Founded in 1990, Sweeney & Associates, Inc., is an irrigation consulting firm specializing in irrigation system design, master planning, and water management. With four United States offices, an overseas production facility, and the effective use of the latest electronic data transfer techniques the firm is able to offer excellence in irrigation design to customers around the world. Often brought into the project in the early stages of design, Sweeney & Associates are experts at the use of alternative water sources, water conservation strategies, and large scale irrigation network design. The firm prides itself as an early adopter of the latest water conserving principles, products, and methods.

Over the past 20 years, in projects ranging from large-scale urban and campus planning to the detailed design of public spaces and gardens, Scott McCready seeks to enhance the social and ecological infrastructure of the urban environment, while broadening access and connectivity to open space within the city. His recent work has focused on urban parks, urban infill, and large-scale campus planning and design. Scott has collaborated on numerous projects throughout Texas recognized in local and national awards and publications, including Buffalo Bayou Park, Evelyn’s Park, and Rosemont Pedestrian Bridge and Trails.

Zion Escobar has more than 13 years of experience transforming ideas into action as a civil engineer and green infrastructure advocate, providing highly specialized technical support to a diverse range of public agencies, private clients, international NGOs, and engineering and landscape architecture firms. She was recognized as one of Engineering New Record Magazine’s “Top 20 Under 40 in Texas and Louisiana” as well as the American Society of Civil Engineers “Young Engineer of the Year.” Currently, she is first Executive Director of the newly launched Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, which serves to preserve and protect the history of Freedmen’s Town for the benefit of future generations.

Raj Mankad is the Op-Ed Editor for the Houston Chronicle. From 2008 to 2019, he served as Editor of Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston. he also works as a community organizer. In 2013, he launched a petition for a Sunday Streets program and led volunteers to support its successful launch by the city. Prior to his time at Cite, he served as Managing Editor of the journal Feminist Economics and served on the board of the International Association for Feminist Economics. He is a Next City Vanguard Fellow and a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and has taught graduate level courses at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and served on the jury for Preservation Houston’s Good Brick Awards.

Rachel Powers became the executive director of the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition (CEC) in 2013. By connecting individuals and organizations, CEC works to ensure that our environmental community is recognized as a vital part of the fabric of our society. Rachel serves on various boards and committees, including the City of Houston’s Climate Action Plan, Resilience Plan, Integrated Resource Recovery Management Plan, and Plan Houston (general plan); Harris County’s Flood Control Task Force and Environmental Justice “Do Tank”; H-GAC’s Bacteria Implementation Group; and on numerous committees for a variety of nonprofit organizations. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Rachel graduated from Rice University (B.A.) and University of Phoenix (M.B.A.).

Natalia’s work focuses on elevating the cultural significance of places through the creative integration of art in designed landscapes. Whether the context is urban, industrial, or post-industrial, she prioritizes design effects by grounding them in the culture and history of each site and community. She has developed approaches to integrate art and cultural expression in large infrastructural environments, including re-imagining the Atlanta Connector downtown freeway as a linear gallery, displaying art within a busy transportation corridor. Her work has been recognized with several national awards, and she is a sought-after speaker and lecturer on the topics of art, architecture, and urbanization.