Leadership

Staff Leadership

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation staff carry out the day-to-day business of the foundation. Led by Executive Director Susan Houston, TPWF team members are passionate about the work they do and the mission they support.

Susan Houston, Executive Director

Susan Houston joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in September 2012 as Major Gifts Officer in Austin, Texas and in June 2019, became Executive Director. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Houston was the Corporate Relations Director for the National Audubon Society. During her 10 years with Audubon, she assumed various development roles including Director of Development for the Texas state program. Before entering the nonprofit sector, she was an account manager for the largest Steelcase distributor in central Texas.

Bob Benson, Major Gifts Director

Bob Benson joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation as Director of Major Gifts in September 2019. He has more than 25 years of nonprofit development experience, most recently serving as Executive Director of the Safari Club International Foundation. Mr. Benson has also worked for several other leading conservation organizations including the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy,and Ducks Unlimited.

Merrill Chester Gregg, Conservation Finance Director

Merrill Chester Gregg joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in March 2016 as Conservation Finance Director. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Gregg was a Vice President of Marketing for Texas and the Southeast at Brigade Capital Management, a $16 billion dollar credit asset manager based in New York City. Ms. Gregg started her career at Goldman Sachs, where she worked in New York City and Hong Kong consulting hedge funds on capital raising.

Emily House, Marketing and Membership Director

Emily House joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in June 2018 as Marketing and Membership Director. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. House was Vice President of Olsen + Company where she helped non-profit and political organizations build membership audiences, raising more than $25 million through online and direct gifts. Ms. House also served seven years as an appointee with the U.S. Department of State, the Office of Management and Budget in the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Jay Kleberg, Conservation Initiatives Director

Jay Kleberg joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation as Associate Director in September 2013. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Kleberg provided strategy consulting services to Grand Canyon National Park on behalf of the Business Management Group and Comptroller of the National Park Service. Mr. Kleberg also spent seven years in the commercial real estate industry. Previously, he helped start and manage a nonprofit organization to promote and establish sustainable land use practices in Brazil.

Lydia Saldaña, Communications Director

Lydia Saldaña joined the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation team as Communications Director in September 2014 after more than 23 years of state service with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For 17 of those years, she served as Communications Division Director and was responsible for agency communications, marketing, media relations, education and outreach. As TPWF communications director, Ms. Saldaña provides strategic input and guidance to the leadership team and implements annual integrated communication and marketing plans that support TPWF’s mission.

Julie Shaddox, Partner Programs Director

Julie Shaddox rejoined the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation team in 2019 as the Director of Partner Programs. Her prior roles at TPWF include serving as Development/Grant Writer from 2014-2015 and Philanthropy Relationship Manager from 2015-2018. Ms. Shaddox holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. She enjoys travel and previously lived in Ankara, Turkey, where she taught English at the Bilkent University School of English Language.

Susan Walters, Stewardship and Support Director

Susan Walters joined Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation as Director of Stewardship and Support in June 2019. She has over 13 years’ experience managing development operations at foundations in Texas and Colorado, including budgeting, strategic planning, volunteer management, database administration, and policies and procedures development. She has also provided consulting services for several organizations regarding their development data systems, providing configuration and training support.