Susan Alvarez currently serves as Director of Environment & Development at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, where she manages programs related to water, material resources, regional codes, public works, and regional climate action. She has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with  a minor in Geology from Rice University, and Water Resources post-graduate work.  Registered as a Texas Professional Engineer and Certified Floodplain Manager, she is also a Texas Master Naturalist with about 40 years of relevant experience.  Local efforts include leading the Dallas Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan, the Dallas Urban Forest Master Plan, and the regional DFW-Air Quality Improvement Plan, a Priority Climate Action Plan under the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Program.