The Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust (GBR Trust) Board of Trustees hired Steve Jester, a 20-year veteran in the fields of wildlife and land conservation, as the new executive director for the organization.

Jester, who earned his bachelor of science degree in agriculture at Texas State University and master of science degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences at Texas A&M University, will be responsible for the operation and management of the GBR Trust under the direction of the Board of Trustees.

“It’s great to be back in Texas, but more importantly, I am back here in a position where I will have an impact in land conservation and preserving areas that will protect habitats for wildlife for years to come,” said Jester, who recently completed a four-year stint in Wyoming as the Southwest Wyoming Program Director for Nature Conservancy after five years with the same organization in Texas and seven with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

“Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in wildlife and land management, as well as a fresh perspective to the Trust, and we are looking forward to his contributions,” said Todd Votteler, Ph.D., executive director emeritus of the GBR Trust.

“We feel very fortunate to have been able to recruit Steve back to Texas,” said Roger Welder, president of the Board of Trustees for the GBR Trust, adding, “All of the trustees are looking forward to working with him and getting him involved in protecting these sensitive, precious areas that we value so much within the Guadalupe River Basin.”

The Trust is a charitable, non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was developed to conserve the land and water of the Guadalupe River watershed for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic and productive value. The mission of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust is to promote and encourage the conservation, stewardship and enjoyment of the land and water resources of the Guadalupe River watershed, while maintaining its unique and irreplaceable natural heritage. Additional information about the Trust is available at www.gbrtrust.org.

The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun, and Refugio counties.