EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Frates Seeligson
“Nature is a gift that we do not get much in urban environments anymore.”
Previously Chairman of the Board and now the Director of Confluence Park, Seeligson has been devoted to the San Antonio River Foundation since 2006.
Seeligson, a graduate of Duke University and the Texas Christian University Ranch Management Program, has spent decades working with the land in his native South Texas. A fourth generation rancher and avid outdoorsman, Seeligson owns and operates Pajarito Tree Farm and claims, “The only day I work is when I go to the office,” though he may be busy on the farm all day. As a landowner, he saw precious freshwater wasted in Eagleford Shale operations and in response started Aqueous, a company that provides recycled water for oil and gas businesses.
To Seeligson, the San Antonio Riverwalk links the city in a way that it never has before, “it ties the city more today than it ever has in its history.” He sees people have the opportunity to go outside and connect with nature, whether in solitude or with friends. “Nature is a gift that we do not get much in urban environments anymore,” says Seeligson.
Seeligson likes to tell a story of a friend who commented on how great the Riverwalk along Mission Reach suddenly looked. The friend was surprised to find out that it had been re developed for over a year. “People just don’t know about it,” observed Seeligson regarding the Mission Reach. One of the San Antonio River Foundation’s and its Board of Directors’ goals is to promote the flourishing improvements that San Antonians and donors have helped create along the river. Seeligson believes this can happen by continuing to encourage stewardship through education at Confluence Park and the Foundation’s events. In a way, he says, the development of Mission Reach and Confluence Park is “kind of a selfish project,” because it is intended for friends, family, and the community to enjoy.