Young Professionals Advisory Council

Patrick Bolgren is a novice birder with a passion for land conservation. He spends much of his free time outside enjoying the many parks and trails Houston, TX has to offer. Patrick works in the oil and gas industry and graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a B.B.A. in Energy Management.

Daniel Crump is a private equity associate at Mountain Capital, where he evaluates and manages investments in the oil & gas sector. Dan has bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from the University of Maryland, where he developed an interest in birding during hikes along the Potomac. This interest has blossomed since moving to Houston, where he enjoys birding and fly fishing in his spare time.

Tony Dang is a Rate Analyst in the Rates & Regulatory Affairs Department, with a BBA in Accounting from the University of Houston. His love for birding started during a spring migration in High Island, Texas, which gave him an appreciation for bird migration and conservation.  In his spare time, he enjoys birding, hiking, golfing, and spending time with his wife and two fur babies.

Claire Everett is the Communications and Marketing Manager at Galveston Bay Foundation. She is passionate about conservation and advocating for preserving and protecting the health of Galveston Bay.  She loves to be outdoors, taking photos and writing stories. Claire joined YPAC to meet and collaborate with other conservation professionals and bird lovers and hopes to help promote the important work of Houston Audubon.

Wes Gapp is an exploration geologist at Chevron, with a PhD in paleontology from The University of Kansas. His love for birds began while watching backyard feeders growing up in Central New York. He loves birding with his wife along the Houston bayous, the gulf coast, and the forests of Puerto Rico.

Cassidy Kempf is a Natural Resource Specialist at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. She works on habitat restoration projects, native plant propagation, and research and monitoring. She studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice University and loves birding!

Alexander Kneubehl is a PhD candidate at Baylor College of Medicine in Molecular Virology and Microbiology. Birding is his escape from work and the city, and lets him enjoy nature and meet interesting people. #teamprairiechicken

Andrew Martinez is a civil litigation attorney in Houston.  He is a graduate of Baylor University and South Texas College of Law. He is a beginning birder who enjoys hiking and the outdoors.

A nature enthusiast and avid outdoors woman, Hannah serves as the Director of Charitable Activities for The James B Harrison Foundation, coordinating activities that support education and research for appreciation of nature, land conservation and habitat sustainability. As a member of YPAC, Hannah hopes to bring awareness of the importance of birding and conservation to our younger generation. In her spare time, she serves as a youth rifle coach and acts as the Rifle Director for the Texas State Rifle Association.

Stuart C. Nelson serves as Vice President at the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center. He manages an interdisciplinary team that works within the intersection of spiritual/religious belief, practice, community life, and health. Stuart has completed bachelor’s degrees in cognitive science, psychology, and religious studies at Rice University, and went on to complete a master’s in religious studies at University of California at Santa Barbara. His work focuses on applying theories and methods from cognitive science of religion in the context of health systems to increase quality of care. Stuart is a musically-minded lover of hip-hop, classic rock, and classical Indian music, as well as impressionism, surrealism, and modern art. He is also an avid birder.

Christina Neveu is a recent undergraduate from the University of Houston-Clear Lake where she studied Environmental Science and specialized in water quality and conservation biology. She is passionate about prairie and wetland restoration efforts along with outreach. Her love for birds ignited while noticing and appreciating the small differences in the birds she chased along the shores as a child. She is now an enthusiastic baby-birder who hopes to learn as much as she can about bird conservation so that she can share that knowledge with others. In her spare time, she loves  biking, nature walks, cooking cajun food, and watching anime with her cat-roomate named Papasitos.

Andy Newman is a restoration ecologist that specializes in the restoration of wetlands and streams within the southeastern United States. Throughout his career he has worked in multiple ecosystems across the United States with special emphasis on vegetation community classification, threatened and endangered species surveys, and wetland delineations. In his free time, he enjoys birding, hunting, and documenting plant distribution in Texas.

Carl Nooteboom is a native Houstonian and graduate of Texas A&M University. He has built his career over twelve years in the Oil & Gas industry designing pipelines and associated facilities. In his spare time he enjoys camping & hiking while birding, playing Bocce ball, and is an avid DIYer.

Shantelle Patterson-Swanson is the Marketing Manager and Public Information Officer for Texas A&M University Galveston Campus. She has experience in a number of different fields including graphic and web design, advertising, social media, publications, editing and disaster response. She works with both Galveston and College Station campus stakeholders, along with off-campus groups ranging from prospective students, parents and alumni, to local and national news media, industry partners, and local, state and federal agencies. In her free time, Shantelle enjoys watching her husband fish, spending time with family and friends, and snuggling on the couch with her fur baby.

Having entered the realm of wildlife conservation at age 15, I have worked with a range of species including birds, leatherback sea turtles, brown hyenas, and desert elephants. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Texas A&M University in 2013, and went on to obtain my Master’s degree in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Since 2017 I have been working at the Houston Zoo in our Wildlife Conservation Department, and moonlight as a social media consultant for the National Geographic Photo Ark. When I’m not busy trying to save wildlife, you’ll often find me exploring the city or watching a good movie with my two great danes!