Built to protect.
Evolved to lead.About TESPA
Who We Are
The Trinity Edwards Science and Policy Alliance (TESPA) is a science- and policy-driven organization advancing groundwater sustainability in Texas.
We work at the intersection of law, science, policy, and partnerships to shape how water is used, managed, and sustained. By translating data into policy, aligning stakeholders, and designing systems that connect water use with long-term aquifer health, TESPA helps ensure that Texas’ aquifers can support strong economies and healthy ecosystems for generations to come.
Our Evolution
TESPA was founded in 2015 in response to a series of immediate and tangible threats to groundwater resources in the Texas Hill Country.
Early efforts focused on protecting aquifers and spring systems from unsustainable extraction and contamination. Through targeted legal action and advocacy, TESPA helped prevent large-scale groundwater export, secured protections around permitted water use, and influenced infrastructure decisions to reduce risk to sensitive aquifer systems.
These efforts delivered meaningful results. They also revealed a broader truth.
Groundwater challenges are not isolated. They are systemic. Legal action remains an important tool. But it is not sufficient on its own.
From Defense to Design
Today, TESPA has evolved to meet that reality. Building on its foundation in legal advocacy, TESPA now operates upstream, focusing on the systems that shape how water is used in the first place.
This includes:
- Translating science into policy and decision-making frameworks
- Aligning stakeholders across sectors and jurisdictions
- Developing incentive-based models that support conservation and stewardship
- Supporting tools and infrastructure that improve how groundwater is managed
TESPA’s work is no longer defined solely by responding to challenges, but by designing the conditions that prevent
them.
What Guides Us
TESPA is grounded in a simple belief: environmental health and economic vitality are interconnected.
Sustainable water use is not achieved through restriction alone. It requires alignment.
By integrating science, policy, partnerships, and legal expertise, TESPA is helping build systems where water use and aquifer sustainability are not in conflict, but mutually reinforcing.
Leadership
TESPA Board of Directors
Ashley Kegley
Interim Executive Director
Andrew Weber
Board Chair
Jim Blackburn
TESPA Co-Founder
Peter Way
TESPA Co-Founder
Patrick Cox, PhD, Board Member
Historian and Author
Bob Elkins, Board Member
Landowner
Joseph Jaworski, Board Member
Jaworski Family Foundation
Scott Way, Board Member
Paradromics
Ron Weiss, Board Member
Landowner and Restaurateur
Laura Sorell, Board Advisor
Sorell Consulting
TESPA’s early work demonstrated what is possible through focused action and strong advocacy.
Today, the organization is building on that foundation to take a more expansive approach, one that integrates science, policy, and partnerships to shape how water is managed at scale.
The work continues. But the approach has evolved.
As TESPA enters this next chapter, we are seeking leaders and partners who want to play an active role in shaping the future of water in Texas, including opportunities to serve on our Board of Directors.