Companies Operating Across the State of Texas Recognized in the TxN 20 for Their Leadership in Conservation & Sustainability

Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation non-profit, today announced 23 honorees of the 7th annual Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) - an official recognition of companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation.

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Companies Operating Across the State of Texas Recognized in the TxN 20 for Their Leadership in Conservation & Sustainability

The TxN 20 recognizes the best and most innovative work in conservation coming from businesses based in or operating in Texas.

As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature honors companies across 12 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity cultivates impactful programs and forges new, beneficial paths in conservation. With 171 million acres of land and global leadership across multiple industries, Texas is fortunate to have industry leaders who see the value in partnering with conservation initiatives while also developing innovative, environmentally sustainable methods and processes within their business.

“We believe business can be a force for nature through action, collaboration, and innovative models in conservation,” said Joni Carswell, CEO & President of Texan by Nature. “It’s an honor to recognize these best-in-class examples that demonstrate how integrating business with conservation strengthens Texas and sets the standard for the globe.”

A catalyst for thought leadership, innovative partnerships, and community-led solutions, Texan by Nature has been working with the Texas business community to implement Texas-led conservation practices. The TxN 20 provides not only recognition to honorees but a catalogue of best practices and metrics to industry peers. The honorees' commitment to conservation, their projects and programs, best practices, and lessons learned are examples and inspiration for us all.

“Congratulations to this year’s TxN 20! Your leadership demonstrates what is possible when organizations engage in conservation. You have set the gold standard for conservation in Texas, inspiring others to bring nature into the places we live, work, and play. Thank you for creating a healthier, more sustainable future for our state,” said former First Lady and Texan by Nature Founder, Laura Bush.

The 2025 TxN 20 is catalyzed by Jetco Delivery. "With our investment in the TxN 20, we hope to amplify cross-industry innovation and action that will inspire and propel businesses toward a sustainable future," said Kyle Kristynik, President at Jetco.

To select the 2025 TxN 20, company data submissions were evaluated, and independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies was conducted for 12 industry sectors. All companies were evaluated on key criteria through a 17-point scoring system to narrow down the list to the top 60 companies in Texas. Key scoring criteria included: stated commitment to conservation; reported metrics related to conservation; measured investment in conservation; reported Return on Conservation^TM results; positive conservation impact on land, water, wildlife, people, waste, energy, and more; and activities such as infrastructure, production and supply chain, employee engagement, and more. Each year, an esteemed selection committee of top industry leaders is formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final honorees for the TxN 20. TxN 20 selection and recognition are also supported by HOLT CAT.

2025 TxN 20 HONOREES INCLUDE:

1. Acme Brick Company
2. Ally Financial
3. Amazon
4. Apex Clean Energy
5. Build Native
6. Cemex
7. Cirrus Logic
8. City of Farmers Branch
9. Darling Ingredients
10. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
11. Ford Motor Company
12. H-E-B
13. HOLT CAT
14. LRE (Leeward Renewable Energy)
15. Microsoft
16. North American Development Bank
17. Overland Partners
18. Oxy
19. San Antonio Water System
20. Shiner (Spoetzel Brewery)
21. Texas Health Resources
22. Vital Farms
23. Xcel Energy

To read more about each 2025 TxN 20 honoree, please visit: www.TxN20.org/2025-honorees/

The TxN 20 2025 Selection Committee members included:

• Andrejs E. Avots-Avotins, MD, PhD, The Elizabeth & Drayton McLane, Jr. Chair in Health & Wellness, Vice President of Medical Affairs – Baylor Scott & White Health – Temple
• Tracee Bentley, President & CEO – Permian Strategic Partnership
• YC Chua, Sustainable Supply Chain Associate – Cirrus Logic
• Gary Cocke, Senior Director of Sustainability – Baylor University
• Brent Crossland, Founder – 5 Loc Cotton, LLC
• Edward Craner, Sr. Vice President – HOLT Group
• Matthew Crommett, Managing Director – LH Capital, Inc. / Lyda Hill Philanthropies
• Ed Ferguson, Former Chief Sustainability Officer
• Gabriella Farnham, Director, Environmental Data Analytics and Reporting – Phillips 66
• Jesse Hereford, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement – North American Development Bank
• Bob Malone, Chairman, President & CEO – Sonora Bank
• Richard McDonald, Corporate Director of Sustainability – Sundt Construction Corporation
• Sandra Montalbo, Design Performance Manager – Overland, Architecture + Urban Design
• J. Purvis, President – Reatta Energy, Inc
• Jason Reed, Vice President, Operations Services – Martin Marietta
• Jayme L. Shy, Board of Directors – Texan by Nature
• VJ Smith, Principal, CSR & Tribal Affairs – Marathon Petroleum
• Preston Smith, Co-Founder and Managing Partner – Wildwood Environmental Credit Company
• Audrey Templeton, Enterprise Risk Manager – Molson Coors

Activating new investments, amplifying and accelerating innovations, and connecting partners to the resources they need to succeed, Texan by Nature offers select programs to help engage Texans in stewardship of the state’s rich land and diverse communities, including the Conservation Wrangler program, TxN Certification, the Conservation Summit, the Texas Water Action Collaborative, the TxN 20, and select statewide initiatives. For more information on TxN partnerships and programs, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.texanbynature.org.

ABOUT TxN:

Texan by Nature (TxN) exists to advance conservation that is beneficial to people, prosperity, and natural resources. TxN brings conservation and business together, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business. TxN achieves its mission through programs, including Conservation Wrangler, TxN Certification, Return on Conservation™, custom initiatives through our membership program, the annual Conservation Summit, and statewide leadership such as the Texas Water Action Collaborative. Learn more in the 2024 annual report and at TexanbyNature.org

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251021941985/en/

As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature honors companies across 12 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity cultivates impactful programs and forges new, beneficial paths in conservation.