Officers and Board of Directors

TAPMS President

TAPMS member since 2007

Houston, Texas

Sprayco Business Development

Emily (Pylant) Griffith is a native of Houston, Texas. Emily studied Conservation of Natural Resources at Texas Tech University, yet graduated from the University of St Thomas with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Upon graduation, she worked for Davey Tree Company as a Utility Forester in both Austin and Pismo Beach, California. She joined  SprayCo in 2005, to work alongside her three brothers and father in the family’s vegetation management business - until she was granted a reprieve from the spray-boat in 2009, following the arrival of her first child.  Emily has served as the Secretary of TAPMS for several years, and is the 2015 President-Elect.

President-Elect

Trent Lewis with PondMedics, Inc. has been serving the surface water industry for more than 15 years, developing and utilizing the latest in surface water resource technology in specialized disciplines ranging from engineering, management and consulting to technology development. Aquatic plants are fundamental to Mr. Lewis’ work in his latest venture of developing aquatic plant assessment tools utilizing unmanned aircraft, or drones. His vision is to equip all industries involving aquatic plants with the most efficient tools for the management of aquatic plants in environments ranging from streams and wetlands to ponds and lakes. Mr. Lewis is excited to serve alongside a talented group of aquatic specialists. As the industries around aquatic plants continue to develop, grow and become more sophisticated, Mr. Lewis believes TAPMS should be keeping pace and leading the growth.

TAPMS Editor

TAPMS member since 2010

The Woodlands, TX

Senior Professional Sales Representative at Winfield Solutions

Working for WinField in the Aquatics and Vegetation Management markets in Southeast and Central Texas, Chris primarily services lake management companies, industrial herbicide applicators, river and water authorities, utility companies, and various governmental agencies; providing them with their herbicide, adjuvant, and spray equipment needs. In addition to his service with TAPMS, he currently serves as the President of the Texas Vegetation Management Association.

Chris attended Texas A&M University earning a B.S. in Agronomy.  He currently resides in The Woodlands, Texas with his wife, Tammy and their two children, Drake and Charlotte.

Secretary

TAPMS member since 2006.

Bryan, TX

Biologist/Project Manager at Total Lake Management

A native of Dallas, TX, Matt grew up a “city boy” before moving to Africa for six years.  Upon returning to the U.S. for college, Matt went to Texas A&M where he received his B.S. in Biology in 2003 before completing his Master’s in Biochemistry in 2005.  After years spent in a windowless lab, Matt decided that the call of the Texas outdoors was too strong to resist and after some brief volunteer work with Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries Division, Matt joined Total Lake Management in 2006.

Since his hiring, Matt has been working across the state managing a large variety of ponds and lakes, helping pond and lake owners achieve their fishery goals as they manage their aquatic resources.  A member of TAPMS since 2007, Matt has served on the board of directors from 2011 to 2012 and has been an officer for the society from 2013 to present.  Matt is the current Past President and Secretary.  Matt is also active in TCAFS (Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society).  Matt’s chief interest in TAPMS is in public outreach and education.

Treasurer

TAPMS member since 2006

Austin, TX

Sr Watershed Coordinator at the Lower Colorado River Authority

David holds a B.S. in zoology from Louisiana Tech University and a M.S. in biology from Texas State University. He is currently employed at the Lower Colorado River Authority where he manages data for several water quality programs. He has been over nuisance aquatic vegetation management in the reservoirs maintained by the Lower Colorado River Authority since 2006.

Past President

TAPMS member since 2010

Conroe, TX

Lake Conroe Operations Manager for the San Jacinto River Authority

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Development from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, Class of 2008.  In 2011, I decided to go back to school and I’m currently working on my Master’s Degree in Water Management from Texas A&M and should be done by December 2015.  I started my career with the San Jacinto River Authority in 2010, and I am currently the Lake Conroe Operations Manager.  We handle a numerous amount of different tasks here at the Lake, including aquatic plant management.  I am involved in the management and strategic planning of our treatment techniques of invasive plant species, but also the re-establishment of our native plants.  Lake Conroe has a history of treating Giant Salvinia, Water Hyacinth, and Hydrilla (among other species).  In the era of 2006-2008, Lake Conroe experienced a large volume of these three plant species across the entire reservoir, which called for a vast amount of chemical and biological controls in order to overcome the spreading of these invasive plants.  We continue to treat the reservoir in order to keep this from happening again.

Board Member

Fisheries Biologist and Territory Leader

Paul Dorsett is a fisheries biologist and territory leader for SOLitude Lake Management in Texas. Paul is experienced in aquatic ecosystems development and restoration including fish production, aquatic plant management and water quality. He is licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture as a commercial aquatic herbicide applicator and a member of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Paul also serves on the board of directors and is past president for the Texas Aquaculture Association as well as the Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society.

Paul holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University (TAMU) class of 1992 and 1994, respectively. His involvement with aquaculture and business management began in 1989. In 1994, while working as the manager for TAMU Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility, Paul took on a weekend job working for Bob Lusk of Pond Boss magazine managing private ponds. Private pond management in Texas proved to be his passion and in 1998, Paul and his wife Dawn purchased the southern portion of Bob's business renaming the business Total Lake Management.

When not watching his kids play whatever sport is in season, Paul enjoys hunting and ranch work. He particularly enjoys time spent improving habitat for wildlife on his property through controlled burns.

TAPMS Board Member

TAPMS Member for 9 Years

Fredericksburg, TX

Owner at Vollmar Pond and Lake Management

Earned a B.S. (2002) in Fisheries Management and Ecology from Texas A&M University, College Station Texas Department of Agriculture Commercial Applicator Texas Grass Carp Vendor, Texas Parks & Wildlife Exotic Species Permit Holder Aquatic Weed Short Course, University of Florida, 2010 Specialize aquatic weed management in private ranch lakes, subdivision lakes, and golf courses

TAPMS Board Member

TAPMS member since 2007

Conroe, TX

Division Manager of the San Jacinto River Authority’s Lake Conroe Division

Bret has also held the positions of Operations Manager and Aquatic Plant Manager for the Lake Conroe Division. Immediately prior to joining SJRA, Bret worked as a biologist for Lake Doctors in Jacksonville, Florida where he learned the basics of aquatic plant identification and treatment. Bret has previously served as a Director on the TAPMS Board. Born in Borger, TX Bret was raised in Maryland where he earned his BS in Natural Science from Towson University.

TAPMS Board Member

TAPMS member for 2 years

College Station, TX

Assistant Professor and Extension Fisheries Specialist at Texas A&M University

Todd earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from Purdue University with a double specialization in fish physiology and nutrition, and fisheries management. He then earned a Ph.D. in Natural Resources (Stress and Disease Physiology of Fish) from the University of Tennessee. Todd then spent the next 15 years conducting aquaculture and fish physiology research at the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. In 2013, Todd joined Texas A&M University in his current position as Assistant Professor and Extension Fisheries Specialist. Todd is administrator of the AquaPlant website, Texas A&M Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Pond Management website, Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Publications website, Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Aquaponics website, and is currently the chair of the Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society website committee. Todd has authored several publications on aquatic plant management and aquatic herbicide use, as well as conducted research on herbicide effectiveness for specific species of aquatic vegetation. Additionally, he has created videos and apps for mobile devices (AquaPlant and AquaCide) to assist pond managers in aquatic vegetation identification and management.

Board Member

Monica E. McGarrity
Aquatic Invasive Species Team Leader
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744
Office Phone: 512-389- 8292
Fax: 512-389- 4405

Monica holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, with a minor in Spanish, and a Master of Science in Biology from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. After graduate school and a brief teaching stint, Monica went on to work for the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center for more than five years, developing a passion for invasive species management while working with invasive amphibian and reptile research and outreach. In 2011, Monica relocated to Texas, working for the University of Texas at Austin (but based in San Antonio) as a researcher for two years before joining the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 2013 as an Aquatic Invasive Species Biologist. In her current role at TPWD as Austin Aquatic Invasive Species Team Leader, Monica’s team focuses on adaptive management of riparian invasive species, zebra mussel early detection and prevention, invasive fish ecology and distributions, and permitting for exotic species (and miscellaneous fisheries). Monica represents TPWD on the Western and Gulf States Regional Panels of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating Committee (vice-chair), Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council, and the Southern Great Plains Native Fish Conservation Advisory Council in addition to serving as a member of the board of directors for the Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society. Monica is also a member of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.