Meet the Staff
Colleen Gardner, Executive Director
Colleen Gardner has been on staff since 1999. She has a Masters of Arts in Geography with a focus in Resource and Environmental Studies from
Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and a Bachelor of Arts Arts degree
in Business Administration from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Prior to
employment at the ranch, she served over two years in the United States Peace
Corps in Niger, Africa as a nutritionist. Colleen's current responsibilities
with the preserve are designing and implementing educational programs, as well
as office managerial duties that include budgets, accounts payable/receivable
and all public communications. When she is not managing the office, she also
spends a lot of the time out on the ranch as the staff beekeeper! Colleen served as the former Treasurer on the board of the Hill Country Alliance and is serving on the Leadership Advisory Board for Texas Cooperative Extension Agency for Blanco County. Additionally she is an active member of the Johnson City Woman's Civic Club. During visits to the ranch, you may also meet Scott Gardner, Colleen’s husband, who volunteers at the ranch in an educational capacity with the Stewardship workshops. J. David Bamberger named Colleen Executive Director in March of 2008. On May 21, 2009 Colleen was sworn in as the new director for Blanco-Pedernales Conservation Groundwater District’s, Precinct 2, Blanco County.
Steven Fulton, Ranch Biologist
Steven is the second vital educational programming staff member of the ranch and his responsibilities are Land Stewardship and Education. Steven has a biology
degree from Mary Hardin Baylor University in Belton, Texas, and he has work
experience from the Nature Conservancy of Texas' endangered species programs.
He is responsible for tours, workshops and all educational programs. He is
also in charge of all the GIS/GPS mapping and research programs being implemented
on the ranch. Steven has the perfect balance of someone who can operate heavy
equipment and do physical ranching work as well as speak comfortably to the
public, regardless of their age. Steven, along with J. David Bamberger, head
up the ranch's recovery program of the federally listed endangered species,
the Texas Snowbell. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in environmental science from the University of Texas in San Antonio. His research will focus heavily on Selah’s endangered species re-introduction program with the Texas Snowbell. The Bamberger Ranch Preserve was designated as the lead institution to de-list this tree in 2003, and Steven recently built a large-scale greenhouse to not only aide in the recovery program but to also bring this
issue into daily educational programs and tours.
July 2006, Steven and Amanda welcomed a new family unit, Aiden Blayne Fulton.
Scott Grote, Ranch Operations Manager
Scott Grote's responsibilities include all ranching operations on the 5,500
acre preserve. He manages the cattle and goat herds; oversight and management
of endangered species program with the Scimitar-horned oryx, an internationally
designated endangered antelope from West Africa; and facilitates all wildlife game management through hunting programs. Scott assists Steven and Colleen with educational programs when he
educates students, teachers and landowners about proper agricultural practices
- both from the standpoint of cultural importance and land management importance.
Scott Grote is a native Blanco County resident, and he graduated from San Angelo State
University in San Angelo, Texas, with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences. Scott also serves on the board of the Blanco County Burn Association. Scott is married to Melissa, with two beautiful children who attend Johnson City Elementary School: Grey and Willow
Leroy Petri, Ranch Engineer
Born in Blanco and now living near Johnson City in the same house since he
was two years of age - the log cabin his grandparents lived in, Leroy Petri
has been with the Bamberger Ranch for 35 of the 36 years that J. David has
owned it. In 1965, he was drafted into the service and served two years in Vietnam as
a Teletype engineer; then returned to Blanco County.
If you have ever been on the roads of Bamberger Ranch, they are the work and artistry of Leroy Petri - King of the Road. Everything that you see today at BRP has experienced the direct touch of Leroy Petri, from roads, to dams and lakes, to water systems and spring capture, to gates, to equipment. Of the creation of Selah, J.David describes himself as the architect and Leroy, the engineer.