Leadership
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Blake West |
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Blake was born in Bryan, Texas and was raised in Brazoria, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University and graduated in 1995 with a BS in Psychology. Blake would later attain his Series 7 Stock Brokers license. For a couple of years, he worked at firms selling and trading stocks and bonds. After Blake and his wife, Michelle, finished college, they decided to try something new and applied to the US Peace Corps. They accepted an assignment in Suriname, South America. Suriname is said to be one the most pristine rain forests in the world. While there, they lived without electricity and running water. This is where Blake learned about rainwater harvesting. Rain was the most logical choice for clean drinking water. They only used 4-5 feet of gutter, two 200 gallon tanks, a sediment filter and a carbon filter. Watching their tanks fill up in no time, they felt like they were becoming rich every time it rained. When they returned to the United States, Blake was thrilled to have indoor plumbing but hated to see all the rain going to waste. Having learned the true value of clean water he could not let such a good investment go down the drain. Find out more about Blake with the links below:
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Chris Maxwell-Gaines, P.E., ARCSA AP |
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Chris was born in Cameron, Texas and was raised on a small farm. From his childhood, he has always had a concern for the environment. This led him to earn a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station. Although civil engineering is very broad, he specialized in water and wastewater engineering. Soon after graduating college, Chris and his wife, Lindsey, joined the US Peace Corps and accepted volunteer positions in Suriname, South America. They were assigned to the remote village of Godo Olo which was located in the Amazon rainforest deep in the interior of Suriname and was only accessible by a 1 hour single-prop plane ride or a 2-day canoe trip. All aspects of village life revolved around the river. During the wet season, villagers would collect rainwater, but during the dry season, they had to drink untreated river water. One of the largest projects Chris and Lindsey worked on was a village water well and delivery system. The village wanted a more consistent water source and quality year-round. They helped the village design the system and secure funding for the project. Chris is a licensed professional engineer (PE #99248). In addition, he is attending graduate school at the University of Texas in the Community and Regional Planning program. Find out more about Chris with the links below:
Chris founded Beta Xi Chi Multicultural Fraternity while attending Texas A&M The Effect of Urbanization on the Bull Creek Watershed in Austin, Texas |
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