Join us for lunch and a talk by Bob Ayres and Vera Ayres Bowen at the next Monday Connection!
Monday, October 13, 2025
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Weeks Center
RSVP below by October 1, 2025
Bob Ayres relishes the multi-faceted challenges and opportunities inherent in land stewardship. He has devoted the last forty years to the management and conservation of the Shield-Ayres-Bowen family ranches in Central and West Texas. Bob serves on the board of the Shield-Ayres Foundation and served for many years as president of the Shield Ranch Foundation.
Bob has been an active member of the land trust community at the local, state, and national levels. He served on the founding board of the Hill Country Conservancy as well as the board of the Texas chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Most recently, Bob served on the board of directors of the Land Trust Alliance.
Bob received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of the South. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Master of Fine Arts from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. A native of San Antonio, Bob and his wife Margy moved to Austin in 1985, where they raised their two daughters Kathleen and Elizabeth. Bob is an avid birder and loves visiting parks, nature centers, and wild places whenever he travels.
As president of the Shield Ranch Foundation, Vera Ayres Bowen’s focus is outdoor education and outreach programs. She is passionate about providing opportunities for children and adults to experience beauty and mystery in the natural world. In her role as Shield-Ayres Foundation president, Vera cultivates community financial support for the nonprofit family foundation’s mission to support human services, social justice, and environmental conservation. She also serves on the EverGreen Austin board and the advisory council of A ROCHA USA. In addition, Vera enjoys actively serving as a member of her church.
Vera finds joy in exploring the natural world and expressing gratitude through artistic expression. She loves playing with her five grandchildren and enjoys sharing the Ranch with her grown children and their spouses: Marshall (and his wife Madison), Gentry (and his wife Margaret), Sophie (and her husband Johann), and Mallory. Vera earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion from the University of the South and has a certificate in Eco Spirituality from the Seminary of the Wild Earth. Born and raised in San Antonio, she now lives in Austin.
