Staff Members - Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District

The District Staff work to conserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater resources of the Barton Springs Segment of the Edwards Aquifer and other groundwater resources located within the District boundaries. The staff members comprise five teams:

General Management
Administration
Aquifer Science
Public Information and Education
Regulatory Compliance

All staff members report administratively to the General Manager. The work of the District is accomplished through the five internal teams and, from time to time, externally funded project teams. Most staff members routinely contribute to more than one team, although some staff primarily support one team.

A staff directory and biographical sketches of the current District staff members are presented below.

Timothy T. Loftus, Ph.D.

General Manager
tloftus@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x114
Year Employed by District: 2022

Prior to joining the District, Dr. Tim Loftus served as Professor of Practice in Geography and held the Meadows Endowed Chair in Water Conservation at Texas State University. Across campus, he also worked closely with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. In these roles Dr. Loftus’ responsibilities included grant writing, research, and project management. Additionally, he taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in water resources and mentored graduate advisees in both the Geography and Sustainability Studies Master’s Programs. During this time, Dr. Loftus was appointed by the Texas Water Development Board to the Water Conservation Advisory Council representing Higher Education. His work has been published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Ecological Economics, Texas Water Journal, and other outlets. Dr. Loftus received his Ph.D. in Geography from Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he also earned his B.S. (Bachelor of Science) and M.S. (Master of Science) in Forestry. He has held positions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Graduate Research Assistant, Post-Doctoral Associate), Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond (Assistant Professor), Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio (Director of the Water Quality Laboratory), and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (Senior/Principal Water Resource Planner).

Dana Christine Wilson

Senior Administrative Program Manager
dana@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x101
Primary Team: Administration | Year Employed by District: 1998
Dana holds a degree in Accounting and has over 30 years of experience in business office administration. She is the Senior Administrative Program Manager, and Administration Team Leader.

Tammy Raymond

Senior Administrative Coordinator
tammy@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x100
Primary Teams: Administration | Year Employed by District: 2000
Tammy has been an integral part of the District’s Administrative team since 2000. She has worked in many aspects of the Administrative field for more than 30 years. She is a native of Louisiana and loves fishing, cooking, and taking care of business.

Erin Swanson

Regulatory Compliance Manager
eswanson@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x108
Primary Teams: Regulatory Compliance | Year Employed by District: 2017
Erin graduated from Texas State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology (2010). Before joining the District in late 2017, she worked as an administrator for local water well drilling company and most recently as a wildlife biologist for an environmental consulting firm where she assisted land owners in effective land and wildlife management and conservation. In her free time, Erin can usually be found alongside her husband kayaking, hiking, or backpacking somewhere in the state of Texas searching for its unique critters to catch and beautiful views to photograph. When she isn’t exploring the outdoors, Erin likes relax and spend time with her friends and family including her dogs and cats.

Alyssa Gilbert

Regulatory Compliance Specialist
agilbert@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x109
Primary Teams: Regulatory Compliance | Year Employed by District: 2022

Alyssa was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country, her love of the area and the outdoors prompted her to study and learn more about the environment. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2021 earning her degree in Renewable Natural Resources. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors with friends and family, exploring new towns/cities, reading, or hanging out with her dog.

Kendall Bell-Enders

Project Manager
kbellenders@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x112
Primary Teams: Regulatory Compliance | Year Employed by District: 2011
Kendall graduated from Texas State University in 2005 with a B.S. in Geography-Resource and Environmental Studies. Before joining the District in 2011, she worked in the Lake Tahoe area for 4 years where she performed environmental monitoring and research and then most recently at the Edwards Aquifer Authority as an Environmental Field Representative. She enjoys kayaking, seeing live music, and running around with her dogs.

Brian Smith, Ph. D, P.G.

Principal Hydrogeologist
brians@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x106
Primary Team: Aquifer Science | Year Employed by District: 2001
Brian has a Bachelor’s degree in geology from Rice University (1979) and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Texas at Austin (1986). He has been exploring and studying caves since 1971, mostly in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Since graduating from the University of Texas, he has worked on numerous environmental sites and karst studies in many parts of the U.S. and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Jeff Watson, P.G.

Staff Hydrogeologist
jwatson@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x107
Primary Team: Aquifer Science | Year Employed by District: 2021
Jeff is a native Austinite who graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. (2013) and M.Sc. (2016) in geological sciences. Jeff is a member of the Austin Geological Society and is a registered professional geologist. He grew up exploring the Texas Hill Country and swimming in iconic spring-fed water holes such as Barton Springs Pool and Jacobs Well Spring; and developed an interest in geology at a young age during annual family outings to Big Bend National Park. Prior to joining the District, Jeff worked in consulting, with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District as a hydrogeologist, and with BSEACD as a hydrogeologic intern. Jeff enjoys climbing, hiking, camping, and pretty much all things outdoors.

Justin Camp

Hydrogeologist Technician
jcamp@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x110
Primary Team: Aquifer Science | Year Employed by District: 2015
Born and raised in Austin, Justin grew up exploring local Little Bear and Bear Creek as his own backyard. With a deep connection to the Central Texas landscape, he developed an early passion for enjoying, studying and protecting the region’s critical natural resources. Justin joined the team in early 2015 after graduating from Texas State University with a B.S. in Physical Geography, minor in Geology, and working for seven years with the City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department. He is an avid caver, exploring and mapping the underground in Texas and Mexico. When he’s not in the water or caving, Justin also enjoys playing guitar and tennis.

Position Vacancy

Communications & Outreach Manager
bseacd@bseacd.org, 512-282-8441 x120
Primary Teams: Communications & Outreach | Year Employed by District:

POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Communications & Outreach Coordinator or Manager, depending on experience, organizes, leads, and manages external communication initiatives and outreach programs on behalf of the District. This includes the development and implementation of a strategic communications plan across various media channels, as well as maintaining community engagement and media relations. In this role, the individual must be able to demonstrate communications expertise in developing content and comprehensive strategies, which include maintaining the District website, various social media channels, and building brand recognition of the District’s technical and policy work. This role will also involve managing outreach programs and initiatives geared to various audiences and focus on information related to aquifer science, drought, conservation, rules and policy, community programs, and permittee communication. This position reports to the General Manager.