Brigid came to Austin in 1988 to start the Texas chapter of Clean Water Action.  Prior to that, she had been an award-winning journalist at NPR stations in Minnesota and Philadelphia. She was elected to the Austin city council and served 1993-1996 and championed consumer, electoral and environmental reforms, including the 1994 electric rate case; she retired after the birth of her first child.  As the co-founder of SOS, Save Our Springs, Shea helped usher in a new community consensus that preserving our environment is key to a strong economy.   She is a recognized leader who has been an advisor to LCRA, Seton, SDC Communities, Vignette, Green Mountain Energy and numerous corporate and non-profit entities on environmental policy and community issues.

Brigid has 2 teenage boys in AISD, is a member of the McCallum high school PTA, and a small businesswoman.  Her pollution reduction work with a client recently won the TCEQ Environmental Excellence award.  Shea also worked on the national award-winning Austin Clean Water Program, which repaired leaking sewer lines across the city.  Shea serves on many boards, including the national board of Clean Water Action.  She is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Austin and is a current member of the Chamber of Commerce Clean Energy Council.  Shea, who is a native of North Dakota, is married to John Umphress, a Green Building specialist with Austin Energy.