Staff Members

Timothy T. Loftus, Ph.D.

General Manager
tloftus@bseacd.org

Prior to joining the District in 2022, Dr. Tim Loftus served as Professor of Practice in Geography and held the Meadows Endowed Chair in Water Conservation at Texas State University. Across campus he also worked closely with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Dr. Loftus’ responsibilities included grant writing, research, and project management. Additionally, he taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in water resources and mentored graduate advisees in both the Geography and Sustainability Studies Master’s Programs. During this time, Dr. Loftus was appointed by the Texas Water Development Board to the Water Conservation Advisory Council representing Higher Education. His work has been published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Ecological Economics, Texas Water Journal, and other outlets. Dr. Loftus received his Ph.D. in Geography from Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he also earned his B.S. and M.S. in Forestry. He has held positions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Graduate Research Assistant, Post-Doctoral Associate), Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond (Assistant Professor), Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio (Director of the Water Quality Laboratory), and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (Senior/Principal Water Resource Planner).

Erin Swanson

Regulatory Compliance Manager
eswanson@bseacd.org

Erin graduated from Texas State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology. She previously worked as an administrator for local water well drilling company and as a wildlife biologist for an environmental consulting firm where she assisted land owners in effective land and wildlife management and conservation. In her free time, Erin can usually be found alongside her husband kayaking, hiking, or backpacking in Texas searching for unique critters to catch and beautiful views to photograph. When she isn’t exploring the outdoors, Erin likes to relax and spend time with her friends and family including her dogs and cats.

Jacob Newton

Regulatory Compliance Specialist
jnewton@bseacd.org

Jacob was born and raised in Austin and could commonly be found exploring the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Bull Creek with his dog or relaxing at Barton Springs Pool. He further grew his passion for the outdoors by visiting Cedar Creek Lake where his grandfather resided, hiking Enchanted Rock, or camping at Big Bend National Park. He graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Geography and minor in Biology. He now resides in Kyle where he and his family rely on groundwater monitored by the District. In his free time, Jacob likes to spend time with his family, bike, hike, and swim.

Kendall Bell-Enders

Project Manager
kbellenders@bseacd.org

Kendall graduated from Texas State University with a B.S. in Geography-Resource and Environmental Studies. Before joining the District in 2011, she worked in the Lake Tahoe area for four years where she performed environmental monitoring and research and then most recently at the Edwards Aquifer Authority as an Environmental Field Representative. Kendall enjoys kayaking, seeing live music, and running around with her dogs.

Jeff Watson, P.G.

Staff Hydrogeologist
jwatson@bseacd.org

Jeff is a native Austinite who graduated from University of Texas Austin with a B.S. and M.S. in geological sciences. Jeff is a member of the Austin Geological Society and is a registered professional geologist. He grew up exploring the Texas Hill Country and swimming in iconic spring-fed water holes such as Barton Springs Pool and Jacobs Well Spring. Jeff developed an interest in geology at a young age during annual family outings to Big Bend National Park. Prior to joining the District, he worked in consulting with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District as a hydrogeologist and with BSEACD as a hydrogeologic intern. Jeff enjoys rock climbing, hiking, camping, and pretty much all things outdoors.

Justin Camp

Hydrogeologist Technician
jcamp@bseacd.org

Born and raised in Austin, Justin grew up exploring local Little Bear and Bear Creek in his own backyard. With a deep connection to the Central Texas landscape, he developed a passion for enjoying, studying, and protecting the region’s critical natural resources. Justin joined the District team in 2015 after graduating from Texas State University with a B.S. in Physical Geography, minor in Geology, and working for seven years with the City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department. He is an avid caver, exploring and mapping the underground in Texas and Mexico. When he’s not in the water or caving, Justin also enjoys playing guitar and tennis.

Shay Hlavaty

Communications & Outreach Manager
shlavaty@bseacd.org

With a background in environmental management and a love for communications, Shay specializes in educating and engaging communities in conservation. She has a B.S. in Environmental Conservation of Natural Resources from Texas Tech University and a Master’s of Environmental Management from Western Colorado University. Shay’s spent the last six years of her career managing marketing and communications at a variety of environmental organizations across the country. She enjoys hiking, running, cycling, camping, traveling, and hanging out with her pup, Ivy Jo.\

Hannah Riggs

Administrative Coordinator
hriggs@bseacd.org

A graduate of Texas State University with a degree in History and a minor in Southwest Studies, Hannah is an avid traveler who is interested in maintaining the environment for generations to come. Prior to working at BSEACD, Hannah worked in Operations with tech startups in the Austin area. When not conserving water Hannah can be found at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as well as spending time building Lego with her family.