Board of Directors

Cath Conlon

Cath Conlon

Founder & CEO

As CEO and founder of Blackwood Educational Land Institute, Cath has created a 33-acre environmental oasis that attracts thousands of students each year who come to learn where food comes from and to enjoy a peaceful respite from city living. A certified permaculture designer and master gardener, she has created a land-based learning environment supporting schools, teachers, corporations, and other organizations.

Megan Parks

Megan Parks

Board President

Megan grew up camping in the piney woods of east Texas and is passionate about helping people heal by reconnecting to the living earth.  She is a Principal with AMB Parks Consulting, where her practice focuses on soil health, innovative compliance efforts, biomimicry and ecological valuation strategies.  She previously worked for over 15 years with BP Corporation, including work on the Deepwater Horizon spill.  Megan holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Southern Methodist University.

Justin Rahman

Justin Rahman

Board Vice Chair

Born and raised in Houston, Justin is excited to show the world what is possible in such a diverse environment. With an undergraduate degree in Public Health and a Master of Health Administration from Tulane University, he currently works as the Development Officer for the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science. Passionate about food insecurities both locally and globally, Justin plans on furthering his education by conducting research on the nutrient density in soil, understand how this affects the nutrient density in what we consume.

Sheila Blake

Sheila Blake

Secretary

Sheila is a retired Building Code Administrator from Houston’s Department of Public Works & Engineering where she was responsible for the city building code and founded the Green Building Resource Center. Growing up in a northern city she loved spending time outdoors and family vacations were opportunities to experience nature through visits to mountains and National Parks. She has worked in many facets of building construction as well as in the hospitality and social service industries. She has been a contributor and activist for environmental and social justice organizations.

Jeff Kaplan

Jeff Kaplan

Treasurer

Co-founder of New Living, a green furnishings and organic mattress store, Jeff is a Houston-based eco-entrepreneur focused on creating businesses that maximize community impact. His passion for healthy furnishings started at a young age and after graduating from Southwestern University, he went on to found the Urban Land Institute’s national Young Leaders Program. He donates his time to a variety of green organizations like Blackwood and co-founded Axelrad Beer Garden, HTX Made, and Houston Needs A Swimming Hole. In 2015, the Houston Chronicle named Jeff among Houston’s most fascinating people.

Catherine Delano

Catherine Delano

Board Member

Catherine is a geoscientist, entrepreneur, artist and explorer.  She is the founder of Tao Exploration, an organization that promotes interdisciplinary learning, discussion and cross-sector thinking through stepping into the shoes of experts in other fields.  Unconstrained by conventional boundaries, she fuses art, film, experiential learning, and technology to create deeper connections between people and ideas.  Her work seeks to create community and bring new ideas and experiences to people in accessible ways, including ongoing projects that explore the convergence between agriculture and health.

Paula Fendley

Paula Fendley

Board Member

Paula Fendley has spent a lifetime in the pursuit of equity and justice. During her 34 years in public education, she has been a high school teacher, counselor, and principal. Paula currently works an educational consultant in Houston. Blackwood holds a special place in her heart and has been the site of numerous transformational experiences with high school students and staff. Her love of nature and appreciation for environmental sustainability make her a huge supporter of Blackwood’s mission. Paula has a daughter who teaches at Pershing Middle School and a son who attends University of Texas at Austin.

LaVerne Williams

LaVerne Williams

Board Member

AIA, LEED AP
Mr. Williams is a Houston-based registered architect whose practice has focused on green building for residential structures. He has worked since the 1970s to find better siting, design and materials for reduced energy use, lowered water consumption, more renewable resources, closer sourcing, less toxic exposure, and reduced up-front cost and long-term maintenance in architecture. He sees this as a personal conviction and a professional obligation, strengthened by growing concerns over climate change (it is estimated that the building industry is responsible for over 50% of the nation’s greenhouse gases).

Star Massing

Star Massing

Board Member

Star Massing is a realtor at Boulevard Realty, Chair of the Board for Blackwood, and was named “Realtor to the Arts & Design Community” by PaperCity Magazine in 2014.  As a multi-year top producer in 2014, 2015, and 2016, she has worked with buyers and sellers in neighborhoods all over Houston. With over 18 years of experience in advertising and marketing, she has promoted clients in PaperCity, CultureMap, Swamplot, Channel 39 and the Houston Chronicle.

Jill McIntyre

Jill McIntyre

Board Member

Jill McIntyre holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M and a MBA in International Studies from University of Houston. She also studied International Marketing and Management in Italy. Jill worked as a civil engineer mainly focusing on hydrologic projects and masterplanning and post MBA, she has worked as an independent electric power developer, Vice President for IT consulting firm, and President of her own consulting firm.  The job she enjoyed most was homeschooling her children for 8 years.