Ed Barrios

Ed is a retired Chemical Engineer, graduated from the University of Arizona in 1971. He worked for Dow Chemical in Freeport, TX immediately after graduation.  For half of his 33-year career, he ran chemical plants and the other half was spent working in Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S).  The Epoxy business plants he was responsible for were audited every year by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and were audited by OSHA and the EPA every 2 years.  Ed later was given EH&S responsibility for the Epoxy business globally.

 Ed retired in 2004 at age 55 and took the courses in the Texas Master Naturalist program and the Texas Master Gardener program.  He became President of the local Master Naturalist organization for 2 years (term limits) but remained on the board for another 11 years.  He also joined the board of the local Master Gardner organization serving as president for about 7 years.

 When Ed finished the Master Gardener training, he started volunteering in the environmental education program at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and he has been volunteering there and at the San Bernard NWR ever since.  Ed joined the Friends of the Brazoria NWR board in 2006 and has been on the board ever since.  He was president of that board for 8 years and now serves as vice president.

 Finally, in 2005, Ed started volunteering for the AARP Tax-Aide group that does free tax returns for mostly older people, but no one is turned away.  Ed is now the Information Technology lead for AARP district in southern Brazoria County.