, and no one had ever produced a festival that invited them to speak. At the first AFF in October 1994, they had six Oscar-nominated writers attend who participated in panel discussions. Things caught fire in a hurry. One of the winning scripts submitted that year, Excess Baggage, was bought by Columbia Pictures. That was another spark that drew attention to them and let the film industry know this festival would be important.
In 2000, they expanded the festival’s scope to include television writers. David Chase
(The Sopranos) was among the first group AFF welcomed that year. Barbara says that many people in the film business thought TV writing was a lunchpail job. But actually, it was the area of the industry’s largest expansion, and it added to AFF’s profit stream.
Unlike other festivals that keep trying to do the “film, movie stars, and directors” model, AFF has the framework to keep succeeding. The biggest challenge they face is the high cost of making any event in Austin work. Tech people are moving here by the thousands, and they don’t care about events that have been around for decades. It’s a cultural shift. In spite of all that, last year’s festival was a success, and plenty of people from Los Angeles and other film centers came, enjoyed the screenings, and had a great time.
One thing that is helping is that the state has re-upped incentives to film here, to the tune of $1.2 billion, largely thanks to two young people, Grant Woods and Chase
Musselwhite, who conceived the plan and pushed it through the legislature. That has been a godsend. And there are forces like Taylor Sheridan’s (Yellowstone) producing work here in Texas that are catalysts for more positive things.
One way the festival has kept its brand vibrant and expanded its reach is through On Story, its national TV show, currently launching its 16th season. Again, it was kismet that made this juggernaut happen. Not long after the turn of the century, Barbara was having lunch with Bill Stotesbery, KLRU’s CEO, and she mentioned all the footage they had in storage from writers’ panels. Bill asked if she could produce a sample show for him to see. Barbara and her staff did just that and gave it to him. He viewed it and quickly asked, “How many more can you do?” KLRU wound up airing 12 episodes, and then Bill put the shows out on the PBS national system (NETA) to see who else would pick them up.
Barbara still remembers the call she received when Bill
said that they’d been adopted by eight stations, including San Francisco. Soon, 20 stations started airing it, and now they produce 15 new shows a year, which are aired on PBS stations nationwide, including 23 of the top 25 markets. This exposure is a major driver of the AFF brand, and it has led to a massive increase in badge sales and attention from prominent writers. They also produce 24 podcasts and radio shows a year, giving students a chance to edit the pieces and gain valuable training. They do other things to keep the festival fresh as well. Their Ghost Ranch Retreat lets them connect, up close and personal, with their core constituency of writers, filmmakers, and many audience members. And the Young Filmmakers Competition provides a look into the generation ready to emerge. Barbara says, “Keeping AFF going for thirty-three years is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s easy to be complacent, and we can’t let that happen.”
Barbara Morgan (right) and director Olive Talley at the Stones Are Speaking world premiere at the Austin Film Festival.
PHOTO CREDIT: JACK PLUNKETT
Barbara Morgan (left) and Emerald Fennell, director/writer of Saltburn at its screening. PHOTO CREDIT: JACK PLUNKETT
A Stellar Night for Central Texas Families
One hundred and fifty community members filled the historic Brodie Homestead for Any Baby Can’s annual One Stellar Night Gala. More than $291,000 was raised to provide essential services to more than 3,000 children and families, directly supporting the organization’s goal of building a more equitable future for children in Central Texas. Those vital services include more than 65,000 direct service visits each year, an average of approximately 178 per day.
The lovely event was chaired by Chris and Colleen Lynch and included cocktails and dinner, along with a lively auction featuring Astounding Auction’s Tiwanna Kennedy. Auction items included high-profile trips and other exciting offerings.
Emcee Russell Duke, a former client and now a board member, shared a story from his own experience of first connecting with the organization more than 20 years ago, when his daughter was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. After her passing, he channeled his grief into action. Today he serves as a powerful advocate in the community and helps guide the organization’s mission.
Duke’s message underscored the importance of not only supporting families in moments of need, but also empowering them to find their direction, gain confidence, and, one day, give back to the com-
PHOTOS BY BRIO PHOTOGRAPHY
munity that supported them.
“We believe something simple and powerful: no family should have to navigate choppy seas by themselves, “ said Veronda L. Durden, President & CEO of Any Baby Can, “We’re incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support shown at One Stellar Night.”
Any Baby Can provides child development, family health, and parent support services in Central Texas. By supporting families in overcoming obstacles and building resilience, the organization creates brighter futures for children and families. Services include in-home support for children facing a serious diagnosis, first-time mothers, and parents who need additional assistance.
To learn more, visit www. anybabycan.org.
Tracy Letzerich, Brad Swail and Laura Struck
Paul Brownell & Catherine Brownell, Board member Nancy Harris, Kate Hubben, and Joyce Durst
Andrew Lowe, Karina Damian, Patricio Perez, and Jennifer Anderson
Board Chair Zeena Querbach, Van Vo, Bella Lopez, Carlisha Robinson, and Beth Kruger
Laura Duke, Austin Bogart, Alyssa Barker, Board Member Russell Duke, Joe Duke, Amy Schweiss
Lead Parent Educator Lauren Bredemeyer, Parent
Member Nora Ontiveros, and Silvia Ontiveros
Art Shearer & Merell Anne Shearer, Chris Lynch, Board Member Colleen Lynch, Eva Lynch, and Riley Caraway
Board secretary Greg Van Wyk, Amy Van Wky, Natalie Robertson, and Ken Schatz
First time on the market in over 65 years! Elegant 1940s Georgian Revival residence featuring 4-5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 3 living areas, 2 dining areas, 2-car garage, swimming pool. 4,892 SF, .25 acre lot. Shown by appointment. List price: $3,500,000
SAFE Gala Honors H-E-B with Guardian Award
Austin residents and local business leaders turned out for SAFE’s (Stop Abuse for Everyone) 20th annual Gala of Hope at the JW Marriott. The event raised over $1 million to support SAFE’s work with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and sex trafficking. The funds will help provide immediate crisis services and support long-term programs aimed at strengthening community safety.
Quan Cosby, former UT Football Player, served as emcee, and guests enjoyed a cocktail hour before being seated for dinner. Attendees bid on a variety of high-end auction items that included a luxury escape to Vail, an Italian getaway and an African safari.
This year’s Guardian Award, the highest expression of gratitude SAFE gives to long-time partners, was presented to H-E-B. A Texas-based, family-owned company, H-E-B has a strong reputation for stepping up in moments of need, responding to crises, and investing in families. For more than a century, the company has demonstrated a commitment to people, service, and local impact Sean Ransenberg, Managing Director of H-E-B Retail Media and Brand Services, was on hand to receive the award.
The recognition reflects a 35-year partnership with SAFE, from Favor team members delivering holiday meals to families in shelter to a $1 million contribution toward SAFE’s permanent supportive housing project, the Lancaster. SAFE Alliance Board Vice Chair Karly Houchin and Nelia Robbi served as chairs for the event and committee members included Mary Anne McMahon, Cassie Shankman, Taylor Short, Nina Brissey, Samuel Coon, Tara Godby, Miranda Gonzales, Lexa Sandquist, and Samantha Sheffer
Charles Peveto
1. What’s something about you that not many people know?
That I am a collector of many things, and an avid collector of Mid-Century Mexican Silver, Spanish Colonial Silver, and pre-Columbian art. Most people assume I collect only Texas Modernism, that being my main focus, both paintings and sculpture.
2. What was your first job?
Designing a sign to go on top of a friend’s shop in Orange, Texas, while in high school, enrolled in drafting.
3. If you could have dinner with four people — dead or alive, at any time in history, who would they be?
The late Modernist Edward Durell Stone, late Austin architect Charles Henry Page, Houston philanthropist and socialite Lynn Wyatt, and Austin philanthropist and author Gay Gaddis, all at Table 50 in The Austin Club.
4. If you had to pick three musicians for a playlist, who would they be?
Diana Ross, Madonna (her ballads, especially “Masterpiece”), and the current group, Cigarettes After Sex (the perfect background for a reception)
5. Favorite book and TV show?
10. Which living person do you most admire?
Good friend and former Mayor of Austin, Lee Cooke
Houchin commented, “I was proud to serve as co-chair of the gala and help raise $1M for SAFE. The money raised helps sustain programs like supervised custody exchanges, forensic exams, affordable housing, and emergency shelters. Philanthropic donations are a critical part of the equation, but funding sustainability also requires long-term investment from community partnerships. Together, we can ensure that SAFE’s programs will help survivors for many years to come.”
Book: “Double Vision” The Unerring Eye of Art World Avatars Dominique and John de Menil, Television Show: Dark Shadows, 1960s.
The Houston-Tillotson Jazz Band played for the after-party, and highly acclaimed local artist Nick Stevenson provided live-art painting.
6. Most powerful movie you have seen.
“The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone”
7. Favorite place in Austin?
Well, I have two. My tiny place at Westgate Tower (19621966), designed by American Modernist Edward Durell Stone, next door to the beautiful Texas State Capitol. Historic preservation and history being my life, I had the Westgate listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Also, Wooldridge Square, one of Austin’s original four historic squares that were laid out in Edwin Waller’s 1839 Plan of Austin. I chair the Friends of Wooldridge Square in my Downtown neighborhood.
8. Favorite restaurant and watering hole Fonda San Miguel
9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Architect/Designer
11. What makes you happy? Dining with friends. Lunching at Table 50 at The Austin Club, with good friends, someone in particular. Breakfast/ Lunch at Casa de Luz. “Truffles Charles,” a special dessert was created in my honor, a very healthy macrobiotic creation. I always have dessert for breakfast at Casa. Lunching at the Argyle Club in San Antonio. Breakfast/ Lunch Table 13, Pasqual’s, Santa Fe. Listen, I was born to lunch, especially in historic places. It is what it is ...
12. Best advice you ever received? You have to earn the trust of others.
SAFE CEO Dr. Pierre Berastain
SAFE CEO Dr. Pierre Berastain and Managing Director of H-E-B Retail Media and Brand Services Sean Ransenberg
Gala Co-Chairs Nelia Robbi and Karly Houchin
Auctioneer Andrew Bost
Charles Peveto outside the Westgate Tower, where he lives.
The 1900 Wealth Management Austin team, from left: Jake Allison, Matt Richter, Melissa Anderson, Ashton Motes, J. Sulester
Nicole’s Place: Building Women to Stand on Their Own
Supported by The Austin 20
By Anne DeVries
In recent years, more visibility has been given to the existence of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) in the United States. What most people in Austin don’t realize is that it is not a far-off problem, but is happening in our own city. The issue is commonly thought to be isolated to kids being trafficked across the southern border. This is not the full story.
In reality, the abuse is often started by a girl's own family, fueled by drug abuse. Occurring due to teen isolation and loneliness that is preyed upon. Techniques, including social media, are used to hijack vulnerable young women, luring them into relationships with extravagant gifts and false friendship that place them into debt. The repayment option: sexual exploitation.
For one local resident, learning this was enough to compel her to take action.
In 2017, Lisa Knapp founded Nicole’s Place alongside 20 friends from the Westlake area. They call themselves The Austin 20. Together, they built a transitional living community for pregnant and parenting mothers working to leave behind lives marked by trafficking, abuse, and poverty.
Located a short drive from Austin, Nicole’s Place is a residential home that provides not just a roof over the heads of young mothers and their
PHILANTHROPY SPOTLIGHT
children, but also a roadmap guiding residents toward independence through concrete, measurable steps.
“We are not raising girls to rely on us,” Knapp says. “We are raising women who rely on themselves.”
That philosophy shapes every aspect of the program. The path forward at Nicole’s Place is built on actionable progress: obtaining a driver’s license, pursuing an education, securing employment, and accessing reliable childcare. These are not aspirations. They are tools necessary to build a self-sustaining life. What separates Nicole’s
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
▲ Weekly: direct interaction consistency a must, commitment required.
▲ Life Skill Teaching: cooking, financial education, outdoor activities, childcare, etc. Interval definable, planning needed, reliability a must.
▲ Shopping: monthly Costco run, special needs identified.
▲ Rides: on call for transportation of residents or delivery of needed items.
▲ Meal Delivery: premade meals delivered with predetermined consistency.
CONTACT: www.theaustin20. org/contact-us
Place from traditional transitional housing is its refusal to confuse support with dependency. There is no therapeutic language designed to keep someone comfortable while they stay stuck. There is, instead, a steady and non-negotiable expectation of growth guided by professionals and caring volunteers.
“These girls are not the problem,” Knapp says. “They are not lazy, not reckless, not looking for a handout. They are capable, very capable. Growing up in chaos makes you very good, very fast, at reading people and situations. That’s not dysfunction. That’s survival. And we build on it.”
Knapp’s experience with the young woman has revealed that though each is unique, they share one unmistakable characteristic: extreme strength. “It is the kind of strength that isn’t found on motivational posters. It is the kind that kept them alive. And
MEANINGFUL WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
▲ Donate: fund campus expansion and daily operations. https://theaustin20.org/donate-1.
▲ Fundraising: Help with fall event, identify other opportunities.
▲ Service Research: help identify and coordinate social services, community resources, public assistance provided by the city and state services in support of low-income individuals.
▲ Partners: businesses and organizations- assist monetarily or with knowledge and expertise in land or housing acquisition, home maintenance, and legal support.
CONTACT: www.theaustin20. org/contact-us
when a young mother arrives with an infant and very little else, something remarkable often happens”. She shared.
“You can watch it happen,” Knapp continues. “The moment the thought clicks inside of them — I can do this. It happens not because we saved them, but because that capacity was there the whole time. Nobody had ever bothered to expect it out of them.”
Springs
The women leading Nicole's Place hold themselves to the same standard. Debra Rodriguez, a counselor and psychoeducation specialist who specializes in trauma recovery, runs the day-to-day operations. She is assisted by Jennifer Comeaux, who serves as the House Manager."
At Camp Balcones Springs, we’re more than a camp—we’re a family. Campers build confidence, take meaningful risks, and make lifelong friends in a supportive, tight-knit community.
a family. Campers build confidence, take meaningful risks, and make lifelong friends in a supportive, tight-knit community.
Dena Wood, an original member of the Austin 20 group and Board Member, serves as the Volunteer Coordinator. Wood is described by Knapp as the embodiment of the organi zation’s culture, someone who leads with consistency, never says “we can’t,” and shows up without exception.
That culture of showing up extends to one of the program’s defining commitments: no waitlists. When a young mother and her baby are living in a car, Knapp says, there is simply no “circle back later.”
Nicole’s Place is currently
With small cabins and an industry-best camper-to-counselor ratio, every child is known, welcomed, and supported from day one.
With small cabins and an industry-best -to-counselor ratio, every child is known, welcomed, and supported from day one.
pushing to expand its campus to serve more women, and the need is urgent. Monetary support is needed, as are volunteers willing to commit consistently in various capacities. Learn more or get involved at https://theaustin20.org/.
Rooted in Christian values, CBS is a place for everyone. No matter their faith or beliefs, every camper feels at home.
Rooted in Christian values, CBS is a place for everyone. No matter their faith or beliefs, every camper feels at home.
Inclusivity is at our core. We create a safe, welcoming space where every camper is valued and ound camp, we offer air-conditioned cabins, top-tier facilities, and a dedicated full-time f— including a culinary team ready for any
Inclusivity is at our core. We create a safe, welcoming space where every camper is valued and supported.
As a year-round camp, we offer air-conditioned cabins, top-tier facilities, and a dedicated full-time staff— including a culinary team ready for any dietary need.
Camp Balcones Springs may be in Texas, but our community spans the country and beyond. With om across the U.S. and abroad, friendships here last a lifetime.
Camp Balcones Springs may be in Texas, but our community spans the country and beyond. With campers from across the U.S. and abroad, friendships here last a lifetime.
For the third consecutive year, Regents School of Austin has earned the 5A State Champion title in TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) Academics. Regents also secured an impressive third-place overall finish at the highly competitive Academics, Speech, and Debate state meet.
Several Regents students placed in the top eight of their respective events, earning crucial points to secure the team’s state title. A major highlight of the meet was the team’s dominant performance in math, which included individual state championships in Number Sense, Calculator, and Advanced Math, capped by a spectacular 1-2-3 “podium sweep” in the Advanced Math category.
The team is coached by Dr. Josh Wilkerson, Director of K-12 Mathematics. The math competitors are also coached by Lisa Collins, director of the Regents Vectors Math Club.
Congratulations to all the participating students on a job well done.
Regents School of
Students
Nicole’s Place Program Director Debra Rodriguez
glimpse of Nicole’s Place property
Nicole’s Place House Manager Jenn Comeaux
Volunteer Coordinator Dena Wood
of Nicole’s Place enjoying the view
Nicole’s Place residential home
look at
Nicole’s Place residence
Nicole’s Place Founder Lisa Knapp
Piper Taylor, Dane Heath, Drew Novy, Diego Romero, Harrisonne Wu, Luke Wood, Noah Ledbetter, Ryan Collins,
Tobin Simmons, Brooks Garner, Kaitlin Collins, Bailey Roberson, Hannah Butler, Claire Ly, Ashley Dunaway. Not
Pictured: Simon Batchelor, Charlie Roy, Sawyer Jackson
Spring Work at Reed Park
By Meg Rein, Friends of Reed Park
Spring has come to the neighborhood, and many neighbors will have noticed an uptick in activity at Reed Park. In February, beautiful new Mexican sycamore trees were planted along the playground. One of them already holds a bird’s nest. In March, a crew was at work removing invasive plants along the sloped ground behind the ball field, parts of the creek, and the playground. The smell of freshly cut mulch drifts over the hillside now, as volunteers have been spreading it around trees and along paths, and scattering native plant seeds in the newly cleared areas.
The work being done at the park has been organized by Friends of Reed Park (or “FORP”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the care and maintenance of the park, in coordination with the City of
Austin. In recent years, FORP has advocated for needed maintenance and care at the park, and for preserving the peaceful, natural character that makes Reed Park so special to the neighborhood.
URBAN FOREST GRANT FUNDS
Last fall, FORP applied for and won an Urban Forest Grant in the amount of $70,500, for invasive species removal and habitat restoration work at the park. Urban Forest grant funds are earmarked for work on Cityowned property to enhance the long-term health of Austin’s urban forest. FORP applied for the grant in consultation with the City of Austin and well-known local landscape architecture firm Campbell Landscape Architecture, led by Cameron Campbell, a landscape architect and resident of Tarrytown who has donated
time and expertise to park restoration efforts.
Now, the grant funds are being put to use. After a bidding process, FORP hired Maas Verde, a local company specializing in landscape restoration and vegetation management, to remove the invasive species—including ligustrum, nandina, photinia, privet and poison ivy—that were choking the sloped, wooded hillside on the back 3.25 acres of Reed Park.
Unlike volunteer laborers, Maas Verde’s professional crews are able to girdle invasive plants where feasible to discourage regrowth, and to apply targeted herbicides that are environmentally safe and City- approved. The crews put the removed invasives into a wood chipper to create mulch to be spread along trails and around native trees as a tree ring for their long term health. The crews left a 40-foot buffer of vegetation at the top of the hillside, at the request of park neighbors for privacy purpos-
es, but otherwise have made noticeable progress clearing the hillside of invasive plants.
WHY REMOVE INVASIVES?
Seeing almost $80,000 put to work in the park is exciting, but also begs the question: are invasives really the most pressing problem at the park? Why is this work so important? Adam Blanton is a native Texan and the owner of Blanton’s Nursery, where he grows native trees and woody shrubs from seed. As an expert in this field, he explained a few things that casual park users may not know. Adam acknowledges that seeing trees cut down in a park may be unsettling, but explained, “this is not a destructive act, but the first necessary step in a long-term plan to restore our park into a thriving, native ecosystem.” He went on:
“Think of it like owning a home. When you first move in, everything might look fine. But if you neglect regular upkeep—
like fixing a leaky roof or managing overgrown landscaping—small issues become big problems. Over time, the property falls into disrepair. Our park has experienced a similar kind of ecological neglect. Over the years, invasive trees have taken over. While they are green and appear healthy, they choke out native plants, reduce biodiversity, and create a fragile landscape that cannot sustain itself.” Adam stresses the crucial importance of native tree species in supporting a local ecosystem. He explains, “native trees are host plants to native caterpillars, which in turn become native butterflies.
Many species of birds rely on caterpillars as their primary food source. When we remove trees that don’t support native insects and replant with native trees, we start to rebuild the entire ecosystem from the ground up. Invasive trees simply do not serve this function. They may look like trees, but they are ecological dead ends.”
Of course, it is not enough to swap one species of tree for another. FORP has committed to planting a diverse group of plants in each specific area of the park, and this work is also underway. Using privately donated funds, FORP has planted new trees and spread thousands of dollars worth of native seed in the park. Adam says the diverse plantings “encourage not just plant diversity, but biological diversity as a whole” because they provide food and shelter for a wide range of insects, birds, and other wildlife. When the native plants bloom and fruit at different times, there is a steady food supply across the seasons. As Adam says, “the result is a resilient, balanced ecosystem that can better withstand disease, pests, and a changing climate.” In other words, Adam and other landscape experts see the removal of invasive trees and plants, like those
Alyssa Balough, chair of Friends of Reed Park’s youth engagement, stands
of the park
Sekhar Swaminathan, almost 4, plays in an area of Reed Park recently cleared of invasive plants
Gazelle Foundation Gala Makes Clean Water Flow in Burundi
For the sold-out crowd who gathered for the Gazelle Foundation’s Spring for the Water Gala at Hotel ZaZa, it was a night of purpose, joy, and generosity that showed what can happen when a community comes together. The annual event raised more than $300,000 to build spring-fed, gravity-powered water systems in Burundi, a small rural country in East Africa. The funds will support six new water systems that will serve more than 8,000 people, eliminating the need to walk long distances to collect clean water.
The evening kicked off with guests participating in an immersive water-walk simulation, offering a glimpse into the daily journey many families in Burundi take to obtain water. Thanks to the Foundation’s water systems, the typical fourmile journey has been reduced to just 400 meters.
That shared experience set the tone for the night, which continued with dinner, dancing, and a lively auction and paddle raise.
Foundation staff shared moving stories and personal experiences that underscored the desperate need for easily accessible clean water and emphasized the life-changing difference these systems make in the lives of Burundians.
around where I grew up, and schools have water.”
KREUTZ
Co-founder and local running coach Gilbert Tuhabonye reflected on the journey that brought him from Burundi to Austin. “My life was not easy, but it was a lot of fun,” he shared, weaving together memories of hardship, resilience, and hope. He spoke of carrying his mother miles to a hospital and fetching water for her while missing school, then paused to reflect on how life has changed in the communities where he grew up.
“The clinic that treated my mother has water now,” he said. “There are tap stands all
That full circle experience is made possible by a Central Texas community that has embraced Gilbert’s spirit of joy and perseverance, transforming it into advocacy for clean water in a remote area of the world.
Co-founder Peter Rauch offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the Gazelle Foundation partners with local communities to build the water systems. “There’s no backhoes or electricity where we work,” he explained. “It’s largely a labor-intensive process.”
While on a trip with her family, the Foundation’s Community Development Associate Maslin “Mazzy” Redett had the rare opportunity to witness firsthand the impact she helps make possible every day.
When Reddit arrived on site in Burundi where a water system was recently completed, she was met with singing, dancing, and celebration from the community. Through a translator, one woman told her, “To have this water is a gift of God. We are so thankful.”
“It was emotional seeing the work because it was hard to visualize how large these systems really are,” Reddit said. She added, “Children as
young as 2 and 3 years old were fetching water from the tap stands.”
To close the evening, Gilbert returned to the stage to express his gratitude and remind the crowd that their commitment means that clean water now flows in places where it once did not. He summed it up simply yet powerfully: “Because of you, water will flow.”
Since 2006, the Gazelle Foundation has helped bring clean water to 144,560 people in Burundi, creating jobs, improving health, and opening doors for education and opportunity.
The celebration may have lasted only one evening, but its
REED PARK
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
that had been steadily taking over Reed Park, as the hard but necessary work of clearing out the “rot” so the park’s forest can thrive. It is not the end of the park’s trees, but a chance for the native trees to have the resources they need. Eventually, as Adam explains, healthy and diverse native species in the park “will create a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem that our community can enjoy for generations.”
Taking out the invasive species may make the hillside look bare for a time. But in a few short years, it will become
impact will continue for years to come. To see what this community has helped build over
much healthier and more beautiful than “the monoculture of invasives it is replacing,” Adam says.
FORP members have been proud to work in conjunction with the City on this project, and to see a large investment of Urban Forest funds poured into our own neighborhood park. The work will bear fruit for years to come and is part of FORP’s enhancement plan at the park, which it describes as “a neighborhood-driven vision to restore, beautify, and future-proof” this beloved neighborhood green space.
ATTRIBUTIONS
the past 20 years and find ways to get involved, visit www. gazellefoundation.org.
We’re proud to partner with the City of Austin’s Urban Forest Grant, who made this project possible. Learn more at AustinTexas.gov/ufgp. Reach Adam at Blantons Nursery@gmail.com or on Instagram @blantonsnursery. Friends of Reed Park is an all-volunteer organization. All funds raised go directly to the care and maintenance of Reed Park. FORP’s website is https:// www.reed-park.org/ . Reach out to get involved or donate— your help and support is so appreciated. Upcoming events at Reed Park include Kiln Fest on May 2nd (mark your calendars!) and the opening of Reed Pool on June 8. Contact City of Austin for details on Reed Pool’s swim team.
PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH
Gazelle Foundation Board of Directors: Peter Rauch, Chad Whited, Maeve Magner, Gilbert Tuhabonye, Executive Director Courtney Waldren, Ashish Patel, Suellen Carson, Dermot O’Driscoll.
Spring For The Water Event Committee: Kelly Patel, Natalie Brown, Emily Ballenger, Kathleen Woodhead, Taylor Matchok, Suellen Carson, and Triphine Tuhabonye
Chad Whited and Gilbert Tuhabonye
Gilbert Tuhabonye and Peter Rushford
Susan and Peter Rauch
Janie Chiles, Gilbert Tuhabonye, and Rylie Chiles
Kelly and Ashish Patel
Anna Armstrong, Anna Asendorf, Signage Seiler, Kelly Patel, and Sara Zilkha
Ed Clements, Triphine Tuhabonye, and Betsy Clements
Steve & Nataile Brown, Gilbert Tuhabonye, and Susie & Dan Allen
“WALLERING” AROUND IN AUSTIN’S HISTORY
The Mantle of Violet Identity: City of the Violet Crown
Long before the booster catchphrase “Live Music Capital of the World” was coined, Austin was known by the more genteel term, “City of the Violet Crown.” Quite a few businesses today sport “violet crown” in their names, like the Violet Crown Coffee Shop in the Crestview Shopping Center and the Violet Crown Theatre on 2nd street downtown. The name is often a slight source of puzzlement for newcomers.
In 1888, the Austin Statesman announced that Austin was set among “hills crowned with violets.” There is indeed a species of wild violets that grow in Texas, but perhaps someone else has seen them. Not this author!
Hues of violet and purple often do create a purple haze at sunset over the hills to the west that could be called “a violet crown.”
But when did Austin first receive this name? Accounts differ.
Some attribute the sobriquet to Austin’s boast of its similarity to Athens, Greece, as a City of Learning. The 6th-century Greek lyric poet Pindar wrote of Athens:
“City of light, with thy violet crown, beloved of the poets, thou art the bulwark of Greece.”
Just substitute “Texas” for “Greece” and there you have it!
O’Henry, the nom de plume of the noted short story writer William Sydney Porter, called Austin “City of the Violet Crown” in an 1894 detective story, “Tiqtoq” (shades of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot).
O’Henry may have been teasing Austin a bit for its overly ambitious claims that it had ascended the cultural heights of ancient Athens.
O’Henry, author and sometime embezzler, remarked that:
“Austin society is acknowledged to be the wittiest, the most
select, and the highest bred to be found southwest of Kansas City.”
Southwest of Kansas City! A high compliment, indeed. Or “damning with faint praise,” as we used to say. (It should be noted here that the Austin History Center has an incredible collection of O’Henry materials, collected by Judge Trueman O’Quinn!) Here’s a sample of just one of the O’Henry collections of short stories in a tattered Modern Library book cover.
In 1917, a promotional booklet, “Austin, Texas: The City of the Violet Crown” was published and included a panegyric poem:
“Proudly thou sittest upon violet crowned hills, Beautifully serene thy shady dales and rills; Austin, wondrous fair art thou, in beauty thou wilt stand As age on age old Time rolls on thy glories to expand”
— Narnie Hillary Harrison
The pamphlet included information on Austin’s Thriving Industries, Beautiful Homes, Educational and State Institutions, Scenic Views, and so forth. An undated second booklet, full of wonderful, historic photographs, proclaims that Austin is “A Modern 20th Century City.” Indeed! In the 1920s, the “Violet Crown San Sam Festival,” was held, a quirky name in honor of both the Battle of San Jacinto and its hero, Sam Houston. Since Old Sam wanted to move the state capitol away from Austin to Houston, the festival’s name is quite ironic. (Dear Reader, the “San Sam Festival” will be covered in another column.)
Today, the mantle of violet identity has been taken up by the neighborhoods of Brentwood and Crestview situated between Burnet Road and North Lamar. In the 1940s, two entrepreneurs, Dr. Joe Koenig and Clarence McCullough, developed a subdivision which they called “Violet Crown Heights.” Brentwood and Crestview are known for their annual Violet Crown Festival and publish a newsletter, “Voices of the Violet Crown” (www.violetcrownvoices.com). There’s even a connection to our own beloved Mat-
thew McConaughey! In Richard Linklater’s 1993 breakout film, Dazed and Confused, featuring a young McConaughey, the Violet Crown Shopping Center was called “The Emporium.”
Austin is proud of its many neighborhoods as our city planners have discovered, sometimes to their dismay. In 2008, the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods erected a fabulous 120-ft.- long mosaic wall at 7100 Woodrow Avenue. It proudly announces “Welcome to the Neighborhood.” It was designed by artist and Brentwood resident, Jean Graham. The mural is easy to miss, but well worth a look-see for its many charming details, homages to the proud history of the two neighborhoods.
Jean Graham’s cunningly crafted mural pays homage to neighborhood institutions, from the dancing pig, to the two founders and their Oldsmobile, to the still thriving Crestview Shopping Center itself. Immortalized are Lala’s with its proud pink poodle, the Chief Drive-In Theatre, Top Notch Hamburgers, and Theadgill’s, where the seeds of the Armadillo World Headquarters were sown. A wavy violet river runs throughout.
This year’s Violet Crown Festival takes place on May 2, 2026 at Brentwood Park. Plan to
BY MARTHA HARTZOG
join in the fun! See https://www. violetcrowncommunity.org/ vcf_2026.
As a final note, the sky west of Austin often does appear purple at sunset toward the Hill Country. A new phenomenon, likely unforeseen by the early
visionaries, is the wall of steelblue high-rises looming over downtown Austin. If you drive east off the MoPac at just the right time of an early evening, to skirt Lady Bird Lake following the originally named Water Street (renamed First Street, then Caesar Chavez Street, and now being renamed), the towers reflect the sunsetting sky to create quite another “Violet Crown” skyline. Give it a try! The magic of Austin shines on ...
SOURCES
▲ The Austin History Center and its Welcoming Staff
▲ ATXplained, “Why are so many places in Austin named Violet Crown?” by Juan Diego Garcia, April 10, 2025, https:// www.kut.org/2025-04-10
▲ “Voices of the Violet Crown” newsletter (www.violetcrownvoices.com).
▲ Violet Crown Festival for 2026 (https://www. violetcrowncommunity.org/vcf_2026). ▲ Wikipedia: “City of the Violet Crown” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_ the_Violet_Crown)
Crown Coffee
7100
Avenue, photo by Mar-
Hartzog
Pamphlet from Austin History Center Collection, photo by Martha Hartzog Detail showing Threadgill’s and other iconic businesses, photo by Martha Hartzog
of Welcome Mural, photograph by Martha Hartzog
The Founders, photo by Martha Hartzog Violet
Festival 2003, photograph by Martha Hartzog
Leadership Gets Personal by Nan McRaven and Susan Engelking
“Leadership Gets Personal” offers insight into the philosophies of some remarkable people on life and growth, telling engaging tales along the way. In this book, Nan McRaven and Susan Engelking, two people I admire, have done a masterful job of assembling the success stories of twelve of the University of Texas’s most prominent graduates. Among the people who were interviewed: Admiral Bill McRaven, Roy Spence, Brené Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Colt McCoy, and Amy Faith Ho.
All of these people have achieved great things through perseverance and determination to achieve their goals, sometimes tinged with a trace of pure luck. For instance, I loved reading about how Roy Spence met up with Bill Gurasich and his brother Steve, then Judy Trabulsi and Tim McClure at UT. They were all young people looking towards their futures, who later became the nucleus of the award-winning GSD&M advertising agency. As for pointing to success after college, a Gallup-Purdue poll found that most thriving former students had three things in common: a professor who cared about them, a mentor, and a group project they worked on for six months. Roy had the first two in Alan Sager and Shirley Bird Perry. His project was Media 70, a series of multimedia shows that they made and showed on campus for a small admission fee. “My class was the UT campus,” Roy says. That trio of requirements would be very useful information for someone starting their career. Then there is Admiral Bill McRaven, Nan’s brother. This well-rounded man with a background in journalism has served
lor of the UT System. As Time Magazine wrote, he is a “reporter-turned-frogman-turned-giantkiller.” And his book “Make Your Bed,” based on his commencement address for the 2014 class at UT, has sold over 2,000,000 copies and has been published in 40 languages. As
SEAL training, you can ring a bell that is mounted near the training course if you want to quit. And yes, I can attest that the further anyone goes in a career, the stronger the lure of the bell often becomes. “Never, ever ringing the bell” is the motto he lived by – and that resonates with most successful people.
And how about Dr. Brené Brown, who went through a stressful family situation, dropped out of UT, roamed around Europe, came back to St. Mary’s, flunked out, tried to get back into UT, was rejected, went to Houston Community College, didn’t get back into UT, then attended ACC, and finally was accepted back at UT. She now has three degrees, including a PhD, and she runs The Brené Brown Education and Research Group, spend-
leadership. As the chapter on her states, “Her own life is a model for daring greatly—not because she is perfect, but because she is imperfect. She has written six #1 New York Times bestsellers, and she’s still writing, still researching, and still speaking to audiences around the world.” This quote from her is revealing and useful: “The biggest barrier to courageous leadership is not fear. It’s how we protect ourselves when we’re afraid.” In her words, learn how not to armor up, but to acknowledge your fear, listen, and learn. All twelve of these stories are excellent and instructive. Nan and Susan did a terrific job writing them. If I had a young relative who needed a gift, I could not imagine a better one than this book. It’s available online and in book-
Preece
I was a bachelor until I was 39, so I had a fair number of dates. One is easy to remember as my date introduced me to her husband — yup, as in currently married to, not separated, just plain married.
I departed with a measure of haste. Another was a blind date set up by a friend. The woman was new to Austin and didn’t like it. She did like the margaritas, about four or five of them. Got her home and could not wake her up to go inside. Had to rummage through her purse for her keys, unlock the door, get her onto my shoulder, and carry her inside. Worried a lot about how to leave her - face down, head hanging over the side, didn’t want her to choke to death if she threw up. She called the next morning to say what a lovely evening she had. I admitted that I didn’t have a similar experience. One date from the online era. She didn’t have a photo posted, but I did. We met at a TexMex place near Lakeway. Seemed to go fine - nice meal, light chatting and I walked her to her car. She asked me to text her so she would know I got home. I did so and she asked how I thought the evening went. I thought it went fine enough, she did seem to be a bit nervous and never completely relaxed, but first meeting and all. Seems she was not the least bit pleased. My fingernails were too long, she didn’t like my mustache (clearly visible in
appalled, very appalled that I had a ponytail (not visible in my profile picture), when I walked her to her car, she was afraid I was going to fall down, and I was a disgrace to veterans everywhere. I thanked her for the information and apologized for her less than delightful evening. Well, she was like a dog with a bone, repeating her complaints several times with me saying thank you and sorry. Then her aim shifted, and she was trying to get me to insult her as she had me. I declined, and she insisted until I finally blocked her. Felt I had definitely dodged a bullet. I still enjoy going out on dates; people are fascinating. Can’t imagine any circumstance in which I’d insult my date. My mother would somehow know and would explain in excruciating detail that when I insulted my date, I had also insulted my mother, as it was she who had taught me manners. I would go down in history as the guy who insulted his mother.
This book contains 12 excellent stories about success and leadership.
Authors Nan McRaven and Susan Engelking
Robert Godwin
WOMEN IN BUSINESS WOMEN
A Woman in Business Tribute
Kate Watson: Bringing Bee Tutored Home to Austin
An entrepreneur at heart, Kate Watson has built Bee Tutored, using her skills to identify top talent, connecting personalities for optimal results, and committing to impeccable service. What began in 2008 as a side project while teaching full-time at a large public high school in Manhattan has grown into a multi-city venture. Her boutique tutoring company, Bee Tutored, serves families in New York City, Barcelona, and now in Austin.
While living in New York, Watson launched Bee Tutored in 2008 through the NYC Teaching Fellows Program, drawing tutors from her Master’s in Education program to provide one-on-one academic support to students outside the classroom.
“I recruited a solid team of
For Laura Parsons, the creation of beautiful spaces has always been the business. What’s new is that West Austin can now walk into her new store to buy a gift for a friend, secure a vision for their home, or meet with Parsons on-site for a design consultation.
After more than two decades running Parsons I.D., she recently expanded her business to include a storefront she calls Branch + Bird. The home furnishing store and design studio, nestled in Westlake, showcases a wide assortment of carefully curated items for every area of the home, inspiring anyone who walks through the door.
tutors,” she says, “and began to spread the buzz about our services to PTAs, school guidance counselors, and nonprofits.” The business grew steadily and, by 2010, had become her full-time career.
Bee Tutored offers comprehensive academic support across all K–12 subjects, test preparation, college and private school admissions coaching, and executive functioning coaching, focusing on skill-building that helps students develop the organization and self-management tools they need to be successful
Tutors are thoughtfully matched to each student based on subject expertise, learning style, and personality. Sessions are held in the home at a preferred location or remotely if desired. “We want sessions to not only be informative but also enjoyable for our students and accessible for our parents,” Watson says. “A win-win all around.”
The heart of the company comes from the community it serves. In New York, Bee Tutored has partnered with the National I Have a Dream Foundation, providing after-school enrichment classes to high-need students across the city. Internationally, the team worked with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain, to support student-athletes with SAT preparation.
True to its established values, Bee Tutored has already woven itself into the fabric of the West Austin
community, supporting the Tarrytown 4th of July Parade, Save Reed Park, WAYA, Friends of the Children Austin, and parent associations at many local schools.
“I am excited to bring Bee Tutored to Austin families!” she says. It is a homecoming with purpose, offering West Austin families the thoughtful, personalized academic support that has made Bee Tutored a trusted name in education for more than 15 years.
When Watson is not busy running Bee Tutored, she can be found enjoying life with her husband, Eugene, and their two young sons, Lawson, age 6, and Fowler, age 4.
To learn more about Bee Tutored and to connect with their team of educators, visit beetutored.com.
A Woman in Business Tribute
“I’ve been designing for 20 plus years,” she says, “and I’ve been wanting to open a store for some time.” The timing finally aligned when her twins headed to college, and she began looking for a space, a process that took her about a year.
The name itself has a story, a natural fit given her instinct for creating spaces that feel like home. What goes into building a nest? Branches. Birds. And just like that, Branch + Bird was named.
The store, open Tuesday
through Saturday from 10 am to 5:30 pm, is organized into room-specific spaces: living, bedroom, kitchen, bath, so that customers can visualize and be inspired. The goal, Parsons explains, is to make good design accessible to everyone, not just those who hire a designer.
“Not everybody can afford a designer because it is a luxury service,” she says. “But we have a lot of beautiful things to offer.” They include items such as charming dish towels, pretty olive oil containers, napkins that make the table feel special, pillows, vintage furniture pieces, rugs, linens, art, and more. Upholstery, drapery, and custom cabinetry selections are also available. Parsons and support staff, all trained in design, are on hand to aid in decision-making.
And for those who do want to take the next step to secure design help, Parsons I.D. is there, too. “If you want to see my style,” she tells prospective clients, “go to the store. That’s me.” A gallery of past projects is available on her design website at https://www. parsonsid.com/.
Running two businesses simultaneously has meant building a team she trusts.
Along with her in-store support and architect, she also manages a bookkeeper, a photographer, and a social media specialist. The circle of professionals rounds out the operation; each, she says, is essential. Her advice for women thinking about taking a leap of their own? “It all starts with a dream. You may not know how
Eugene and Kate Watson with sons Lawson and Fowler enjoying the parade
Bee Tutored participating in the Tarrytown 4th of July Parade
Kate Watson teaching in the Bee Tutored Brooklyn office classroom
Students outside of the Bee Tutored Brooklyn Classroom
Bee Tutored Founder and Director, Kate Watson
Locally owned by Laura Parsons Interior designer and owner of Parsons i.d.
Laura Parsons at her store, Branch + Bird, at Davenport Village in Westlake
Bedroom display at Branch + Bird Home Furnishings Store
Art, rugs, furniture, and decorative accessories displayed at Branch + Bird
Women in Business Tributes
Emily Moreland: Founder and Chairman of the Board
By Anne DeVries
When Emily Moreland
opened the doors of her independent real estate company in 1986, Austin was a different city, quieter, smaller, and just beginning to feel the tremors of a complicated real estate market. She had no franchise behind her, no national brand to lean on. What she had was a base of real estate experience, the will to go out on her own, and the prospects of a growing city.
Forty years later, Moreland Properties stands as one of West Austin’s most enduring independent brokerages, with offices in Tarrytown, Lake Travis, and downtown Austin, with a growing presence stretching into Dripping Springs and the broader Hill Country. It is, in every sense, a West Austin story, one built on loyalty, grit, and a deep love for central Texas.
Moreland’s original plan after college was quite different. Initially working as a teacher, she pursued real estate after her husband, Bill, suggested it as the couple began considering real estate investments. She remembers thinking, “Well, that’s crazy, I’m a school teacher”.
Opening her mind to possibilities, she chose to follow the suggestion and begin working at JB Goodwin, which had a great training program. She followed this experience with Coldwell Banker in Houston to grow her industry knowledge.
When the couple moved to Austin in 1985, they decided together that it was time for Emily to start her own company. The following year brought a blow that would have stopped most people cold. Bill Moreland died suddenly of a heart attack at 47.
This life-changing moment could easily have derailed plans for the newly launched venture. At the time, their older son had just married, and two of their children were at Westlake High School.
“You never know what prepares you for certain things like this in life, but you take it. If you don’t, you become a martyr. And that’s not what I wanted to be at all.”
Emily attributes the Westlake community’s support during this difficult time as the defining factor in her ability to continue with her business plans.
“We were in the best place possible for that sort of grief to come on…it gave me the permission to
By Anne DeVries
I▲ Primary hub: Greater Austin / Lake Travis/ Central Texas/ Hill Country
▲ Offices: Tarrytown/Lake Travis/ downtown Austin (Congress Ave.)
▲ Growing focus: Dripping Springs, Blanco, Wimberley
▲ Affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World
▲ Multigenerational: Founder Emily Moreland, daughter Jan, and
keep going and try to expand what I had just started,” she shared. Those early years required resourcefulness. The market downturn brought a wave of foreclosed properties, and Emily took listings from lending institutions, using those harder transactions to establish her firm’s reputation for straight dealing. When the recovery came in the late eighties and nineties, Moreland Properties was well-positioned to grow with it.
“Several more wonderful people joined me as agents,” she says, “and then it was about that time that I decided to go ahead and open the office out at Lake Travis. I always loved that community — we came up there with our boat, when we lived in Houston.” That Lake Travis expansion proved a defining move, deepening the firm’s footprint across West Austin.
Today, the firm also maintains a boutique downtown presence inside
the Austonian building on Congress Avenue and is actively expanding into the Dripping Springs corridor, where Emily’s daughter, Jan Moreland, is carving out a specialty market.
“The Dripping Springs market is amazing,” Emily says. “Beautiful subdivisions, some with more affordable homes, and then some with lovely five to ten acres per house — it just looks like heaven.”
The Eric Moreland Group (EMgroup), operating under the Moreland umbrella, was founded by Emily’s son, Eric, in 2003. EMgroup functions as a private advisory for Austin’s most exceptional properties. Working with her children has been a joyful part of Moreland’s experience. She smiles when she shares, “It’s worked out beautifully.”
Emily has weathered every cycle the Austin market has thrown at her: the savings-and-loan collapse, sky-high interest rates, the COVIDera buying frenzy, and today’s rate-constrained pause.
Her advice for new agents. “You need to know what’s going on in your area, about the schools, about parking, about businesses, health care, all of that plays into where somebody wants to buy a house,” she says. And it has to be about service first: “It has to be more about your feeling of the service you’re giving rather than your commission.”
Beyond her work life, Emily loves the arts. “If I could come back in my next life, I’d like to be a prima ballerina,” she shared. She believes that a city’s art community benefits
economic development and has served on the Board of Directors of the Long Center and Ballet Austin. It is not unusual for her to sit in on rehearsals at Ballet Austin and enjoy the athleticism of the ballerinas and the choreography of Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s artistic director for the past 25 years.
Moreland has been a philanthropist not only to the art community. She served on the Board of the Red Cross and supports Foundation Housing and Breakthrough, among other non-profits in the city. “There are so many beautiful charities to help out and be a part of here in Austin. It is just easier than a great
big city. And you make your good friends within those….that’s very rewarding”.
In recent times, Emily has pulled back from day-to-day operations and plans to retire to the beloved Moreland Ranch, where she has a small cattle herd, some horses, and a house large enough for the entire family. One can almost picture her, relaxing for a change, with a smile on her face, reminiscing about her legacy. One of twists and turns, loss and reinvention, and the building of a legacy that speaks to human perseverance, giving back, and, first and foremost, family.
Sarah Railey: President & Broker of Record
f Emily Moreland built the house, Sarah Railey has spent more than two decades making sure the foundation holds. Railey joined Moreland Properties in 2002 as Emily’s assistant, fresh from college and a brief stint teaching middle school computer and PE. She has been there ever since.
“I’m honored to have been a part of over half of the company’s history,” she says, “and to have been a part of the growth. It’s just fun to sit back and go, oh my gosh, here we are, but also where we’re going.”
Her path from assistant to president is its own West Austin story. Early on, Railey earned her real estate license and helped support both Emily and Eric Moreland with administrative and sales tasks, but she quickly realized that her real passion lay in developing the business itself. When a choice arose between expanding into Eric Moreland’s growing operation and deepening her role at the firm, she chose to remain Emily’s assistant.
“I really gravitated towards the service side, taking care of everyone and growing the business side of it.
It really was more my speed.”
Railey’s chosen focus has helped shape how Moreland Properties
operates today. As president and broker of record, Railey oversees the full organizational structure, managing staff, resources, and dayto-day operations. “Every deal is a unicorn,” she says. “Something will happen, and we’ve got to make sure all the deals close and all the clients are taken care of.”
What sets Moreland Properties apart from Railey’s vantage point is a deliberate choice to stay true to its West Austin roots even as the city has grown. The firm’s core territory, she says, runs “inside that 360 corridor running through Westlake and past Lake Travis.” The hyper-focus in these areas has developed the intimacy that only decades of working a market can produce.
That local depth, she believes, is precisely what separates Moreland
from the national players moving into the Austin market. “This is a quiet, discretionary business we have in Austin,” she says, “and with the city’s growth, we’ve grown as well, but we still are kind of a small boutique of top tier with our service.” The philosophy shows up in how the firm thinks about client relationships, too. “We want to be people’s lifetime real estate advisor,” Railey explains. “Like you’ve got your banker, you’ve got your attorney, anything real estate related, you call your Moreland agent.”
“Part of what we do is hold on to what we think is so special about
Austin, and our agents feel the same way.” The family dimension of the business runs deep beyond the Moreland Family involvement. Railey, a mother of three daughters, sees that generational continuity as central to the culture. “I’ve got agents whose moms sold real estate here, and now their kids do,” she says. “It feels like a family business, that’s the only way I can describe it.” Loyalty, she adds, runs deep. The firm sees little turnover. “We all love what we have going on,” Railey says. “It either draws you in, or it doesn’t. Anybody who is excited about some-
thing local and has skin in the game ends up being more of a magnet. And so people tend to stick around a long time.”
For a young woman considering real estate, Railey offers practical wisdom. “You really have to love every aspect,” she says, “because it will be a round-the-clock focus.” But passion alone is not enough. “You really have to know your market and research everything about what you love, so you can be just as knowledgeable as you are excited. Because it takes both.”
As for what’s next for Moreland Properties, Railey continues to forge ahead, pursuing new opportunities for Moreland, its agents, and clients, preparing for the inevitable changes companies face. With Emily easing into an advisory role and the next generation of agents stepping up, the transition has been, in her words, “a very fluid process.” The goal, she says, remains what it has always been: to be the local experts that clients in Central Texas trust implicitly, in a city that keeps changing around them.
“When I think about Moreland, I think about all the amazing people that make it what it is,” Railey reflects. “It is not about just one person or one idea. It’s how we’ve all grown the company together over the last 40 years.”
Sarah and Emily at Lake Travis Sunset Soiree in 2007
Sarah Railey and Emily Moreland at Moreland’s Annual Awards Event in 2024
Eric, Jan and Emily Moreland at Austin Country Club for Moreland Annual Awards-2026
A Woman in Business Tribute
Colleen Lynch Leads St. Michael’s Prep with Vision, Strength, and Excellence
For more than three decades in education, Colleen Lynch has dedicated her career to forming young lives. As Head of School, she is leading St. Michael’s Prep into a remarkable new chapter.
A respected educator and accomplished administrator, Mrs. Lynch brings both experience and vision to Central Texas’s only PK-12thgrade Independent Catholic school. With an Undergraduate Degree from Brown University, a Master of Education from the University of Texas, and 31 years in education, she is known for the kind of leadership that is both strategic and deeply personal: grounded in high standards, guided by mission, and focused on the flourishing of every student.
Since 2014, Mrs. Lynch has played a pivotal role in shaping the St. Michael’s Prep community. Her leadership helped guide the successful merger of St. Gabriel’s Catholic School and St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, uniting two strong schools into the vibrant, unified institution St. Michael’s Prep is today.
More recently, she has worked alongside the Board of Trustees and Leadership Team to advance a bold five-year strategic plan, guide the campus master plan, and lead the
school through a comprehensive accreditation, all while strengthening a culture where challenging academics, joyful learning, faith formation, and enduring values go hand in hand.
“As educators and mentors at St. Michael’s Prep, we believe deeply in the dignity of the individual. We strive to live the Warrior Way — the unifying approach to how we teach. We integrate our Catholic Identity with Social Emotional Learning and our core values of Integrity, Courage, and Excellence to create extraordinary experiences for our students.”
In Mrs. Lynch, St. Michael’s Prep has a leader of incredible steadiness, vision, and heart. And, in St. Michael’s Prep, families continue to find a school defined by purpose, momentum, and excellence.
Mrs. Lynch awards certificate to St. Michael’s Prep student at the quarterly Core Values recognition. Mrs. Lynch smiles as St. Michael’s Prep students proudly display their artwork.
Colleen Lynch, joined by school Chaplain Fr. Bud Roland and the St. Michael’s Prep community, celebrates the opening of the outdoor classroom.