Join us December 10, 6-8pm at Center 61 for Austin Green Drinks - meet and mingle with the new board members, and enjoy a complimentary drink!
Our New Board Members:
President:
Blake Mendez
Blake Mendez works as a freelance financial manager in the solar energy space with ImagineSolar and Menco Finco. He has become consistently involved with Net Impact Austin over the last year, working decisively on the DOVIA event with Erin Autin, Julie Almendral, George Luc with GivePulse, and Phoebe Chen with I Live Here, I Give Here. Blake’s successful team-building efforts with DOVIA and his strong social/environmental focus inspired him to run for President of Net Impact Austin.
We at Net Impact Austin stand at a nexus point with our constituent members in the NGO, the private, and the public sectors. We can grow our influence through developing deeper relationships within the sustainability, the environmental, the food/water, and the social justice ecosystem. Specific target organizations would include, but would not be limited to, the following: ImagineSolar, Solar Austin, CleanTX, ATI, Pecan Street, UT Austin, Texas State, Huston-Tillotson, and St. Edwards. Our organization must restore the 501(c)(3) IRC designation or determine other workable articles of incorporation to ensure long-term growth.
As President Blake Mendez will enable smart and decisive growth for the future of Net Impact Austin.
VP Special Programming:
Erin Autin
Erin has served as Net Impact Austin's Marketing Manager for the past two years. She's excited to take on the new role of Special Programming and expand the organization's offerings for our members.
Erin's day job is coordinating the Border Energy Forum, a bi-national energy conference, for the Texas General Land Office. In her free time she likes hiking the greenbelt, playing tennis, doing yoga, and playing with her dog.
VP Programming, Service Corps:
Jayant Kairam
I recently moved here to join the Austin office of the Environmental Defense Fund. Prior to my current position, I worked for 4 years in New York City government in various policy and operations positions in the Mayor’s Office and at a city agency. I’m very excited about the chance to help Net Impact build upon its successful service programming, and the opportunity to grow the organization’s network base, volunteer relationships and contribution to the economic and environmental quality of life in Austin. As a new resident, it’s doubly exciting to join such a team to improve my knowledge of the local environmental landscape and think strategically about engagements that harness the talent of Net Impact members, and address critical environmental issues in Austin like energy, water and transit. I have experience in New York in non-profit board work where I served as Founding Member on the young professionals board of the Brooklyn Public Library. Additionally, I was a recent participant in the Coro New York program, which is a leadership training program for professionals in New York, that taps into the City’s many sectors and facilitates partnerships and relationships to improve civic life.
VP Programming, Austin Green Drinks:
Alexa Loken
Alexa Loken's previous work experience includes founding both a cause-based marketing firm and a career counseling company. After eight years in the environmental world, Alexa received her master’s in communications at NYU, writing her thesis on plastic bag legislation's effects on oceans. She then moved to Hawaii to help start a biofuel company as well as doing green retrofitting in the tourism industry. She then moved to Austin and now runs Loken Creative, a cause-based marketing and development firm. Her passions lie in the areas of conservation, alternative energy and environmental education. Fun facts: Alexa was on the cover of USA Today as a freshman in college in an article covering Generation Y “creating their own brand of social consciousness.” She drives a car named Theodore Optimus III and is on a quest to find the best Brussels sprouts in the world!
VP Communications:
Tiffany Hollon
A North Texas native, Tiffany Hollon moved to Austin to study Environmental Biology at University of Texas. Since graduating, she has worked as a field biologist, a grant writer in the clean energy technology industry, and has recently transitioned into the tech industry. She ultimately found her calling as a project manager and currently holds a position as Digital PM at Mutual Mobile in downtown Austin.
In her free time, Tiffany likes bike, cook, and play with puppies whenever possible (she volunteers at APA!). She is also a bit of a connoisseur on birds. She can even identify a bird or two by their song, which, while not very useful, is a pretty cool party trick.
VP Membership & Partnerships:
Mike Dominguez
Treasurer:
Kerry Downing
I am currently the accounting and operations coordinator at Green Revolution Cooling, an Austin based startup that is disrupting the way data centers are built, operated and cutting down their cooling energy requirements by up to 95%. Prior to joining Green Revolution Cooling, I worked for a renewable energy electrical cooperative on Martha’s Vineyard. My experience includes planning/ coordinating large events, donor relations, membership management and non-profit & for-profit bookkeeping. Sustainability has been a guiding principle for my career and lifestyle choices and I would like to utilize my skillset to assist with the leadership and success of Net Impact in Austin.