Bayou Preservation Association established the prestigious Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award in 2010 in honor of its founder, Terry Hershey. Along with then-Congressman George H.W. Bush and developer George Mitchell, she halted a plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to channelize and concrete Buffalo Bayou in the 1960s. Thanks to these forward-thinking individuals, much of Buffalo Bayou has remained in a mostly natural state, providing plant and animal habitats, green spaces, and recreational opportunities for countless local residents and visitors. This award recognizes those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in Houston's waterways' conservation, preservation, restoration, or advocacy.

The 12th Annual Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awardees: 

Rachel Powers has extensive experience as a coalition builder, executive leader, strategist, environment and sustainability champion, and informal educator, working for both nonprofit organizations and local governments. Most recently, Rachel was the Executive Director of the Citizens' Environmental Coalition for nine years after serving as a volunteer for nine years prior. Rachel graduated from Rice University (B.A.) and the University of Phoenix (M.B.A.). A native of Boston, Mass., Rachel enjoys family history, volunteering, civic engagement, and embarrassing her two teenage sons.

Andrew "Andy" Sansom is one of Texas' leading conservationists. He is a former Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Executive Director of the Texas Nature Conservancy. Dr. Sansom now serves as a Professor of Practice in Geography and Founder of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. He coordinates university policy and research related to freshwater resources and manages the headwaters of the San Marcos River; administers the most extensive freshwater environmental education program in Texas; supervises the training and coordination of more than 1000 volunteer water monitors in rivers and streams throughout the State. Dr. Sansom also currently serves as a Trustee of the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation. 

Mike Garver has been a significant force in cleaning up and maintaining the beautiful Buffalo Bayou.

Mike founded Texans for Clean Water in 2013 to bring attention to the floating trash spoiling the waterways in Houston. He has supported litter research by creating the Texas Litter Database with Keep Texas Beautiful, a first-in-the-nation central repository for litter clean-up information throughout the State. His leadership and dedication saw success with the passage of House Bill 1884 in 2017 in the Texas Legislature. He is a passionate advocate for litter-free waterways and is proud of the nickname the Houston Chronicle gave him, "Trashman of Buffalo Bayou." 

A native Kentuckian, Mike has a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky. Mike has never considered retirement, as he continues to work at his company Garver Real Estate and volunteers his time to our bayous and many other philanthropic causes. Daughters Beth Black and Gretchen Hilyard actively promote park development along our bayous.  

Commissioner R. Jack Cagle has served as county commissioner for Harris County Precinct 4 since 2011. He was re-elected in 2014 and most recently on Nov. 6, 2018.

For more than 30 years, he has worked with and served the residents of Harris County Precinct 4 as an attorney, an elected judge, and now as county commissioner.

Until his appointment to Commissioners Court, Cagle served 11 years as judge of Harris County Civil Court-at-Law No. 1. Harris County voters elected him to the bench countywide in 2000 and re-elected him in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

Cagle is a graduate of Rice University with triple majors in economics, history, and managerial studies, as well as a graduate of Baylor Law School. He is married to Janet, and they have three children: Richard, Victoria, and Elizabeth.

Above is a summary of each awardee. To see their full stories, visit: www.bayoupreservation.org/News-Events/Awards/2022-Awards

Chair: Melvin Spinks, Senior Vice President, A Woolpert Company & Paul R. Nelson, Chair, Bayou Preservation Association 

Attire: Business 

Many thanks to the following sponsors for their support of the

12th Annual Bayou Preservation Association Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award Luncheon:

HABITAT HEROES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

TRIBUTARY TROOPERS

BAYOU BUDDIES 

KATHERINE "KATIE" SLATER