who we are

Kayleigh Bucur, Executive Director

Originally from Massachusetts, Kayleigh Bucur brings a lifelong passion for connecting people with nature. She has more than a decade of experience in environmental education and nonprofit leadership.

As executive director, a role she began in October 2025, Kayleigh looks forward to establishing the Center as a premier destination for environmental education, birding in Northeast Texas and conservation experiences that help visitors connect with nature. She is eager to deepen partnerships, expand educational opportunities, create new and exciting public programming, and build relationships with local communities.

Throughout her career, Kayleigh has dedicated herself to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. She has worked with organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Narragansett Bay National Estuary Research Reserve, Trinity River Audubon Center, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas’ STEM Center of Excellence and, most recently, the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center.

A graduate of UMASS Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, Kayleigh is also a certified Wilderness First Responder, Texas Master Naturalist and Northeast Texas Master Birder.

When she’s not at work, you’ll find her reading, camping, hiking with her husband and two dogs, gardening, baking or working on stained glass projects.

Annalisa Brandt, Office Manager

Annalisa brings over two decades of administrative experience to her role at JBS where her duties include managing the Center’s day-to-day operations, overseeing facility maintenance and cleanliness, streamlining essential systems, and supporting events and volunteers.

In prior roles, she provided high-level administrative services to a diverse group of businesses, including global giants Oracle and FedEx Express, as well as Fishman Jackson Luebker PLLC, where she served as a legal assistant, and Build 365 Construction LLC.

Annalisa seamlessly blends her professional expertise with an unwavering commitment to service through countless hours of volunteering. Organizations that have benefited from her time, skills and heart include the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and its Light Up the Night cancer fundraiser, St. Pius X Catholic Church, Center for Hope for Women and Children, Cedar Ridge Preserve, Kleberg Elementary School and JBS.

Her love for the natural world has blossomed into a mission to teach sustainability and conservation. Through workshops, community initiatives and everyday example, she encourages others to care deeply for the Earth and each other.

Annalisa finds renewal and inspiration in nature, whether hiking on forest trails, swimming in serene lakes, camping under the stars or kayaking through quiet rivers.

At her core, she is a woman of vision and warmth, one who believes that true leadership is found in service and that the ripple of one life lived with love and purpose can touch countless others.

Jade Reynolds, Event Rental & Volunteer Coordinator

A JBS volunteer turned employee, Jade brings a background as a private preschool and public-school K-12 educator. Her duties at JBS include managing and leading events, overseeing the rental of the Center’s facilities, and hands-on maintenance of the buildings and grounds. She also coordinates the volunteer program and oversees the use and upgrade of much of the Center’s technology and software, including the livestreaming eagle camera.

An inveterate learner, Jade has taken many conservation and environmental education programs. She’s a Texas Master Naturalist and has completed the Native Plant Society of Texas’ Native Landscape Certification Program, Birding for Fun, the Texas Project WILD Suite (which she now facilitates), Project Learning Tree and many Cornell Lab of Ornithology courses.

She also holds a Bachelor of Science in music education with a minor in child psychology from the Honors College at Texas A&M University – Commerce (now East Texas A&M University).

A citizen of the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland, Jade is learning Icelandic and has a donkey and Anatolian-Pyrenees rescue dogs. She also protects and manages wildlife habitat for bald eagles and scores of other species at her home in Kaufman.

Thomas Strimpel, Education Coordinator

In his role as a JBS education coordinator, Thomas brings a talent for applying his academic background in anthropology to engage students in natural history and science.

Thomas last served as an outdoor educator with the Dallas Arboretum and is a graduate of the Texas Master Naturalist program. He also holds a Certificate of Interpretative Guiding from the National Association for Interpretation.

Natural history illustration is among his favorite hobbies, a talent he frequently applies in the classroom. His piece depicting native North Texas wildflowers and pollinator insects is on public display at the University of North Texas Community Garden. Another piece — an extinct giant marsupial — is displayed at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart, Australia.

Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in integrative studies, with a focus on anthropology.

In addition to his deep passion for the visual arts, Thomas enjoys bird-watching, hunting fossils and hiking across Texas and beyond.

Susey Woodruff, Education Coordinator

Susey is passionate about nature and the arts. In addition to teaching a full educational curriculum for public and private schools, she oversees JBS’s social media platforms and presents a wide variety of programs and tours for visitors.

She also applies her training as a Texas Master Naturalist as she inspires the next generation to connect with nature and encourages them to become stewards of the natural world.

Before coming to JBS, Susey was an outdoor educator at the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum.

A professional opera singer, Susey maintains an active performance schedule in DFW and beyond. Her debut album, Turning Into Song, was released in 2023. She attended the University of North Texas and Florida State University for vocal performance.

Susey can often be found hiking, camping, admiring flowers and trees, and looking for critters and cool rocks. She also loves road trips, thrifting, photography and going to museums and concerts.