Staff

Elisa Donovan, President, oversees Nature’s Burial legal matters, administration, programs, and strategic planning. Additionally, she is the Vice President & General Counsel of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy.

Elisa joined the Coastal Prairie Conservancy in 2017 to conserve farms, ranches, and natural areas in the rapidly urbanizing Houston region. She founded Nature’s Burial in 2021 to further the Conservancy’s mission while also providing a green burial option for the community. She brings a depth of expertise to Nature’s Burial, having pivoted to land conservation after a legal career in business, real estate, and energy matters. She received a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Rice University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

Bethany Foshée, Public Preserves and Outreach Director, oversees cemetery management, restoration, and community engagement efforts. She has been a passionate advocate for natural burial since leading her Grandmother’s home funeral and green burial in 2008. Bethany has spent her career working with Houston’s conservation nonprofits. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and a Master of Science in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University. She is also a licensed funeral director.

Valerie brings over twenty years of professional social work experience to her role as the Family Care and Planning Manager at Nature’s Burial. She provides information and education to clients about natural burial, coordinates customer sales, conducts private and group tours of the sanctuary, assists with burial services, and educates the community about Nature’s Burial.

Valerie has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a Texas Master Naturalist with the Coastal Prairie Chapter.

Brittany Brand joined the Nature’s Burial team in the summer of 2025 as a Conservation Burial Coordinator. She feels deeply honored to walk alongside families as they plan meaningful conservation burial services, helping them celebrate the lives of their loved ones while honoring their final wishes with compassion and care. In addition to supporting families, Brittany works closely with volunteers and staff at the Coastal Prairie Conservancy to help steward the land and further the restoration efforts at Blazing Star Sanctuary.

Having grown up in the Houston area, Brittany has watched the region change dramatically as development has spread across the landscape. Those experiences fostered a deep appreciation for the beauty and importance of the native coastal prairie. She is grateful to be part of a mission that not only provides families with a meaningful final resting place, but also helps protect and restore one of Texas’s most endangered ecosystems for future generations.