Commissioner Brigid Shea

About this Speaker

Brigid Shea came to Austin in 1988. Her goal was to start the Texas chapter of Clean Water Action. Before that, she was an award-winning journalist at NPR stations in Minnesota and Philadelphia. In Austin, she helped to lead the Save Our Springs movement of 1992. That movement led to Austin’s historic SOS law to save Barton Springs. 

Shea served on the Austin City Council from 1993 to 1996. There, she fought for consumer, electoral, and environmental reforms. She has been an advisor to the LCRA, Seton Hospital, and the city of Austin. Her carbon-reduction work won the TCEQ Environmental Excellence Award in 2010. In 2014, she was elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court. 

Shea is now the USA Board Chair of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI). ICLEI is the oldest UN-recognized, non-governmental organization that represents local governments. Shea serves on the state board of the Texas Campaign for the Environment. She used to be a member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce Clean Energy Council. She also used to serve on the national board of Clean Water Action. She was selected for the 2019 Women in Government Leadership Program of Governing magazine. The Texas Energy Summit awarded her a Lifetime Achievement award as well. 

Brigid is a native of North Dakota. She is married to John Umphress. John is a former green building specialist with Austin Energy. He is also a beekeeping entrepreneur. The couple has two sons.