OUR BY LAWS

BOARD ACTIVITY

Our Board meets every fourth Monday of the month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Board members volunteer their time and resources to support and advance PPLT’s mission. If you are interested in serving on our Board, please consider attending a board meeting or two and reviewing our Board Member Application.

Who we are

The mission to continue into perpetuity may sound tough to some. For our board members, it is a mission that is taken to heart and moved toward daily. This small but mighty team has come together to serve our community with dedication and knowledge. Read more about them below:

The Pines and Prairies Land trust board

OFFICERS

President

Wilynn Formeller, Berthoud, CO. Wilynn is a Native Texan and grew up on a cattle ranch in Bandera. She has over a decade of experience serving on boards and working for nonprofits. Although she currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three sons, she previously lived in Travis County and worked for PPLT as a part-time contractor, sharing her expertise in wildlife and land management, event planning, social media and marketing. Wilynn is the Development and Program Director for the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition. She holds an MS in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University.

treasurer

Walt Kluchki, Travis County. Walt runs his own tax and business planning company and has been active with PPLT for several years. He also brings with him experience as a corporate VP of Finance and as a Controller before starting his own business. Besides numbers and policies, Walt is also goal-oriented and an experienced planner. He enjoys the outdoors and is an avid hunter, loves dogs and enjoys watching wildlife. His quick wit and no-nonsense style will be put to good use at PPLT. BS in Accounting at St. Vincent College with Graduate Studies in Economics at Gannon University.

(photo coming soon)

secretary

Geoff Zickler, Bexar County. Geoff is owner/operator of a property management company and has a lifelong history of helping to manage his family’s ranch where they recently restored native prairies for their cow/calf operation. He is experienced in working with agricultural agencies under their cooperative programs to employ best management practices on the land. Besides having experience with business finances, planning and operations, Geoff is an advocate for land conservation, educating landowners and is the Den Leader for his boy’s Boy Scout Troop. Geoff holds a BBA in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Magna Cum Laude, UTSA.

DIRECTORS

Rachel Naasz, Bastrop County. Rachel is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a deep commitment to environmental conservation. She currently works in outdoor recreation and education in Bastrop County. Rachel graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s in Anthropology which has helped provide her with a deep understanding of how humans interact with their environment and how important it is for communities to preserve the green spaces around them. Her love for the outdoors has also led to her passion for gardening!

Luke Thompson, III, Bastrop County. Luke has a vast background in everything from conservation to IT and employee management. Luke was the first steward at Warbler Woods in Travis County, handled landowner relationships and land stewardship as Assistant Director with the Texas Nature Conservancy, brought the park reservation system to TPWD, and was an early Director of the Austin Nature Center. Luke loves the outdoors, wildlife, and especially birds. He is active in Bastrop Audubon and Bird City Bastrop and is an experienced member and leader of several nonprofit boards. Luke’s passions lie with engaging and inspiring landowners and those interested in the outdoors. At PPLT we often say, “What hasn’t Luke done?!” Luke also holds a BA in Biology from UT Austin.

David Vogel, Fayette and Travis Counties. A fifth generation Texan who grew up in Houston, David graduated from U.T. Austin with a BBA in Marketing. He and his wife Vickie lived for almost 40 years on 110 acres of land in Fayette Co., where he was involved in real estate. He developed an interest in native prairie restoration, and began restoring native grasses on their land by gathering Yellow Indiangrass seeds wherever he could find them, and broadcasting them in the old, worn-out pastures. By managing the land for wildlife, the native grasses and forbs had ample time to establish themselves and eventually became dominant in most areas. He also has a strong interest in bats, and has served for more than 12 years as a volunteer Bat Host each summer at Orient Land Trust in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. He became a Certified Texas Master Naturalist in 2006. David has previously served as a PPLT board member for about 9 years, during which time Mr. Irwin Billig gifted his land to PPLT. Since that time, David has carried his interest for native prairie restoration to Billig Ranch. He joined the board once again in 2024, with his focus mainly on projects at Billig Ranch, to help bring regenerative permaculture to that great piece of land.

STAFF

Executive Director

Melanie Pavlas, Caldwell County.  Melanie is a Caldwell County landowner where she practices wildlife management. She has diverse experience in environmental biology and wildlife conservation, including endangered species permitting, monitoring and conservation, bird surveys, habitat restoration and wildlife and land management. Melanie also has an extensive background in technical and regulatory guidance in regard to project impacts on wildlife and protected resources and how to mitigate them. Her personal passions center around animal welfare and rescue. She has been Executive Director of PPLT since 2012. BS, Environmental Biology, University of Houston at Clear Lake.

outreach manager

Laurie Mason, Bastrop County. Laurie is a big fan of wildflowers, native grasses and a lover of wild spaces. Since settling in Smithville in 2014, she found herself falling in love with the land as she witnessed the process of regrowth and renewal in the young piney woods after the 2011 Bastrop Complex Fire. Her new perspective and relationship with the land inspired her to complete her Master’s in Conservation Biology from Miami University and to get involved in protecting wonderful local places. She has volunteered with PPLT since 2018 and was thrilled to join the PPLT team as the Outreach Manager in 2022. She especially enjoys connecting people with places, as this has been such a transformative experience in her own life.