March 13, 2025 • 25 mins
Meet native Austinite Rodney Ahart of Keep Austin Beautiful, a local non profit organization that is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year. With the Austin population growing each year, the mission of Keep Austin Beautiful is also growing. Rodney tells Bob how he became a part of this organization and moved up to the CEO position.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ah Bob Pickt the podcast CEOs you should know. Today
we're going to visit with Rodney Aheart, the CEO of
Keep Austin Beautiful. First of all, welcome to the show.
And you say, keep Austin Beautiful. I know that's a
big mission right there, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yes, indeed, and it's great to be here with you.
One of the great things about our name is to know.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Who we are and what we do. We keep Austin Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Now, Keep Austin Beautiful has been around for a long time.
I've been here since the early eighties. And how long
has keep Astin Beautiful been apart?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Sure, Keep Austin Beautiful was founded in nineteen eighty five. Okay,
so this is our fortieth year. And you know, I
always like to put that in perspective of the city's population.
In eighty five, we had a little over four hundred
thousand residents. Fast forward to today, we're knocking on the
(00:53):
door of a million residents. So it's a pretty good
indication of how much this city has changed.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
The mission gets bigger. And at that time, of course
Mopak stopped right there at the river, and now it's
all the way into South Austin. Times have changed. Now
you are a long time Austinite.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yes, yes, I am. Believe it or not. I am
a fourth generation Native East Austinite.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Now that's something to be proud of. There's not a
lot of Native Austinites here.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And I knew quite a bit about my family's history,
but I decided to see what else I could really
dig deeper and try to find some information on I
spent some time at the Austin History Center just doing
some retarts on a family and you know, found out
that my great great grandfather was actually a carriage driver
(01:40):
here in Austin. I had a great aunt and a
great uncle who actually lived in Clarksville.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Wow, back in the day.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And then of course my father they lived on Comal
and seventh, so very close to where the Texas State
Cemetery is located today. And then myself, the fourth.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Has changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
School, it's changed a bunch. I mean, this city has
changed a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I remember when I was in school, my parents would
complain about having to drive us to playland skate rink.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, it's like, oh, that's all across town. You're
gonna make us drive all the way over there.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
No traffic back.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Then, Yeah, no traffic whatsoever. On a bad day, it
was a fifteen minute drive, you know. And now today
can you get anywhere in fifteen minutes? I mean, you know,
the city has definitely changed, and we definitely have a
lot more people, which brings traffic, which also brings more litter.
And so I think that really is why Keep us
(02:40):
Some Beautiful has had this lasting power over these four
decades because it's a unifier. Everyone can define what clean is.
You know, if everyone knows what clean is, you're driving
through the city, you're driving through roadways or passing through
green spaces, every it's universal as to what clean is.
I think that's why we've been able to be around
(03:03):
for forty years and to keep fighting that fight. It's
important for us to be responsible. I mean, I think
we've got to continue to push that. Everyone has heard
or Don't Mess with Texas. You know, and like you guys,
we're here first. Keep Austin Beautiful way before Don't Mess
to Texas came before that campaign started, for sure, we
were here before that.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Well, what really inspired the creation of Keep Austin Beautiful?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I think it really boiled down to that fact, from
what I've been able to discover is that there were
leaders in the city who could see the horizon that
Austin's going to grow, like, we'll get a lot of
people that'll be moving here not just to live, but
to open businesses, open corporations. And if you just looked
(03:53):
at Austin as at its base, at its core, it
has so many great environmental features, lake to all the
green spaces. So there was a strong desire how can
we make sure that although we know this city's going
to grow, how can we ensure that we'll protect the
environmental features that we have in this city. So that
(04:15):
really was a core and I think the impetus that
started keep Austen Beautiful and then.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
That whole litter piece, that trash.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
We had a group of people who hated trash and
litter and really had a strong desire for our city
to be clean. And that's really the basis of the organization.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Now, at one time, you guys were part of the
city exactly. That's how you started, right.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yes, yes, we started in nineteen eighty five. It's a
pretty cool story. Mayor Ron Mullen was mayor of the
city at the time, attended a Council of Mayor's conference
in Washington, d C. Keep America Beautiful happened to be there,
and they're kind of Keep America Beautiful is our on
(05:00):
a part. At the national level, they were really trying
to expand into other cities, and at the time Mayor
Ronin thought.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
We could expand that here in Austin. That makes sense
in Austin.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So he brought it back that initiative, passed a resolution
at city Council and that's how Keep Us Some Beautiful started.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That's a no pun intended a beautiful story. So you
guys are part of the city for how many years?
Because now you're totally independent.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yes, we were somewhat affiliated with the city until twenty
ten when I came on board. We were basically a
quasi governmental department. We were under Austin Resource Recovery. It
was actually Soliway Services at the time. Now it's Austin
Resource Recovery, and we fell under their umbrella. My position
(05:50):
in one of our community engagement manager positions were actually
city employees and that transitioned in twenty ten, so both
of them went back to Austin Resource Recovery and then
we hired Keep Austin Beautiful employees.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So you started in twenty ten. You've been with Keep
Austin Beauty for fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Now, fifteen years. February twenty fourth was fifteen.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
That the anniversary. That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
How was your job changing? Obviously when your first came aboard,
you weren't the CEO, were'd you?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
No? Well, no, I mean I started out as executive director,
but we had When I started, there were two full
time employees and one part time employee. Now we have
fourteen full time employees and one part time employee.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So we've grown.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You've had to survive as a population grow up.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I mean we have to because you think about the
fact that we're responsible or are we like to be
responsible for all the public shared spaces and the green
spaces from city limit to city limit and actually even
beyond Austin City City's city limit. We're working in other
communities that are on the outskirts of the city limits
as well.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Eventually they're all going to become part of Austin.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Exactly exactly, I mean, I know, I.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Mean, seriously, you have to. With annexation, you're going to
be know what's going on.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Very much so, and our partnership with Austin Resource Recovery,
I mean we service everyone who they serve and also
Resource Recovery Service is quite a few cities that are
technically outside of also city limits. And you know, I
have family members that live outside of Austin.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You ask them where they live.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
They say Austin, right, you know, I mean they're just
either far North Austin or far South Austin or far
East Austin.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
But it's you know, we're all connected.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Everyone connects to Austin for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
How is the mission, though, really changed evolved over the years.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's I think our mission has pretty much stayed the same.
We we repurposed and kind of redrafted our mission. I
want to say it was two years after I started,
because we wanted our mission to really hone in on
who we are and what we do, and so it
became keep Us some Beautiful inspires and educates all Austinites
(08:06):
to volunteer together beautify green spaces, clean waterways, and reduce
waste every day. And there's so many, you know, I
think important nuggets to that mission. I think the one
that really resonates with me is all awestin Nites like
we want. We feel like everybody should be committed to
(08:27):
our mission because I mean, it's important that we all
have great places where we live, where we work, where
our kids go to school.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
It's just important.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So how do you start? Did you start with the
kids in elementary weaking programs?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, we do, so we have a menu of programs.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
But to your point, I mean, we really feel like
working with youth is substantially important for our community. We
have k through twelve programs. One of them is Generation Zero.
We're teaching kids about how to recycle, how to compost,
how to reduce their waste. I mean just last year
(09:06):
we educated over twelve thousand students. We were in one
hundred and twenty schools and I tell you, like those
kids they are the best ambassadors because they're working with grandma, grandpa, mom, dad,
like telling them where things should go.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And it's just important.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I think our city we have benefited so much from
the past of people who had a desire for us
to have a beautiful green city. I mean we're all
benefited from it now, like Zulker Park in the Lake
and those pieces. So it's important for us to create
that next generation of leaders who will continue to maintain
(09:42):
those and hopefully bring in some more.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I think that's a great mission statement to maintain for
our future. Now I'm not saying how far back I go.
I moved to Austin in the nineteen eighties, early eighties,
but all I remember at that time for keep Austin beautiful,
it seems like once a year in springtime we had
a clean up around the lake exactly, and it was
Town Lake. Now it's Ladybird.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That's It's funny you say that because I can always
tell if somebody has been here, wif if they call
Ladybird Lake Town Lake.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, I do too.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
It was once a year cleanup of trash out of
the lake that we would always do.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, and we that started out as our clean Ladybird
Lake program, which we continue to do today, one that
we started back in the eighties. Wow, we continue to
do that program today. We do it in partnership with
Watershed Protection Department. We do six large scale cleanups every
other month.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you've expanded now, yes, once a.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Year exactly to now we do six large cleanups a year.
We have great partnerships with all the boat concessionaires along
the lake where people can.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You can use a kayak, you can use.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
A stand up paddle board to clean up the trash
all along the lake. It really is one of our
most popular cleanups because people love to get out on
the lake.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Are there any big challenges that you have been CEO
of Keep Austin Beautiful? I mean, I think the biggest
challenge so far.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I mean there's been quite a few.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I mean, I think one I think is which everybody
faced is during the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I mean, our whole entire.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Business model is on getting people out and large groups
of people out to do projects. So you can imagine
when the pandemic hit and it was like no large groups.
You can't have you know, groups of people getting together.
And so we had to pivot pretty swiftly. The same
(11:44):
with our education programming, because our education programming, we have
educators that go into schools and are actually delivering these
hands on activities with with the youth. And so of
course everything as far as education went to online, and
so we had to pivot from an education perspective. Our
educators had to redraft all of our curriculum where it
(12:06):
could be delivered on an online platform. And then we
had to figure out how can we continue to engage
our volunteers if we can't bring big groups of people together.
So we created this program called Love Where You Live.
We were like, all right, you know, if we can't
get big groups of people out at some of these
large landmark areas, let's get people to clean their own block,
(12:29):
or clean your library and your neighborhood, or clean your
kids school campus and get your family involved, or your
roommates or whomever you know, like people in your household.
So we could still say stafe, say stay safe and
stay within the guidelines of the health and it's And
(12:49):
the great thing about is that program continues today. We
created it for during the pandemic and it has continued
even today.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Evolved into something totally, something new. Exactly now, I know
that we've got a very important day coming up Saturday,
April the twelfth. Yes, seems to be.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
It happens to be Keep Austin Beautiful Day.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
What are you going to do that day?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So this is busy day, it will be this is
our fortieth Keep Austin Beautiful Day.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And I like that.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I'm saying exactly, let's hope, let's hope, and let's hope
with the Italian cream cake because that's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Oh yeah cake, I'll take that.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yeah, But I hope.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
But this is our one day, it's our mission. So
we're doing cleanups, beautification projects. We're also engaging from an
education perspective, talking about letter abatement, talking about recycling. And
you know, just last year we had one hundred and
forty eight sites. We strive to have sites in all
(13:45):
the city council districts, all ten city council district in Austin.
We had close to three thousand volunteers who participated in
that day. We were moved twenty tons a litter on
that day, cleaned over hundred miles of like creek ways
and roadways. So it really is our biggest day of
(14:07):
service where we try to engage all of our volunteers
who've participated in any of our program and throughout the year.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
But Austin is so big. Why can find it to
just one day? How do you finish everything in one day?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I mean, to be honest, we probably have a
clean up project happening right now. I mean we do
projects twenty four to seven. On the weekends, we do
projects you know throughout the week. So whether it's our
Adopted Street program, our Adopt a Creek program, we have
a just standard community cleanup program where anyone can come
(14:43):
to us if there's an area they want to clean
in their neighborhood and we can provide them with supplies
and support and even volunteer recruitment. If they don't have
enough people to really tackle that I saw, we can
help them recruit more volunteers.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well, Rodney, I was gonna wait now ask you this
question at the end of the interview, But how can
people get in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
At the best way to get in touch with us
is through keep Austin Beautiful dot org, which is our website,
and we have a volunteer calendar on our website. You
can actually scroll through that calendar and see all of
our available volunteer opportunities and sign up. Though you'll get
the information for the who's the leader of the site,
(15:24):
what you need to bring, what you can expect your
volunteer activity to be, parking information, I mean, you name it.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Wow, you get all the information. What what partnerships or
collaborations does Keep Austin Beautiful have with other organizations or
even local government agents.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I mean it's a big task and a big call
to keep the city beautiful. It takes more than just
our government. It takes more than just businesses. I mean,
it takes communities, it takes youth, it takes adults. I mean,
all of us have to do our part. And because
of the importance of our mission, I mean, we have
(16:05):
built a really good collaboration of groups. I mean, just
from the city perspective, we work really closely with Austin
Resource Recovery, Watershed Protection Department, Parks and Recreation Department, code Enforcement,
even public health. I mean we work with quite a
few city departments on keeping our city clean. We also
(16:27):
partner with other nonprofits in our space, so like Austin
Parks Foundation, the Trail Conservancy, Tree Folks, Shoul Creek Conservancy,
a Lot Waller Creek Conservancy, all of those groups that
are actively doing work in that environmental space. We partner
with sometimes, like when we have our big event, when
they have their big event, we're sharing tools. You all
(16:50):
may need some more tools for your event. We kind
of help help one another in those ways. We also
share some of the same volunteers. We have people who
are who really care about their Parks that may volunteer
with Austin Parks and they may also volunteer with us
because they care about the lake. So there's a lot
of collaboration there. We all know that there's a lot
(17:11):
of work.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
To blow around.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
It stop there, not at all.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I mean there's enough work and enough litter to go around.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Wow. I'm just thinking back. You've been part of this
organization now for fifteen years, so I know that you've
seen some big changes. What is the biggest change that
you have seen in your fifteen year career with keep
off some beautiful Wow, the one that really stands out
that makes an impact that you say, yeah, I was
part of that.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I was. I mean there's been quite a few.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
The one right now that is so president in my
mind is our Love ATX campaign.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
For years, we have dreamed.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
And plotted and you know, thought about how we could
develop a marketing and education campaign around reducing litters, encouraging
people to recycle and encouraging people to compost. And just
this last November, on America Recycles Day, we launched the
Love ATX campaign. It's a six month pilot campaign started
(18:13):
in November. We're planning for it to run through the
end of April, which is Earth Month. The Earth Day
is April twenty second, and the campaign where we've we
have ads.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
In community impact we have i mean through our partnership
with Our Heart.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We're also doing some some social media and some radio
kind of ads.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
We have billboards, you name it. We have quite a few.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
We're using quite a few platforms to get that message
out and really the message is to recycle, compost and
reduce litter. Every day we have we're asking people to
sign a pledge. It's to take the take the Love
ATX pledge to make that commitment to do that every
day whenever possible. Make sure that you're going to recycle,
You're going to think through the things that you purchase
(19:04):
and consume, what's that next step for it. Because at
the end of the day, I mean, we produce, I mean,
each one of us produce a substantial amount of landfill waste.
Depending on what study you read, some I mean it's
anywhere from four to seven pounds a day. So you
think of a place like Austin, where we're knocking on
(19:24):
the door of a million people, that's four to seven
million pounds landfall every day exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
So, you know, it's important for us to each do
our part.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
It's important for us to try to encourage the people
we know and love in our lives to do the
right thing as well. Our city's too important for us
not to. I'm always amazed at when people come to visit.
I was just talking to a group of people that
were in town from south By. I mean they were
(19:59):
in town for south By, and they were all really
taken back with just how naturally beautiful the city is.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
I mean you can drive you.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Know, east and see places that look like you know,
fields that you could grow anything, and then you can
drive north and see hills and people are like parts
of the city reminds me of California. There's other parts
of remind me of Arizona. I mean, you have a
little bit of it all here.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
And it makes Austin special exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It makes the city special, and you know, I think
we all have a responsibility to take care of it.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Is it and you also work with incoming businesses, restaurants,
people in the Austin area as well.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Right, Absolutely, we have another part of our history is
that we actually spent a stint in the Great Austin
Chamber and something I've neglected to tell you.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
So when we were when Ron Mollin took us to
the city.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
After we were at the city, I want to say
for a couple of years, we transitioned to the Great
Austin Chamber and we're there for a couple of years.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
And I think that.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Really honed and kind of grounded that, like our relationship
with business. We can't I mean, we can't get anything
done in this city without partnerships with business. And so
we have a really substantial group of businesses who support us,
from tech to you know, restaurants. I mean, we partner
(21:23):
with places like Samsung, NXP, Oracle, Niagara, I mean, so
many businesses that we partner with. But we also partner
with quite a few of the restaurants. I mean, you know,
some of those local, homegrown restaurants that are here. Because
I think from a business perspective, I think from a
business perspective, everyone knows that it's one of your best
(21:46):
recruiting tools to get people to Austin, right, I mean,
people just come here. They see the vibe, they see
the lake, they see the trail, and people want to
be here. You know, it's it's kind of a good
piece for that, and the same for businesses as well.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
One job, Oh I do, Yeah, I mean I do too.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
It's like it's great, you know when I think of
it's finally, my niece said to me, Uncle Rodney, I
was one when you started your job at Keep off
Some Beautiful because she's you know, sixteen now, and and
I think in some ways it seems like it's been
that long, and in other ways it seems like I've
just started.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I think you're just getting to start with the growth
of Austin. Yeah, well, how can individuals and businesses get
involved to support keep Austin Beautiful efforts?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Sure, I mean we I think number one is of
course volunteering. I mean we we have volunteer opportunities twenty
four to seven. So going to our website signing up
for volunteer opportunities, looking for areas that might be around
where you work, where your kids go to school, where
you live that might need some love. Also sharing those
(22:55):
sites with us so we can help garner some support
from the community to to do some positive around that.
I think the next which is very important is donations
giving to our organization. It takes funds for us to
be able to buy supplies, to have staff that can
(23:15):
help coordinate these volunteer projects. So again, I mean, you
can go to our website and click on our donate
button and make a meaningful gift to the organization. We've
been around for forty years and we're lucky. You asked earlier,
like about the challenges, and I mean yeah, I mean
it was I think during COVID and during the pandemic
(23:40):
that was a real challenge. I mean we feel good
having made it on the other side of it. And actually,
I think in all things that are challenging like that,
you usually come out on the other end stronger. And
so we've been able to take the good things that
came from the pandemic and continue to keep those which
has been great.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And you learned a lot during the family.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Learn learned and enormous I mean learned a great deal.
I mean we I mean, think about it, we never
did any of our volunteer trainings or meetings online.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Now we do a lot of our.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Volunteer trainings and meetings online, and it's been able to
open up opportunities for people who you know, I could
actually I could actually feed my kid and attend the meeting.
At the same time, it's kind of opened up a
little more opportunities for people are who are juggling. I mean,
we're all juggling a lot, but it opened up opportunities
(24:35):
for people who are juggling a lot. And so, I mean,
I don't know. I guess it's just how I am.
I'm always looking for that silver linings. I mean, there's
good in everything, so it's just figuring out what it
is now.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
You can never have too many volunteers. How many volunteers
do you have as of today?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Last year we engaged over nine thousand volunteers, so we
have about nine thousand active volunteers.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Used to drop in the bucket compared the population of Austin,
isn't it Absolutely so we.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Got roomed exactly.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I mean we have room to grow and there sometimes
there are projects that we have to push and schedule
later because we don't have either the staff capacity or
the volunteer capacity to complete. So with more volunteers, we
can accomplish more volunteer projects.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
So become a volunteer. Listen forty years. Here's to another
forty years of keep Austin beautiful. Rodney Ahart and Rodney,
what's the website again?
Speaker 3 (25:34):
The website is keep Austin Beautiful dot org.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Check it out. CEOs that you should know
Ah Bob Pickt the podcast CEOs you should know. Today
we're going to visit with Rodney Aheart, the CEO of
Keep Austin Beautiful. First of all, welcome to the show.
And you say, keep Austin Beautiful. I know that's a
big mission right there, Rodney.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yes, indeed, and it's great to be here with you.
One of the great things about our name is to know.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Who we are and what we do. We keep Austin Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Now, Keep Austin Beautiful has been around for a long time.
I've been here since the early eighties. And how long
has keep Astin Beautiful been apart?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Sure, Keep Austin Beautiful was founded in nineteen eighty five. Okay,
so this is our fortieth year. And you know, I
always like to put that in perspective of the city's population.
In eighty five, we had a little over four hundred
thousand residents. Fast forward to today, we're knocking on the
(00:53):
door of a million residents. So it's a pretty good
indication of how much this city has changed.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
The mission gets bigger. And at that time, of course
Mopak stopped right there at the river, and now it's
all the way into South Austin. Times have changed. Now
you are a long time Austinite.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yes, yes, I am. Believe it or not. I am
a fourth generation Native East Austinite.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Now that's something to be proud of. There's not a
lot of Native Austinites here.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And I knew quite a bit about my family's history,
but I decided to see what else I could really
dig deeper and try to find some information on I
spent some time at the Austin History Center just doing
some retarts on a family and you know, found out
that my great great grandfather was actually a carriage driver
(01:40):
here in Austin. I had a great aunt and a
great uncle who actually lived in Clarksville.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Wow, back in the day.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
And then of course my father they lived on Comal
and seventh, so very close to where the Texas State
Cemetery is located today. And then myself, the fourth.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Has changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
School, it's changed a bunch. I mean, this city has
changed a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I remember when I was in school, my parents would
complain about having to drive us to playland skate rink.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, it's like, oh, that's all across town. You're
gonna make us drive all the way over there.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
No traffic back.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Then, Yeah, no traffic whatsoever. On a bad day, it
was a fifteen minute drive, you know. And now today
can you get anywhere in fifteen minutes? I mean, you know,
the city has definitely changed, and we definitely have a
lot more people, which brings traffic, which also brings more litter.
And so I think that really is why Keep us
(02:40):
Some Beautiful has had this lasting power over these four
decades because it's a unifier. Everyone can define what clean is.
You know, if everyone knows what clean is, you're driving
through the city, you're driving through roadways or passing through
green spaces, every it's universal as to what clean is.
I think that's why we've been able to be around
(03:03):
for forty years and to keep fighting that fight. It's
important for us to be responsible. I mean, I think
we've got to continue to push that. Everyone has heard
or Don't Mess with Texas. You know, and like you guys,
we're here first. Keep Austin Beautiful way before Don't Mess
to Texas came before that campaign started, for sure, we
were here before that.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Well, what really inspired the creation of Keep Austin Beautiful?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I think it really boiled down to that fact, from
what I've been able to discover is that there were
leaders in the city who could see the horizon that
Austin's going to grow, like, we'll get a lot of
people that'll be moving here not just to live, but
to open businesses, open corporations. And if you just looked
(03:53):
at Austin as at its base, at its core, it
has so many great environmental features, lake to all the
green spaces. So there was a strong desire how can
we make sure that although we know this city's going
to grow, how can we ensure that we'll protect the
environmental features that we have in this city. So that
(04:15):
really was a core and I think the impetus that
started keep Austen Beautiful and then.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
That whole litter piece, that trash.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
We had a group of people who hated trash and
litter and really had a strong desire for our city
to be clean. And that's really the basis of the organization.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Now, at one time, you guys were part of the
city exactly. That's how you started, right.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yes, yes, we started in nineteen eighty five. It's a
pretty cool story. Mayor Ron Mullen was mayor of the
city at the time, attended a Council of Mayor's conference
in Washington, d C. Keep America Beautiful happened to be there,
and they're kind of Keep America Beautiful is our on
(05:00):
a part. At the national level, they were really trying
to expand into other cities, and at the time Mayor
Ronin thought.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
We could expand that here in Austin. That makes sense
in Austin.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
So he brought it back that initiative, passed a resolution
at city Council and that's how Keep Us Some Beautiful started.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That's a no pun intended a beautiful story. So you
guys are part of the city for how many years?
Because now you're totally independent.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yes, we were somewhat affiliated with the city until twenty
ten when I came on board. We were basically a
quasi governmental department. We were under Austin Resource Recovery. It
was actually Soliway Services at the time. Now it's Austin
Resource Recovery, and we fell under their umbrella. My position
(05:50):
in one of our community engagement manager positions were actually
city employees and that transitioned in twenty ten, so both
of them went back to Austin Resource Recovery and then
we hired Keep Austin Beautiful employees.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So you started in twenty ten. You've been with Keep
Austin Beauty for fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Now, fifteen years. February twenty fourth was fifteen.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
That the anniversary. That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
How was your job changing? Obviously when your first came aboard,
you weren't the CEO, were'd you?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
No? Well, no, I mean I started out as executive director,
but we had When I started, there were two full
time employees and one part time employee. Now we have
fourteen full time employees and one part time employee.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So we've grown.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You've had to survive as a population grow up.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I mean we have to because you think about the
fact that we're responsible or are we like to be
responsible for all the public shared spaces and the green
spaces from city limit to city limit and actually even
beyond Austin City City's city limit. We're working in other
communities that are on the outskirts of the city limits
as well.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Eventually they're all going to become part of Austin.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Exactly exactly, I mean, I know, I.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Mean, seriously, you have to. With annexation, you're going to
be know what's going on.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Very much so, and our partnership with Austin Resource Recovery,
I mean we service everyone who they serve and also
Resource Recovery Service is quite a few cities that are
technically outside of also city limits. And you know, I
have family members that live outside of Austin.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You ask them where they live.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
They say Austin, right, you know, I mean they're just
either far North Austin or far South Austin or far
East Austin.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
But it's you know, we're all connected.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Everyone connects to Austin for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
How is the mission, though, really changed evolved over the years.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's I think our mission has pretty much stayed the same.
We we repurposed and kind of redrafted our mission. I
want to say it was two years after I started,
because we wanted our mission to really hone in on
who we are and what we do, and so it
became keep Us some Beautiful inspires and educates all Austinites
(08:06):
to volunteer together beautify green spaces, clean waterways, and reduce
waste every day. And there's so many, you know, I
think important nuggets to that mission. I think the one
that really resonates with me is all awestin Nites like
we want. We feel like everybody should be committed to
(08:27):
our mission because I mean, it's important that we all
have great places where we live, where we work, where
our kids go to school.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
It's just important.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So how do you start? Did you start with the
kids in elementary weaking programs?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, we do, so we have a menu of programs.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
But to your point, I mean, we really feel like
working with youth is substantially important for our community. We
have k through twelve programs. One of them is Generation Zero.
We're teaching kids about how to recycle, how to compost,
how to reduce their waste. I mean just last year
(09:06):
we educated over twelve thousand students. We were in one
hundred and twenty schools and I tell you, like those
kids they are the best ambassadors because they're working with grandma, grandpa, mom, dad,
like telling them where things should go.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And it's just important.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I think our city we have benefited so much from
the past of people who had a desire for us
to have a beautiful green city. I mean we're all
benefited from it now, like Zulker Park in the Lake
and those pieces. So it's important for us to create
that next generation of leaders who will continue to maintain
(09:42):
those and hopefully bring in some more.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I think that's a great mission statement to maintain for
our future. Now I'm not saying how far back I go.
I moved to Austin in the nineteen eighties, early eighties,
but all I remember at that time for keep Austin beautiful,
it seems like once a year in springtime we had
a clean up around the lake exactly, and it was
Town Lake. Now it's Ladybird.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That's It's funny you say that because I can always
tell if somebody has been here, wif if they call
Ladybird Lake Town Lake.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, I do too.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
It was once a year cleanup of trash out of
the lake that we would always do.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, and we that started out as our clean Ladybird
Lake program, which we continue to do today, one that
we started back in the eighties. Wow, we continue to
do that program today. We do it in partnership with
Watershed Protection Department. We do six large scale cleanups every
other month.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you've expanded now, yes, once a.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Year exactly to now we do six large cleanups a year.
We have great partnerships with all the boat concessionaires along
the lake where people can.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You can use a kayak, you can use.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
A stand up paddle board to clean up the trash
all along the lake. It really is one of our
most popular cleanups because people love to get out on
the lake.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Are there any big challenges that you have been CEO
of Keep Austin Beautiful? I mean, I think the biggest
challenge so far.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I mean there's been quite a few.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I mean, I think one I think is which everybody
faced is during the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I mean, our whole entire.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Business model is on getting people out and large groups
of people out to do projects. So you can imagine
when the pandemic hit and it was like no large groups.
You can't have you know, groups of people getting together.
And so we had to pivot pretty swiftly. The same
(11:44):
with our education programming, because our education programming, we have
educators that go into schools and are actually delivering these
hands on activities with with the youth. And so of
course everything as far as education went to online, and
so we had to pivot from an education perspective. Our
educators had to redraft all of our curriculum where it
(12:06):
could be delivered on an online platform. And then we
had to figure out how can we continue to engage
our volunteers if we can't bring big groups of people together.
So we created this program called Love Where You Live.
We were like, all right, you know, if we can't
get big groups of people out at some of these
large landmark areas, let's get people to clean their own block,
(12:29):
or clean your library and your neighborhood, or clean your
kids school campus and get your family involved, or your
roommates or whomever you know, like people in your household.
So we could still say stafe, say stay safe and
stay within the guidelines of the health and it's And
(12:49):
the great thing about is that program continues today. We
created it for during the pandemic and it has continued
even today.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Evolved into something totally, something new. Exactly now, I know
that we've got a very important day coming up Saturday,
April the twelfth. Yes, seems to be.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
It happens to be Keep Austin Beautiful Day.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
What are you going to do that day?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So this is busy day, it will be this is
our fortieth Keep Austin Beautiful Day.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And I like that.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I'm saying exactly, let's hope, let's hope, and let's hope
with the Italian cream cake because that's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Oh yeah cake, I'll take that.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yeah, But I hope.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
But this is our one day, it's our mission. So
we're doing cleanups, beautification projects. We're also engaging from an
education perspective, talking about letter abatement, talking about recycling. And
you know, just last year we had one hundred and
forty eight sites. We strive to have sites in all
(13:45):
the city council districts, all ten city council district in Austin.
We had close to three thousand volunteers who participated in
that day. We were moved twenty tons a litter on
that day, cleaned over hundred miles of like creek ways
and roadways. So it really is our biggest day of
(14:07):
service where we try to engage all of our volunteers
who've participated in any of our program and throughout the year.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
But Austin is so big. Why can find it to
just one day? How do you finish everything in one day?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I mean, to be honest, we probably have a
clean up project happening right now. I mean we do
projects twenty four to seven. On the weekends, we do
projects you know throughout the week. So whether it's our
Adopted Street program, our Adopt a Creek program, we have
a just standard community cleanup program where anyone can come
(14:43):
to us if there's an area they want to clean
in their neighborhood and we can provide them with supplies
and support and even volunteer recruitment. If they don't have
enough people to really tackle that I saw, we can
help them recruit more volunteers.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Well, Rodney, I was gonna wait now ask you this
question at the end of the interview, But how can
people get in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
At the best way to get in touch with us
is through keep Austin Beautiful dot org, which is our website,
and we have a volunteer calendar on our website. You
can actually scroll through that calendar and see all of
our available volunteer opportunities and sign up. Though you'll get
the information for the who's the leader of the site,
(15:24):
what you need to bring, what you can expect your
volunteer activity to be, parking information, I mean, you name it.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Wow, you get all the information. What what partnerships or
collaborations does Keep Austin Beautiful have with other organizations or
even local government agents.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I mean it's a big task and a big call
to keep the city beautiful. It takes more than just
our government. It takes more than just businesses. I mean,
it takes communities, it takes youth, it takes adults. I mean,
all of us have to do our part. And because
of the importance of our mission, I mean, we have
(16:05):
built a really good collaboration of groups. I mean, just
from the city perspective, we work really closely with Austin
Resource Recovery, Watershed Protection Department, Parks and Recreation Department, code Enforcement,
even public health. I mean we work with quite a
few city departments on keeping our city clean. We also
(16:27):
partner with other nonprofits in our space, so like Austin
Parks Foundation, the Trail Conservancy, Tree Folks, Shoul Creek Conservancy,
a Lot Waller Creek Conservancy, all of those groups that
are actively doing work in that environmental space. We partner
with sometimes, like when we have our big event, when
they have their big event, we're sharing tools. You all
(16:50):
may need some more tools for your event. We kind
of help help one another in those ways. We also
share some of the same volunteers. We have people who
are who really care about their Parks that may volunteer
with Austin Parks and they may also volunteer with us
because they care about the lake. So there's a lot
of collaboration there. We all know that there's a lot
(17:11):
of work.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
To blow around.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
It stop there, not at all.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I mean there's enough work and enough litter to go around.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Wow. I'm just thinking back. You've been part of this
organization now for fifteen years, so I know that you've
seen some big changes. What is the biggest change that
you have seen in your fifteen year career with keep
off some beautiful Wow, the one that really stands out
that makes an impact that you say, yeah, I was
part of that.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I was. I mean there's been quite a few.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
The one right now that is so president in my
mind is our Love ATX campaign.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
For years, we have dreamed.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
And plotted and you know, thought about how we could
develop a marketing and education campaign around reducing litters, encouraging
people to recycle and encouraging people to compost. And just
this last November, on America Recycles Day, we launched the
Love ATX campaign. It's a six month pilot campaign started
(18:13):
in November. We're planning for it to run through the
end of April, which is Earth Month. The Earth Day
is April twenty second, and the campaign where we've we
have ads.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
In community impact we have i mean through our partnership
with Our Heart.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We're also doing some some social media and some radio
kind of ads.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
We have billboards, you name it. We have quite a few.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
We're using quite a few platforms to get that message
out and really the message is to recycle, compost and
reduce litter. Every day we have we're asking people to
sign a pledge. It's to take the take the Love
ATX pledge to make that commitment to do that every
day whenever possible. Make sure that you're going to recycle,
You're going to think through the things that you purchase
(19:04):
and consume, what's that next step for it. Because at
the end of the day, I mean, we produce, I mean,
each one of us produce a substantial amount of landfill waste.
Depending on what study you read, some I mean it's
anywhere from four to seven pounds a day. So you
think of a place like Austin, where we're knocking on
(19:24):
the door of a million people, that's four to seven
million pounds landfall every day exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
So, you know, it's important for us to each do
our part.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
It's important for us to try to encourage the people
we know and love in our lives to do the
right thing as well. Our city's too important for us
not to. I'm always amazed at when people come to visit.
I was just talking to a group of people that
were in town from south By. I mean they were
(19:59):
in town for south By, and they were all really
taken back with just how naturally beautiful the city is.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
I mean you can drive you.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Know, east and see places that look like you know,
fields that you could grow anything, and then you can
drive north and see hills and people are like parts
of the city reminds me of California. There's other parts
of remind me of Arizona. I mean, you have a
little bit of it all here.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
And it makes Austin special exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It makes the city special, and you know, I think
we all have a responsibility to take care of it.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Is it and you also work with incoming businesses, restaurants,
people in the Austin area as well.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Right, Absolutely, we have another part of our history is
that we actually spent a stint in the Great Austin
Chamber and something I've neglected to tell you.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
So when we were when Ron Mollin took us to
the city.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
After we were at the city, I want to say
for a couple of years, we transitioned to the Great
Austin Chamber and we're there for a couple of years.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
And I think that.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Really honed and kind of grounded that, like our relationship
with business. We can't I mean, we can't get anything
done in this city without partnerships with business. And so
we have a really substantial group of businesses who support us,
from tech to you know, restaurants. I mean, we partner
(21:23):
with places like Samsung, NXP, Oracle, Niagara, I mean, so
many businesses that we partner with. But we also partner
with quite a few of the restaurants. I mean, you know,
some of those local, homegrown restaurants that are here. Because
I think from a business perspective, I think from a
business perspective, everyone knows that it's one of your best
(21:46):
recruiting tools to get people to Austin, right, I mean,
people just come here. They see the vibe, they see
the lake, they see the trail, and people want to
be here. You know, it's it's kind of a good
piece for that, and the same for businesses as well.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
One job, Oh I do, Yeah, I mean I do too.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
It's like it's great, you know when I think of
it's finally, my niece said to me, Uncle Rodney, I
was one when you started your job at Keep off
Some Beautiful because she's you know, sixteen now, and and
I think in some ways it seems like it's been
that long, and in other ways it seems like I've
just started.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I think you're just getting to start with the growth
of Austin. Yeah, well, how can individuals and businesses get
involved to support keep Austin Beautiful efforts?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Sure, I mean we I think number one is of
course volunteering. I mean we we have volunteer opportunities twenty
four to seven. So going to our website signing up
for volunteer opportunities, looking for areas that might be around
where you work, where your kids go to school, where
you live that might need some love. Also sharing those
(22:55):
sites with us so we can help garner some support
from the community to to do some positive around that.
I think the next which is very important is donations
giving to our organization. It takes funds for us to
be able to buy supplies, to have staff that can
(23:15):
help coordinate these volunteer projects. So again, I mean, you
can go to our website and click on our donate
button and make a meaningful gift to the organization. We've
been around for forty years and we're lucky. You asked earlier,
like about the challenges, and I mean yeah, I mean
it was I think during COVID and during the pandemic
(23:40):
that was a real challenge. I mean we feel good
having made it on the other side of it. And actually,
I think in all things that are challenging like that,
you usually come out on the other end stronger. And
so we've been able to take the good things that
came from the pandemic and continue to keep those which
has been great.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And you learned a lot during the family.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Learn learned and enormous I mean learned a great deal.
I mean we I mean, think about it, we never
did any of our volunteer trainings or meetings online.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Now we do a lot of our.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Volunteer trainings and meetings online, and it's been able to
open up opportunities for people who you know, I could
actually I could actually feed my kid and attend the meeting.
At the same time, it's kind of opened up a
little more opportunities for people are who are juggling. I mean,
we're all juggling a lot, but it opened up opportunities
(24:35):
for people who are juggling a lot. And so, I mean,
I don't know. I guess it's just how I am.
I'm always looking for that silver linings. I mean, there's
good in everything, so it's just figuring out what it
is now.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
You can never have too many volunteers. How many volunteers
do you have as of today?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Last year we engaged over nine thousand volunteers, so we
have about nine thousand active volunteers.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Used to drop in the bucket compared the population of Austin,
isn't it Absolutely so we.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Got roomed exactly.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I mean we have room to grow and there sometimes
there are projects that we have to push and schedule
later because we don't have either the staff capacity or
the volunteer capacity to complete. So with more volunteers, we
can accomplish more volunteer projects.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
So become a volunteer. Listen forty years. Here's to another
forty years of keep Austin beautiful. Rodney Ahart and Rodney,
what's the website again?
Speaker 3 (25:34):
The website is keep Austin Beautiful dot org.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Check it out. CEOs that you should know
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