Meet the TLC Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2017
Blake Murden
Dr. Murden is the CEO of the Shield Land Stewardship Group where he is responsible for the administration and conservation management of the three Shield-Ayres family ranches comprising 37,000 acres in Central and West Texas. Blake also supports the mission of the Shield Ranch Foundation through land stewardship, coordination and oversight of capital projects and the operation and management of land and facilities. Blake has more than 30 years of experience managing, researching, and monitoring land, water, and wildlife resources on private lands in Texas, the Pacific Northwest, and New Zealand. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Tarleton State University, and his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University.
VICE PRESIDENT
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2016
Neel Baumgardner
After a career in consulting and financial services at Accenture and American Express, Neel received a Ph.D. in environmental history. He teaches in the Department of History at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his research focuses on public and private conservation efforts, including the state and national parks of Texas. Neel is finishing his first manuscript for publication that explores the creation of international parks along our nation’s shared borders with Canada and Mexico. He contributed to “The National Parks of Texas: In Contact With Beauty,” a Texas Public Broadcasting Association documentary highlighting the 16 national parks in Texas.
TREASURER
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2017
Michelle Kopplow
Michelle is a Partner in the audit practice at Maxwell Locke and Ritter LLP based in Austin where she serves middle market private company clients in a variety of industries. She spent her teenage years in San Antonio and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she obtained a Masters in Professional Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the AICPA and TSCPA Austin Chapter and is raising two young Texans.
SECRETARY
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
Joined the board: 2023
Tiffany Osburn
Since 2008, Tiffany has worked with the Texas Historical Commission where she currently serves as the Deputy State Archeologist focusing on the preservation of historic Texas landscapes. Prior to joining THC, Tiffany earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Denver where she conducted archeological research with a specialization in near-surface geophysics and worked for 10 years in the private sectors of cultural resource management and environmental compliance. She spent a number of years in leadership supporting the conservation work of the Hill Country Land Trust and worked to find permanent homes for their 21 easement properties with Texas Land Conservancy. She currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas where she enjoys outdoor adventures with her husband and their dog Tig.
Location: Dallas, TX
Joined the board: 2000
Michael Jung
Michael obtained math and earth science degrees from MIT and worked for a year on the Space Shuttle project, before changing course and attending Harvard Law School. He is a senior counsel at Clark Hill, PLC, in Dallas, specializing in civil appellate litigation and governmental law. Michael currently serves on TLC’s board as one of its past presidents, as District 9 representative on the Dallas City Plan & Zoning Commission, on the Board of Trustees of Destination Imagination, Inc., on the board of the White Rock Lake Museum, and as member and past chairman of the White Rock Lake Task Force.
Dr. Matthew grew up on his family’s ranch in Yoakum, Texas, and received his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from University of Texas-Austin, then attended Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Earl worked for 22 years at Austin’s Brackenridge Hospital, as Director of Medical Services and Education. He moved to Rockport, Texas in 1997 and is an infectious disease physician with the Christus Spohn Health System in the Corpus Christi region. He became involved with TLC in 1987 as executor of the estate of Ms. Ivy Payne, who donated a 480-acre refuge near Palestine. Pursuing his broad interest in wildlife conservation, Earl was elected to the board of the National Wildlife Federation, representing the south-central U.S. 1999-2008, as well as the federation’s state affiliate, Texas Conservation Alliance, of which he is still a board member. He is president of Aransas First, a local land trust, which was instrumental in developing the County of Aransas Pathways program on the Texas Gulf coast.
Location: Rockport, TX
Joined the board: 1987
Earl Matthew
The daughter of Ned and Genie Fritz, Ms. McKee continues her family’s efforts to preserve natural areas by serving on the board of TLC, which her parents started. Ms. McKee has a degree in communications and public relations from Southern Methodist University and worked for over twenty years as a fundraising and development manager for arts and education organizations in Dallas. As a teenager, Eileen received a prestigious Ford Foundation Scholarship to the School of American Ballet and she has performed with numerous national and regional dance companies. She currently teaches at Contemporary Ballet Dallas. She also enjoys nature walks, forest bathing, and creating boutique women’s nature events.
Location: Dallas, TX
Joined the board: 2004
Eileen Fritz McKee
Mr. Moorhead is the Chief Executive Officer of Texas Water Trade, an Austin-based NGO focused on innovative solutions to provide clean and sufficient water for people and nature. He is the former Policy Director for Audubon Texas, where he focused on strategic initiatives to protect Texas's air, water, and natural systems. From 2008-2016, he served as a client lead and COO of the Ben Barnes Group, a national consultancy. A native of Houston and an honors graduate from the University of Texas at Austin’s Plan II Program, he is passionate about energy and water-resource issues, infrastructure, and land-use planning, and also holds a Master’s in Energy and Earth Resources from the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT-Austin. He enjoys kayaking, working outdoors, Texas waterways, and being with his family.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2015
Scott Moorhead
A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Travis went on to earn a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs before earning a J.D. from the UT School of Law. He is an attorney in the Austin law firm of Armbrust & Brown, PLLC with a primary focus in commercial real estate. He also has legislative experience, having interned for the chair of the Texas House Natural Resources Committee. Travis currently serves on the board of Texas Land Trust Council which is the statewide trade association for land trusts as well as the TLC board.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2010
Travis Phillips
After moving to the Texas Hill Country to attend Texas State University, Kellie built a career in Human Resources that now spans over two decades. She currently serves as the Vice President of Human Resources at a fintech company based in Austin, where she leads strategic people initiatives and helps shape organizational culture in a rapidly evolving industry. She holds both the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) and SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional) certifications. Outside of work, she is passionate about the outdoors. She's been an avid hunter and angler for years and finds balance in nature, whether on the water or in the field.
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
Joined the board: 2026
Kellie Prince
Tim is a principal of Peregrine Land Investments, a private equity land investment fund based in Austin Texas. Prior to Peregrine, Tim was a partner in Riley McLean Land, a land brokerage firm covering Central Texas. Tim has been a licensed real estate broker in Texas since 2005 and has been involved in some of the largest and most complex land transactions in Central Texas. Tim is a graduate of Ithaca College, he is a member of the Real Estate Council of Austin, Texas Alliance of Land Brokers, the Urban Land Institute, Austin Commercial Real Estate Society. Prior to joining TLC’s board, Tim was on the board of the Hill Country Land Trust for many years.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2023
Tim Riley
Ryan is an Executive Vice President with Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors in Austin. After graduating from Texas A&M Ryan worked on construction projects throughout the Southeast and Southwest and made his way back to Texas in 2008. He has focused on a variety of project types including healthcare, manufacturing, and faith based, including multiple LEED and SITES certified projects. Through his involvement in projects like the Campsite at Shield Ranch Ryan has a desire to protect natural spaces in Texas for future generations.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2025
Ryan Shipley
Clay is the Founder and CEO of Poncho, an outdoor apparel brand headquartered in Austin, TX. He previously worked in private equity and as a fly-fishing guide in Talkeetna, Alaska. Clay is a graduate of the Plan II and Business Honors Programs at the University of Texas and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a lifelong outdoorsman and lives in Austin, TX with his wife and three young children.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2025
Clay Spencer
Caleb is an Austin native who grew up exploring Barton Creek and the outdoors of Texas. He is a Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with the Gerrie Stafford Group at Merrill Lynch in Austin, TX. Focusing on wealth planning and investments he guides affluent families and individuals through generational life stages. Caleb holds a marketing degree from Texas State University. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, being outdoors, and cooking.
Location: Austin, TX
Joined the board: 2018
Caleb Stafford