Jess Mayes

Executive Director/ Regenerative Systems Strategist

Jess Mayes is a regenerative systems strategist and community weaver dedicated to building practical systems that support life and create abundance across socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic boundaries.

At his core, Jess is motivated by a deep respect for water, land, and the people who depend on them. He works alongside landowners, communities, organizations, and partners throughout Texas, Mexico, and Central America to restore watersheds, rebuild soils, and strengthen local resilience. His work is grounded in the belief that practical education and hands-on collaboration can bridge divides and create meaningful, lasting change.

Jess advises, designs, and implements regenerative systems rooted in land stewardship and regenerative agriculture, helping turn challenges such as drought, erosion, and degraded soils into opportunities for renewal and long-term abundance. He is known for bringing people together around a shared vision and translating that vision into real, on-the-ground projects that support ecological restoration, community health, mental well-being, and a deeper connection between people, place, and purpose.

In recognition of his community-based environmental work, Jess received an award from the President of the United States for environmental stewardship. He built the Community Conservation Education Program at Alamo Colleges’ William R. Sinkin Eco Centro from the ground up, helping grow it from a staff of zero to a team of ten while working alongside educators, organizations, and community leaders to create accessible, hands-on learning rooted in ecological stewardship. He has also supported the development of regenerative agriculture and land-based initiatives in Mexico, including the Huasteca Regenerative Agriculture Center.

Beyond these efforts, Jess has played a connective role across dozens of projects and initiatives that span communities, landscapes, and institutions, helping align people, resources, and ideas into cohesive systems that create lasting impact.

As Executive Director, his work centers on community weaving, groundwater recharge, erosion control, soil and land regeneration, and the thoughtful incubation of projects designed to endure and inspire across generations.

He believes lasting abundance is created when people choose to support life, steward land with humility, and invest in systems that regenerate more than they extract.