Meet Our Staff

4-H CAPITAL is shaped by all the experience, knowledge, and interests of our staff and AmeriCorps instructors. We take pride in working together to achieve our program’s mission and to foster a culture of learning, both in our science clubs and in our office environment.​

	Alicia Espinoza Ford 4-H CAPITAL Program Director Travis County Extension Agent of Urban Youth Development As the agent for 4-H Urban Youth Development, Alicia manages the 4-H CAPITAL Program. Alicia has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Northern Iowa. She started at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio and transferred to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, where she worked for 7 years in afterschool programming. She was first introduced to afterschool programming during her time at University and has been dedicated to it ever since. Now, as the Program Director, she participates in grant writing, program development, staff management, and strategic planning. When Alicia is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son, daughter,  two cats and dog!
	Mary Bolden AmeriCorps Project Manager Mary is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked with the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department for 23 years. She enjoys working with youth and families. During her tenor with Travis County, she also worked as an Extend-A-Care supervisor where she planned youth activities and maintained programming agendas. In her free time, Mary loves watching sporting events, going to concerts and traveling. The AmeriCorps organization affords her the opportunity to share her experiences in the work field and her joy of motivating people.
	Nathan Shavers Animal Science and Natural Resources Project Manager Nathan graduated from Texas State University in 2018 with a major in Agricultural Animal Science: Integrated Ranch and Natural Resources Management. During his years at Texas State, he gained a lot of experience on the Freeman Ranch working with animals such as cows and Spanish goats. After college Nathan gained a lot of his experience in animal health working on a farm in Nebraska. Growing up some of his favorite things to do were and still are fishing, camping, skeet shooting, hiking, and being outdoors in general. His main goal as the Animal Science and Natural Resources Project Manager is to make sure that we supply the best opportunity to the kids so they can grow passionate about agriculture and natural resources.
	Phaedra Koonz AmeriCorps Project Coordinator Phaedra grew up in Austin and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. Science and outdoor education have always been at the forefront of her work and volunteering passions, which led her to serve 2 terms as an AmeriCorps member with 4-H CAPITAL. In a past life, she served another AmeriCorps VISTA term at Habitat for Humanity. Her differing experiences over these 3 terms as an AmeriCorps member deeply shaped the course of her life, and she looks forward to helping members get the most out of their service terms and deepen their own passions. Phaedra is a Master Naturalist and spends much of her spare time volunteering outdoors with the Capital Area chapter, or working on creative projects, hiking, cycling, camping, or canoeing with her family.
	Annabel Almeida Administration and Finance Coordinator Annabel Almeida has been with Travis County for 8 years. She is very passionate about working with youth and families to provide services for a better living. In December 2015 joined 4-H Capital as the Administration and Finance Coordinator where she is responsible for budget keeping.
	Nicole Beckstrom Garden Science Specialist Nicole studied sustainability and food systems at Arizona State University. While in college, she built upon her passion for the environment and gardens, as she was an officer of a garden club on campus and completed a garden internship at a school in South Phoenix. After college, Nicole moved to Austin, where she completed a year of AmeriCorps service on the garden science team at 4-H Capital. Nicole is now the Garden Science Specialist at 4-H and enjoys continuing the mission of connecting youth to gardens, the outdoors, and science capital. She is passionate about increasing healthy food access in urban settings and helping youth understand where their food comes from. In her free time, Nicole enjoys trying new restaurants in Austin and exploring the parks around the city.
	Melody Cagle Brown Natural Resources Specialist Melody was born and raised in Austin Texas and grew up with the city and it’s changes. She went to Tarleton State University and finished in 2017 with a degree in Biology with an emphasis in wildlife. Natural resources and wildlife are a passion of hers, and she has worked in Zoos, Aquariums, and in the field to grow closer to nature. From 2019 to 2021, Melody was an AmeriCorps member with 4H Capital on the Animal Science and Natural Resources Teams where she connected youth to science in new and exciting ways. This year, Melody moved up to a staff position as the Natural Resources Specialist with 4H Capital. In her new position, she will be mentoring and guiding 4H Capital AmeriCorps members with lesson planning and engagement for students in the natural resource world. In her free time, Melody loves spending time with her Husband and many animals, going on nature hikes, and looking for unique insects.
	Nick LaRiza Engineering & Technology Specialist Nick grew up in San Francisco and started working with kids in afterschool programs during his college years in central California. He and his wife moved to Austin after graduating where he continued to work with kids teaching science, technology, engineering and math. Nick is here because he wants kids of Travis County to be able to see a future for themselves in technology. He enjoys equipping the 4-H AmeriCorps members to help young people see a future for themselves in the tech industry by increasing their love for STEM. Through increasing their powers of collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking, we can help the young people of Austin build a better future for themselves and their communities.
	Davis Garcia Animal Science Specialist Born and raised in Central Texas, Davis has lived in Austin for over a decade. His love of agriculture and working with livestock began with his early childhood spent on a cattle ranch.  Davis has close ties to the community as a graduate of Juan Navarro High School; he was an FFA member as a participant in their Agricultural Welding program. Passionate about imparting our students with a love of animal science, Davis seeks to grow the confidence and leadership skills in our students utilizing our program’s unique offerings. Davis spends his free time volunteering in the community, enjoying our state parks and reading science fiction.
	Florence Thompson Office Specialist  Florence Thompson – Born and raised in Austin. Educated via Austin ISD and St. Edward’s University. Most of her work experience has been in finance or customer service. Flo has 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren. She loves to learn new things and is  always willing to help others when she can. In her free time, she loves to travel/cruise, enjoys crafting and spending time with her grandchildren!

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