Colleen Gilbert

Executive Director of Greens Bayou Coalition
A woman stands smiling in front of a wall featuring the logo of the "Greens Bayou Coalition." The logo includes a silhouette of a heron, standing on one leg. The woman is wearing glasses, a dark top, and a dark jacket. The background is light, drawing attention to the logo and the woman.

Greens Bayou Coalition

Colleen shares how she found success in the nonprofit space through communication and connection. Take a page out of her book to learn how coming together gets things done.

Colleen is Executive Director of Greens Bayou Coalition, a valued partner of the North Houston District. 

While she started her career in early education teaching pre-school, Colleen Gilbert soon transitioned to state government and public relations, toggling between nonprofit work and working for elected officials before eventually becoming the Executive Director of the Greens Bayou Coalition.

Gilbert’s resume includes serving as the District Director for a state representative, leading communications for a chamber of commerce, and working for a congressman as Regional Director, as well as for a nonprofit that worked with special needs adults. “To be here is a culmination of everything I’ve ever done professionally,” she reflects, going into her fifth year leading the Coalition.

 

Gilbert’s time working for elected officials shaped her leadership style. She describes herself as a “quiet manager” who trusts each person on her team to execute their role. “We collaborate to reach goals. If everyone does their part, the big picture comes together,” she says.

Four people are standing outside in a park during a tree planting event. In the foreground, a man wearing a straw hat and sunglasses is smiling at the camera. To his left are two men, both smiling, one in a gray polo and the other in a teal shirt with glasses. A woman in sunglasses and a navy shirt stands on the far right. In the background, there are other people working on planting trees in the park under a partly cloudy sky.

Here Colleen is pictured with representatives from North Houston District at a recent tree planting partnership event at Buckboard Park. 

Ladies Leading the Charge for Nonprofits

Women far outnumber men in the nonprofit workforce, but women are still statistically underrepresented in leadership roles in the industry. “Being at a nonprofit in general is challenging. But I would say that the number of women that work in nonprofits has meant that I’ve gotten to collaborate with and learn from a lot of other talented women,” Gilbert says.

Aside from her work, Gilbert regularly volunteers her time with other nonprofit organizations. She is part of the advisory board for Leadership North Houston and serves as the Government Affairs chair for Tomball and CyFair Chambers of Commerce.

She was also chosen to participate in the Harris County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Steering Committee. The committee assists with planning for upcoming hurricanes and other disasters covered by FEMA, including utility and I.T. failure.

A black-and-white photo of two women standing together at an event. One woman on the left is wearing a plaid jacket, and the woman on the right is wearing a black blouse and skirt. Both women are smiling, and they are wearing event badges.

Colleen has a long history with the North Houston District. She’s pictured on the right at a community event with Margaret Eyster, longtime District volunteer, board member and business owner.  

A ‘Go-To’ for the Bayou

Gilbert quips candidly that during Covid, the Greens Bayou Coalition “dropped into an abyss.” Searching for an Executive Director for eight months before finding Gilbert, the organization had gone dark, halting many planned projects. “I got here and started reaching out to let people know that we are still a viable entity that is doing good work,” she says.

Coming from a family of engineers, Gilbert found her footing quickly in the environmental space. She worked hard to build new connections through outreach, forming strong partnerships throughout the region. “It’s a hard thing to gain visibility for a nonprofit. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done to connect with other aligned entities and organizations,” she tells us.

“The bayou is a hugely important collective asset to everyone in the area. One of our biggest partners is Coca Cola Southwest Beverages, which has a bottling location right on Greens Bayou and a vested interest in flood control efforts, as well as broader environmental interests,” Gilbert says. The Coalition also regularly partners with organizations like Houston-Galveston Area Council on water quality monitoring.

Three people serving food at an outdoor event. The woman on the left, wearing a navy polo shirt, smiles while holding a serving tray. The man in the middle and the woman on the right are also serving food. They stand behind a table with trays of hot dogs, buns, and other food items.

Colleen does it all. Here she’s pictured here on the left serving lunch to volunteers at the Trash Bash, an annual waterway cleanup that was held at W. E. “Bill” Crowley Park.  

Unlocking the Value of Greens Bayou 

With regards to the recreational opportunities and economic potential of Greens Bayou, Gilbert says, “I feel like we have got a true jewel here. The more lovely Greens Bayou is, the more the economic value of the area increases and the better it is for the whole community.”

The Greens Bayou Watershed is enormously long, stretching 45 miles from Cypress to Port of Houston and covering 212 square miles. Through partnerships with utility districts, the flood control district, and other various organizations along the bayou including North Houston District, the Greens Bayou Coalition works to improve, protect and realize the economic potential of the bayou.

A man and a woman jogging on a concrete trail in a park. In the background, tall buildings can be seen against a clear blue sky. The runners are mid-stride, surrounded by green trees and grass.

Fun fact – Colleen was an avid marathon runner and trained for marathons for the better part of two decades. Here she’s pictured jogging (and posing) for a North Houston District photo shoot in 2007. 

Partnerships Green Up Greens Bayou  

But the bayou is more than just a natural flood control tool—it presents many recreational opportunities, too. “On October 5th we partnered with Precincts 2, 3, and 4 for our annual Greens Bayou Regatta! The lower portion of Greens Bayou, with its natural wide tidal waters, was just approved as a recognized Texas paddle trail,” Gilbert shares.

The Coalition is looking forward to a multi-phase tree planting project, Green Up Greens Bayou, in collaboration with North Houston District, beginning on November 7. It will also partner with the Bayou Preservation Association in the Spring, combining Kayaking for Kids, a program that gets kids out on the bayou with a BPA program to train the children in water quality testing as ‘citizen scientists.’ There is another partnership in the works with San Jac College to connect students with the bayou through water quality testing within their curriculum.

 

Connect with Colleen on LinkedIn to see what she does from here.