Jack Waite Email and Phone Number

I started Urban Organics to act as an incubator for research and development in sustainability projects. We write and help write grants to individuals and organizations with great and innovative ideas. Current/future ideas include a mangrove restoration initiative to reduce water pollution and prevent coastal flooding. Recent projects include planting thousands of trees in "tree deserts," farm-funding projects, habitat restoration and sustainability projects, community garden formation and development, and neighborhood beautification projects.

I was recruited to advocate and lobby for hunger issues at the 2017 Texas legislative session and at the US Congress. We doubled our budget from $5 million to $10 million for a surplus agriculture program in a year when most groups saw budget cuts. As social media manager, I advocated for local and national food insecurity causes to tens of thousands each week via social media channels, press releases, and press conferences.

I founded, designed, constructed, and managed an urban, sustainable, high-tech aquaponic fish and vegetable farm that served a strong and diverse client-base. My days were spent reading and analyzing data, managing staff, trouble-shooting, communicating via social media, developing and maintaining sales relationships and of course, farming. When state regulation issues came up, I testified before a joint committee of the Texas Legislature to ease the unnecessary burdens. When permit problems within the city arose, I literally re-wrote Austin city code to allow urban farms like Agua Dulce to exist.

I raised over $2 million in donations and planned gifts to help fund the new Liberal Arts Building in the heart of UT Austin’s campus in my roll as a major gifts ($50K+) officer during the $3 billion Campaign for Texas fundraising challenge.

I progressed from founding member and Treasurer into a CFO role after 2 years. My primary role was to a certify our financial records to the IRS based on our mission to provide a public service. To accomplish this I oversaw US and Italian financial audits, IRS reporting, and the preparation of annual reports to our corporate and family foundation funders as well as our individual donors. My most significant achievements were attaining full 501(c)3 status from the IRS and reconciling the complications involved in blending the US nonprofit and Italian Cultural Association financials.

I was a founding officer of a nonprofit conducting archeological excavations in Rome and study abroad programs in Architecture, Archeology, and Art History in Italy. I started as the Development and Communications Director, raising funds for our excavations and acting as a liaison between our funding base in the US and with the Press and Cultural Ministries and Embassies in Italy. After 2 years I moved into the CFO role.

I successfully co-wrote a USAID grant to promote civil society between the US, Mexico, and Canada. I also represented the LBJ School in Mexico City for a week long conference and co-hosted an international group of 35 graduate students in Austin. I promoted the nonprofit studies program by speaking to hundreds of graduate students in several colleges at the University of Texas.