Who We Are!

Know your ACAS Officers 

ACAS Bylaws - Article V.  Duties of Officers

President – Marilyn Vincent Sec. 1    The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board, and shall direct and administer the affairs of the Corporation as its executive head, subject to instructions from the Board.  The President, with the approval of the Board, may appoint members to all committees.  The President shall also serve as a voting member of all committees

Vice-President – Marilyn Lorenz

Sec. 2 The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence. The Vice-President shall chair the Planning Board. The Vice-President shall be prepared to succeed the President in that office at the completion of the President’s last term, or at any time the office of the President is vacated.

Secretary – Sylvia Canales Sec. 3    The Secretary shall keep a formal record of all actions of the Corporation and the Board and shall conduct the correspondence of the Corporation and keep a record thereof.  The Secretary will co-ordinate with the President on the agenda for all meetings of the Board of Directors and provide each Board member with an agenda. Sylvia recently retired after 36 years of teaching.  Born and raised in South Texas, Sylvia enjoys gardening, observing wildlife, watching sports, working on projects and learning about other cultures.  After traveling over forty countries and five continents, she is looking forward to resuming her international travels next year.

Treasurer - Keri Cooper Sec. 4    The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation, and shall deposit all moneys and securities in the name of and to the credit of the Corporation in any such depositories as may be designated by the Board.  The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board.  All disbursements shall be signed by the Treasurer. Keri loved visiting the valley for the 2019 RGV Birding Festival.  Several times she thought, "When I retire maybe I could live in this area."  In fact, she teased her friend that by moving to Port Isabel, she could escape the traffic and busyness of city life in Austin.  Who knew 5 months later COVID would change our lives forever.  Keri decided to retire mid-pandemic, sold her house and relocated to Port Isabel. Besides birdwatching, Keri is the proud mom of a college student and two little dogs.  ACAS's warm welcome has been the highlight of her relocation and she is looking forward to support ACAS however she can.

EDUCATION/EVENTS – Sue Griffin Education Chair is responsible for any events and activities that will educate young and old alike.  Her interest in educating others about the mission of ACAS and her past history in the field of education are a benefit in her role. At present Sue is chair of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.  She and husband Billy Snider have been involved in many native plant landscapes and bird friendly water features created across the valley in parks and at private homes.

HABITAT/PARKS/CONSERVATION – Linda Butcher Linda Butcher, Habitat/Parks/Conservation Chair is a lifetime member of the Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society and is also a dedicated member of the RGVTMN.   She is well-known for her countless hours of dedication to the establishment and maintenance of Hugh Ramsey Nature Park.  She is on her way to an incredible count of 5,000 hours of service and recently received the Presidential Service Pin.  Linda's knowledge of the park and the vision of ACAS makes her well-suited as conservation chair.  If you want to volunteer in Hugh Ramsey Nature Park please contact Linda at 956-244-8550

MEMBERSHIP - Teresa DuBois The Membership Chair will keep all records of membership and remind members of dues.  They will greet members at meetings, help the Treasurer collect dues and supply and manage door prizes for the Speaker Socials.  Also included in this role is management of the ACAS booth during the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and the  accompanying Photo Contest.  Teresa was born in California, moved to Florida at the age of 1 and after 25 years there, moved to Texas. Texas has been a great fit as Teresa loves the salty air and sand beneath her feet.  She is married to her best friend Jack and they share 4 children 5 grandchildren, 3 dogs and 1 fur-baby!  Love of the outdoors , gardening, and birdwatching prompted an invitation in 2016 to attend the RGV Birding Festival.  They loved it, became ACAS members as well as Texas Master Naturalists, fueling their passion for nature and making a positive impact on the native habitat in our area.  PUBLICITY- Duties for the Publicity Chair include editor of the quarterly newsletter, Admin for our social media (FB, Blog/website) Other duties include promoting our programs through local media outlets such as newsprint, TV, and community calendars.