Sean Watson

I am a native Texan born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in Longview, Texas. I attended Kilgore College and transferred to the University of Texas in Austin in 1995 to major in microbiology. After coming to my senses, I changed my major back to biology, and I graduated with a B.S. in Biology of Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation.

For most of my professional career, I managed the greenhouses and growing operation at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and was eventually given the unofficial title of ‘Nursery Overlord’. I am proud to have started the WFC’s first seed collecting program to collect seeds of native plant species across Texas, including the deserts and mountains of West Texas, as well as along the border in South Texas. I was also part of the team that performed plant surveys for Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains NP, Big Thicket National Preserve, and surveys by canoe along the Wild and Scenic section of the Rio Grande River (and of course, I was collecting seeds along the way). I was awarded a Lynn Lowrey Memorial Award for horticultural achievement in 2007 for efforts to propagate rare and endangered plants, and another Lynn Lowrey Memorial Award in 2020 for introducing numerous native plant species into the nursery trade. I was also a part of the Wildflower Center Fire Team and have been a part of numerous prescribed fires.

I started my career at the City of Austin in April of 2024 when I was hired as an Environmental Program Coordinator in the Environmental Policy Section of the Watershed Protection Department. One of my duties is environmental review for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) within the City of Austin. I help to regulate protections for critical environmental features such as wetlands, seeps, and springs, and am also involved in helping to coordinate riparian restoration projects within developments. Another aspect of this position is presenting to our boards and commissions, as well as attending City Council meetings. I give presentations on the specifics of PUDs and how they achieve environmental superiority, as well as on amendments/variances to our Land Development Code. I also have the joy or supervising and working with our high school and college interns to help achieve departmental goals.

I am the father of a 15-year-old, a 5-year-old, and twins who just turned 2 in March 2026. My hobbies include biking, hiking, kayaking, fishing, gardening, and basketball. “