Board of Directors

Dr. Richard Todd, President, is a scientist, naturalist and poet. He was born and raised in western Nebraska and lives now on the flattop divide between the Red River and Canadian River watersheds near Amarillo, Texas, where he is learning the southern dialects of the High Plains. "My passion is opening people's eyes and spirits to the place where they live. Once we know where we are and how it all works, we can learn to live lightly and gently."

"Rick" earned his doctorate from the University of Nebraska, where he specialized in biometeorology, the study of how weather and climate interact with living organisms. He has published numerous scientific papers on conservation tillage, plant water use, soil evaporation, and the environmental impacts of cattle feedyards. His current research focuses on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture on the southern High Plains. His place-based book of poetry, "Dressing Bones In New Skins", was published in 2008. He lives in a solar-powered, water-recycling, humanure-composting straw bale cabin that he built, and he's trying to learn how to keep a garden alive.

Dr. Tony Burgess, Vice President, holds a Masters degree in Botany and a PhD in Ecology. He currently serves as Professor of Professional Practice in Environmental Science at Texas Christian University.

Tony worked for 19 years with Biosphere 2 project north of Tucson. He collaborated with the original concept team to create an enclosed, evolving model of our planetary biosphere. He served as consultant during the first two closed missions. After management changes in 1994, Tony managed the biomes of Biosphere 2. He became Site Naturalist after Columbia University took charge of Biosphere 2.

Tony's ambition is to keep learning how to connect people with the living vitality and heritage of the landscapes that they inhabit.

Mary Emeny, Secretary/Treasurer, has strong roots to the Amarillo area where her grandfather first arrived in 1880. The Frying Pan Ranch, which he bought on behalf of his father-in-law, is still in the family with Mary overseeing her family's half of the original ranch.

Mary holds a BA from Connecticut College and a Master's in Public and International Affairs from the U. of Pittsburgh. She was involved on the founding boards of the Austin-based Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, (a group dedicated to research and teaching sustainable building systems), the organization that became San Antonio Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity, International. She served on Habitat's international board from its beginning in 1976 until 1985, serving part of that time as secretary.

In 1992 she turned a section of the Frying Pan Ranch near Amarillo into Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, which lies just north of the site where HPI will ultimately build their institute and where Mariposa EcoVillage is about to begin construction.

Over the years she has received several awards, the highest being named Woman of the Year by the Amarillo Globe News in 2001.

Dr. Phil Hawes is an architect and town and regional designer whose area of interest and expertise is sustainable community development.

He received a BA in Architectural Design in 1963 from the University of Oklahoma, and in 1998 was awarded a PhD in Sustainable Community Design from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture.

He has established sustainable design educational programs in architecture and community planning in the USA, Portugal, and France, and has lectured widely in the US and abroad on these subjects.

From 1985 until 1992, Phil was the architect-of-record for the Biosphere 2 project near Oracle, Arizona during its design, construction, and early operation. This is a three-acre habitat for ecological systems, including tropical rainforest, savanna, marsh, ocean, desert, agriculture, and human habitat biomes.

Toby Lankford is founder of Aerial Vista, an innovative, high-tech Company whose mission is to provide high resolution imaging, from unmanned aerial vehicles, in a safe and environmentally friendly manner to the civilian market. Aerial Vista is revolutionizing the way aerial imagery is acquired by providing high resolution global referenced images for precise management of visual information. The company works with a number of different industries -- from Real Estate, News and Production Media, Environmental, Construction Management, Agricultural, and Mapping and Survey companies.

Toby is highly energetic and very active in his community. He is the father of four young children and is dedicated to creating a sustainable and just future for them and for future generations.

Arzella Kay, Executive Director, worked for twenty years at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tennessee. As Director of Marketing for the Public Media Division, she designed and implemented marketing strategies, supervised print and audiovisual production, controlled departmental budgets, and supervised staff.

She is an international award-winning film producer. (Two CINE Golden Eagles).

As Adjunct Faculty Member to Vanderbilt Divinity School, she supervised graduate student interns in Religious Communications.
In 1977 she was awarded Nashville Executive Woman of the Year.

She was a member of the international team that designed the strategy for the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

During the mid'90's, she worked for the City of Nashville and several environmental groups on "The Green Neighborhood Project" which designed, built and promoted compost demonstration sites and organic gardens in the inner city.


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Dr. Richard Todd, President, is a scientist, naturalist and poet. He was born and raised in western Nebraska and lives now on the flattop divide between the Red River and Canadian River watersheds near Amarillo, Texas, where he is learning the southern dialects of the High Plains. "My passion is opening people's eyes and spirits to the place where they live. Once we know where we are and how it all works, we can learn to live lightly and gently." "Rick" earned his doctorate from the University of Nebraska, where he specialized in biometeorology, the study of how weather and climate interact with living organisms. He has published numerous scientific papers on conservation tillage, plant water use, soil evaporation, and the environmental impacts of cattle feedyards. His current research focuses on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture on the southern High Plains. His place-based book of poetry, "Dressing Bones In New Skins", was published in 2008. He lives in a solar-powered, water-recycling, humanure-composting straw bale cabin that he built, and he's trying to learn how to keep a garden alive. Dr. Tony Burgess, Vice President, holds a Masters degree in Botany and a PhD in Ecology. He currently serves as Professor of Professional Practice in Environmental Science at Texas Christian University. Tony worked for 19 years with Biosphere 2 project north of Tucson. He collaborated with the original concept team to create an enclosed, evolving model of our planetary biosphere. He served as consultant during the first two closed missions. After management changes in 1994, Tony managed the biomes of Biosphere 2. He became Site Naturalist after Columbia University took charge of Biosphere 2. Tony's ambition is to keep learning how to connect people with the living vitality and heritage of the landscapes that they inhabit. Mary Emeny, Secretary/Treasurer, has strong roots to the Amarillo area where her grandfather first arrived in 1880. The Frying Pan Ranch, which he bought on behalf of his father-in-law, is still in the family with Mary overseeing her family's half of the original ranch. Mary holds a BA from Connecticut College and a Master's in Public and International Affairs from the U. of Pittsburgh. She was involved on the founding boards of the Austin-based Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, (a group dedicated to research and teaching sustainable building systems), the organization that became San Antonio Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity, International. She served on Habitat's international board from its beginning in 1976 until 1985, serving part of that time as secretary. In 1992 she turned a section of the Frying Pan Ranch near Amarillo into Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, which lies just north of the site where HPI will ultimately build their institute and where Mariposa EcoVillage is about to begin construction. Over the years she has received several awards, the highest being named Woman of the Year by the Amarillo Globe News in 2001. Dr. Phil Hawes is an architect and town and regional designer whose area of interest and expertise is sustainable community development. He received a BA in Architectural Design in 1963 from the University of Oklahoma, and in 1998 was awarded a PhD in Sustainable Community Design from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture. He has established sustainable design educational programs in architecture and community planning in the USA, Portugal, and France, and has lectured widely in the US and abroad on these subjects. From 1985 until 1992, Phil was the architect-of-record for the Biosphere 2 project near Oracle, Arizona during its design, construction, and early operation. This is a three-acre habitat for ecological systems, including tropical rainforest, savanna, marsh, ocean, desert, agriculture, and human habitat biomes. Toby Lankford is founder of Aerial Vista, an innovative, high-tech Company whose mission is to provide high resolution imaging, from unmanned aerial vehicles, in a safe and environmentally friendly manner to the civilian market. Aerial Vista is revolutionizing the way aerial imagery is acquired by providing high resolution global referenced images for precise management of visual information. The company works with a number of different industries -- from Real Estate, News and Production Media, Environmental, Construction Management, Agricultural, and Mapping and Survey companies. Toby is highly energetic and very active in his community. He is the father of four young children and is dedicated to creating a sustainable and just future for them and for future generations. Arzella Kay, Executive Director, worked for twenty years at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tennessee. As Director of Marketing for the Public Media Division, she designed and implemented marketing strategies, supervised print and audiovisual production, controlled departmental budgets, and supervised staff. She is an international award-winning film producer. (Two CINE Golden Eagles). As Adjunct Faculty Member to Vanderbilt Divinity School, she supervised graduate student interns in Religious Communications. In 1977 she was awarded Nashville Executive Woman of the Year. She was a member of the international team that designed the strategy for the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. During the mid'90's, she worked for the City of Nashville and several environmental groups on "The Green Neighborhood Project" which designed, built and promoted compost demonstration sites and organic gardens in the inner city.