Beverly Griffith is no stranger to park advocacy. Not only did she co-found our very organization in 1992, she also served as our first President, chaired the city’s Parks Board, was a president and trustee for the Texas Recreation and Parks Society and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park Association. Additionally, she is or has been a trustee or advisor for various organizations including the Nature Conservancy, University of Texas School of Social Work, Austin Lyric Opera Board, and the United Way. She currently serves on the Board of the Crested Butte Land Trust as well as the Board of 1% for Open Space and is a supporter of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and The Trust for Public Land (TPL).
Beverly and her husband Balie are also members of TPL’s North Texas Advisory Council. To say she’s experienced in park advocacy and building successful non-profits might be the understatement of the year.
Perhaps her most reported crusades were during her two terms as an Austin City Council Member. From her tenacious defense of parks and green space in her early council days to her successful push for passage of a $41.5 million bond proposal to acquire parks and greenways in Austin, Beverly has never been shy about her convictions. In 2000, she said the following during her impassioned plea for the aforementioned bond’s passage.
“We need the power to seize the opportunities when they come,” said Griffith, referring to the city’s dwindling options to purchase land. “Every day we have more development pressure on things we treasure,” as quoted from the Austin Chronicle archives.
Just last year at our second annual Party for the Parks, we were proud to award Beverly the Lifetime Achievement Award for her life-long commitment to open space in Austin and beyond. With a founder as passionate, principled and smart as Beverly – it’s no wonder Austin Parks Foundation is now celebrating our 25th anniversary!
We are so thankful to Beverly for choosing to devote her life to improving and enhancing green space in Austin. Our city is better and greener because of the work she championed. Thank you, Beverly!
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