About THEA

Our Mission Is Our Story

THEA protects your right to a safe environment through education and advocacy.

MISSION:

Texas Health and Environment Alliance is a regional nonprofit whose mission is to protect public health and the environment by engaging, educating, and empowering impacted communities to advocate effectively for the cleanup of historical contamination.

Our Founder

“I understand what people go through when they learn their neighborhood is contaminated, because that is my story.”

Jackie Medcalf became a champion for public health when she discovered that toxic chemicals in her drinking water were making her family sick. She was 15 when her family moved to a new home in rural Harris County. Soon their animals started to get sick. She developed seizures, loss of motor function, and endometriosis. Then her father broke his back due to an incurable cancer in his bone marrow. While studying for an environmental geology degree in college, she tested the well water at her home and discovered it was contaminated.  Her own lab work showed levels of nearly two dozen toxic metals. She founded THEA to give others the tools to protect their own health.

How THEA Was Born Out Of Environmental Tragedy

 

 Our History

Since its founding, THEA has worked neighborhood-by-neighborhood to clean up toxic chemicals in Houston and Harris County. During that time, the organization has built a coalition of more than 58,000 residents and influenced more than $122 million in EPA-ordered cleanup projects.

Our Staff



Jackie Medcalf

CEO/Founder

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Rachel Jordan

Assistant Director

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  • Kristin Headley

    Office Manager

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  • Kristy Smith

    Environmental Outreach Coordinator

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  • Ruth Giles

    Education & Research Coordinator

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  • Victoria Avril Matias

    Community Coordinator

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Our Board Members

  • Lisa Gossett, J.D.

    PRESIDENT & TREASURER

    Mrs. Gossett, J.D. is a lawyer and educator who also has an undergraduate degree in engineering. She teaches environmental law and management at the University of Houston – Clear Lake, where she chairs the Environmental Management program.

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  • Rhian Davies, MBA

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Ms. Davies has worked extensively with venture capital companies and startup entrepreneurs. She is a Senior Consultant with the global strategy firm, Simon-Kucher Partners. She has been very involved in Houston environmental nonprofits.

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  • Oscar Lazaro

    SECRETARY

    Oscar Lázaro is a Commercial Graduate Associate with S&P Global. He is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston - Clear Lake, from which he earned a B.A. in Environmental Management. He has a deep understanding of our mission, having worked as a community coordinator with THEA.

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  • Jeffrey Spike Ph.D.

    ETHICS ADVISOR

    Dr. Spike is a national leader in the fields of medical and public health education and ethics. He is a professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and on the ethics committee of the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

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  • Jennifer Anderson

    BOARD MEMBER

    Jennifer Anderson, MPH, is a Senior Manager at CVS Health who brings extensive experience in community engagement and nonprofit management. She holds a Masters of Public Health and a B.A. in Women's Studies and Women’s Health from the University of Michigan.

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Our Council Of Community Advisors

Our advisors live on the front lines of the fight to protect the environmental health of Houston-area residents.  They are invested in THEA’s mission because their homes are threatened by the toxic waste sites, we are pushing government agencies to address. 

Sandra Edwards (left) and Greater 5th Ward/Kashmere Gardens Neighbors Meet With Harris Co. Attorney Menefee, Mayor Turner & EPA Administrator Regan.
  • Pamela Bonta

  • Sarah Davis

  • Keith Downey

  • Sandra Edwards

  • James Fretty

  • Marlene Lobberecht

  • Jeff Reese

  • Carolyn Stone

We rely on our advisors for their leadership in the communities we serve and to make sure that their neighbors’ priorities are our priorities.