About the Colorado River Alliance

Serving as the Executive Director at Colorado River Alliance, Adrienne drives the organization’s strategic growth, partnership development, and oversees the talented and dedicated staff team. Prior to her current role at Colorado River Alliance, Adrienne worked as a Chief Operating Officer with Hill Country Conservancy, where she was responsible for strategic direction for all operational areas including finance and budgeting, HR, educational programs, volunteerism, communications, marketing, and resource development and helped lead the design the first strategic plan for the organization.

A passionate community servant well-known for vision, creativity, and consensus building, Adrienne volunteers as Vice Chair of External Relations for the Board of Directors of the Global Association of Fundraising Professionals and as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Austin Outside, a group that champions outdoor places for all throughout Greater Austin.

Adrienne attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Adrienne enjoys yoga and taking long walk with her son and two dogs.

Katie works with a wide range of schools, educators, and service groups to inspire our future river stewards, with the goal of engaging students from underrepresented and underserved populations.

She manages a passionate team of volunteers and interns to teach elementary school students the importance of conserving and protecting the Texas Colorado River through the Field Trip Program. Katie also plans and facilitates environmental action and community outreach events, including creek cleanups and restorations in the Austin area.

Katie holds a B.A. in journalism and Spanish from The University of Alabama.

As the Program Coordinator for the Alliance, Rachel leads the Mobile River program which educates students and community members on the Texas Colorado River watershed and human interaction with local water sources. This program brings a 42-foot trailer full of interactive activities directly to middle school campuses and community events, reaching populations locally and across hundreds of miles of the Colorado River basin. In addition to the Mobile River program, Rachel assists the Alliance’s Internship and Volunteer programs by helping oversee the development of a passionate group of interns.

Rachel was born and raised in Austin and stayed local to attend the University of Texas, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Human Ecology with minors in Spanish and Business. When she’s not at work, you can find Rachel playing guitar at an open mic, completing the New York Times mini games, or swimming at Barton Springs. Just as she spent countless hours of her childhood playing in Williamson Creek and other areas of the Colorado River, Rachel hopes her work here can help guarantee other Central Texas kids a clean local waterway for generations to come.

Ella graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024 with a major in Sustainability and Geography as well as a minor in Communication Studies. In undergrad, she was able to gain environmental science and field work experience all over the world including Hawaii, Ireland, Botswana and, of course, Texas.

As CRA’s Program Assistant, Ella supports the Programs team with intern and volunteer management, community events, and leading the Redbud Field Trip Program—a long-standing environmental education program aimed at creating Austin’s future water stewards.
Ella’s passion for environmental education was sparked through her previous internship experience at CRA where she taught students about the Colorado River, conservation practices, and the importance of watersheds. Her previous work at the Rowing Dock on Lady Bird Lake also shaped her passion for environmental science, conservation, and spreading awareness about the Colorado River. In her free time, she loves to kayak, explore Texas State Parks, go on hikes and backpacking trips with friends, and visit her hometown of Corpus Christi.