Management Team
David Braun
Ceo, Co-Founder
As a well-known and well-respected conservation advocate, David Braun continues to raise the bar for all aspects of land and wildlife management. In addition to co-founding Plateau, he is the principal and founder of Braun & Gresham, Attorneys at Law, where attorneys provide legal counsel, practical advice, and innovative solutions to owners of rural land, including buying and selling land, conservation easements, condemnation defense, property taxes, mitigation banking, and conservation development. In both his law practice and with Plateau, David sets high standards for client satisfaction and always works in a “can-do” style. Before founding Plateau and Braun & Gresham, David served as the Texas State Director and International Vice President of The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s premier land conservation organizations. Interested in natural sciences and conservation since his youth, David’s first steps down his wildlife and conservation-minded career path included work as a field biologist for several universities and museums, and as a nature tour guide for two of the premier nature tour companies in the U.S. for whom he led groups in the region between Texas and Venezuela.
Beyrl Armstrong
Co-Founder
Few in the land and wildlife management field have more hands-on experience than Beyrl Armstrong. Prior to co-founding Plateau, he managed all on-site activities of a premier 10,000 acre ranch on the Frio River. Planning, budgeting, personnel, a leased livestock operation, land restoration, new construction, development of hunting and nature tourism operations, and guest services all fell under his direction. Some of Beyrl’s other supervisory experience includes subdivision development where he had oversight of building roads, storm drains, and sanitation sewers, as well as landscape scale conservation and restoration projects in the Texas Hill Country. For the Nature Conservancy of Texas, Beyrl has been involved in the design, management and protection of 24,000 acres of diverse conservation lands, including development of guest and research facilities on Dolan Falls Preserve and management of the Wynne Lodge on Matagorda Island. As a trained property tax consultant, he has worked with several Central Texas appraisal districts on wildlife valuation issues. Thanks to his breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, as well as his undeniable charisma, Beyrl is a sought-after speaker on a variety of wildlife and environmental issues. The son of missionaries, Beyrl was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia and in previous incarnations has worked as shrimper, a sailboat captain, restaurant manager, and hatter’s helper. Beyrl has traveled around the world and sailed across the Gulf of Mexico seven times.
Rick Landwehr
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Rick joined Plateau in January of 2012. He holds a BBA in Finance from UT-Austin with a minor in accounting and is a licensed Texas CPA. His background includes about 35 years working for subsidiaries or divisions of Fortune 700 or larger companies in the role of operations controller/CFO. He has worked in a variety of industries, including manufacturing of hi-tech equipment for the global market, heavy construction, and manufacturing and distribution of chemical additives. His work passion is the development of useful information reports for management, and his intimate knowledge of complex business operations has brought a new level of sophistication to the firm’s finance department. Rick splits his time between analyzing finances for Plateau Land and Wildlife Management and Braun & Gresham, Plateau’s sister law firm. Rick is a forty-five year plus resident of Austin. Although he lives in the city, he is also a small landowner with a rural property in central Texas that he and his wife Nancy thoroughly enjoy as often as possible.
Shane Kiefer
Director of Ecological Services
Shane Kiefer is a fourth-generation Texan from Central Texas who has lived and worked across the state. He’s been with Plateau since 2005, and he has worked with hundreds of private landowners creating wildlife management plans and providing land management consulting across 8 of the 10 Texas Ecoregions. As a Certified Wildlife Biologist®, Shane’s specialties include managing game species, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and habitat assessment and management. He is a registered property tax consultant who has provided continuing education in wildlife management valuation to real estate professionals. Shane holds a Bachelor of Science in Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University – San Marcos. He has hunted the same 1,400 acre hunting lease in Coleman County for over 20 years. Slightly farther afield, and more under water, Shane is a certified scuba diver who has dived the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Steve Parker
Product And Services Division Manager
A proven self-starter, Steve Parker owned and operated his own home improvements business before joining Plateau in 2005 where he has worked his way up the ranks over the years from Wildlife Services Field Technician to Product and Services Division Manager. Although born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, summers were spent working on a family-owned dairy farm in Tennessee. He attributes his grandfather’s hard work ethic while working six and a half days a week on the farm with instilling in him his own work ethic. Steve has always been passionate about providing needed services for people, and Plateau has afforded him an opportunity to do that on a much larger scale. Steve’s kindness, common-sense, and uncanny organizational skills are much valued by coworkers and clients alike.
Tim Milligan
Director of Sales
Born in Lubbock and raised in Austin. Tim Milligan grew up in the city, but was reared on a working family farm in Garfield, Texas. There, his lifelong appreciation for the land and his love of all things wild was planted and has continued to grow. He has been married for 17 years to Melissa and they have two kids, Aidan 11 and Abby 9. Tim spent 14 years working in the automobile industry, most of that time spent as a Finance Director for some of the largest auto dealers in Texas. Tim points to this experience as the foundation for his ability to adapt and find unique solutions for the opportunities he encounters in our business. For the past 8 years, Tim has also owned and operated a popular quail hunting business, where he guides hunts on the historic LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas, along with other exclusive ranches all over the state. Through this opportunity Tim has gained invaluable hands-on experience in the restoration of quail habitat and the re-establishment of quail populations. Tim is active in Texas Wildlife Association, Quail Forever, Quail Unlimited, and the Dripping Springs United Methodist Men. In his personal time, if it has to do with working dogs, working the land, hunting, fishing, or his kids’ sports, he’s there.
Rhonda Conner
Office Manager
Bio and picture coming soon!
Biology Team
Mark Gray
Senior Wildlife Biologist
From Hawaii, where he was born, to England, where his family was stationed overseas, Mark Gray grew up fascinated by local wildlife and developed a liking for both bugs and birds. His childhood passion led to a Bachelor of Science in Evolution, Ecology and Conservation from the University of Texas, a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University and, ultimately, a career with Plateau where he celebrates his 9th year in 2010. Mark began as a contractor for Plateau in 2001 and joined the team permanently in 2005. In his years with the company, Mark has established a reputation as a skilled wildlife biologist, valued registered property tax consultant, and expert birder. Mark’s passion for birds has led him to see over 580 species in the United States, well on his way to seeing his current goal of 700 species.
Romey Swanson
Senior Wildlife Biologist, San Antonio Office
Romey Swanson received his Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University and holds a certificate as an Associate Wildlife Biologist from The Wildlife Society Certification Board. He is particularly interested in the natural history of Texas flora and fauna with a focus on mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds.
James Hall
Staff Biologist
Kyndal Anderson
Staff Biologist
Sales & Marketing Team
Craig Bowen
Account Manager, East Service Region
Craig Bowen has pursued a career in the field of ranch and wildlife since age 15. Born and raised immersed in the culture of land, Craig graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor in Wildlife Ecology, and continued his formal education by earning a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics. He started his career as a business development contractor and ranch real estate agent, also acting as a private consultant for numerous Texas landowners. Craig has worked nearly a decade in the commercial hunting industry, guiding hunts from the Trans-Pecos Region to the Rio Grande Valley. Craig is a musician and avid outdoorsman, spending most of his open-air time fishing, riding horses, or contending in one of the several competitive shooting sports he pursues.
Kasey Mock
Account Manager, West Service Region
Kasey Mock, who joins the Plateau team from Texas Agrilife Extension Service, further expands the company’s roster of seasoned land and wildlife management professionals. Kasey’s tenure as an Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, as well as his personal involvement in local organizations including the Independent Cattleman’s Association, Hays County Livestock Show Association, Cypress Creek Watershed Project, and Hill Country Alliance, brings a depth and diversity of knowledge to Plateau. His work and personal history exemplify an exemplary balance between wildlife and agriculture. Kasey is a native of Hays County and serves on the Hays County Texas Farm Bureau Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Service & Development- Extension and Industry Option from Tarleton State University.
Kameron Bain
Business Development
Kameron Bain grew up in Conway, New Hampshire nestled in the heart of the Mount Washington Valley. She graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamdon, Connecticut in 2002 with a BA in Mass Communications. Tired of the cold, six years ago she decided to move to the warmth and Texas. She joined the team at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management three years ago as the receptionist. Today, she works on the Business Development team focusing on what she loves best, helping clients.
Erica Fick
Marketing Coordinator
Erica was added to the Plateau team in February of 2012 after working as a marketing and media consultant for the company from 2011-2012. She has been instrumental in developing new marketing strategy for Plateau, providing top-notch graphic design and copy writing, updating our website, expanding our visibility with social media, and leading the editorial work for our quarterly newsletter, Seasons. Thanks to Erica’s leadership and vision we have expanded our outreach which has enabled us to address the many complex issues facing landowners today. Erica splits her time between coordinating marketing for Plateau and Braun & Gresham, Plateau’s sister legal firm. She lives in Austin with her partner of 5 years, Michael Rey and their pets Zeus and Lola.
Hope Bolton
Sales and Marketing Assistant
Hope Bolton is the Administrative Assistant supporting the Sales & Marketing team. She was born and raised in Dripping Springs on her family’s farm and goat dairy called Pure Luck Farm and Dairy. Hope recently graduated from St. Edwards University with a degree in Communication specializing in Public Relations and Advertising. Plateau’s mission is what drew Hope to work on our team.
Products and Services Team
Trenton Meyer
Wildlife Services Field Technician, San Antonio Office
Trenton Meyer is our first Wildlife Services Field Technician and Biologist Administrative Assistant in our new San Antonio office. He is a recent graduate from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. He previously worked at Lossen Whitetails as the Assistant Manager breeding white-tailed deer. Trenton’s passion for the outdoors and Texas makes him perfect for his new role.
Administrative and Accounting Team
Julie Mitchell
Human Resources Manager
Julie Mitchell started in December 2012 as an Administrative Assistant but in just a few months she was promoted to Human Resources Manager. Julie has a MBA from Oklahoma City University, and before moving to Austin she managed a law firm for nine years. Julie’s excited to be working with our team and standing behind the Plateau mission.
Sarah Ruiz
Accounting Assistant
Sarah has been working at Plateau for almost four years starting as the receptionist then moving on to work with the Accounting Team as an accounting assistant where she mainly focuses on accounts receivable for Plateau and Plateau Land Use Services (PLUS). The impact of her hard work is felt all throughout the office. Besides ensuring all invoices are accurate she is often busy answering phones, planning company gatherings, helping out on spotlight deer counts and keeping us well stocked in caffeine, which some staff members consider a high importance. If life at Plateau does not keep Sarah busy enough she is also attending Texas State University part time working towards a BS in Resource and Environmental Studies.