In her role as Texas state director, Huffman establishes conservation
strategy and provides public policy leadership in order to advance The
Nature Conservancy’s mission to protect the land and water on which all
life depends. Under her leadership, the organization has been
instrumental in the development and subsequent passage of the RESTORE
Act, a landmark piece of federal legislation that dedicates 80% of
penalties resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to
affected Gulf Coast states. She has also worked closely with Texas
legislators to draft legislation with far-reaching ramifications for
statewide water conservation and spearheaded the expansion of water
protection funds in Central Texas. Since 2000, these citizen approved
water funds have generated nearly a billion dollars to protect drinking
water in Austin and San Antonio, two of the fastest growing metro areas
in the country. They have also emerged as a proven best practice for
cities needing a practical, customizable way to protect water quality
and quantity.
A native of Austin, Huffman has a long and
distinguished record of public service. Prior to joining The Nature
Conservancy, she served six years as assistant city manager for the City
of Austin. During her tenure, she negotiated more than $5 billion in
economic development agreements, oversaw the redevelopment of major
portions of the city and secured long-term commitments to protect the
city’s water supply. She also served as deputy city manager for San
Marcos, Texas, where she spearheaded important watershed protection
initiatives that strengthened the city’s economy and protected its
natural assets.
Huffman currently serves as board chair for the
Texas League of Conservation Voters and as an ECO Advisory Board member
for South by Southwest. She also sits on the board of Ballet Austin. In
2015, she joined the New York University faculty as adjunct professor of
Resilient Cities, a class created to examine the ways in which people
can make growing cities safer and more sustainable.
Huffman earned
a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas at
Austin and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Texas A&M
University. An Austin native, she enjoys running, swimming and hiking
with her husband and four children.
