Clear Skies Texas was formed after polling determined that concern about the changing climate is not a one-party issue. Women in particular feel strongly that action is needed to both secure Texas’s role as an energy leader and provide a clean, safe environment for future generations.
In 2021, seven prominent Texas women came together to form the first board of directors for Clear Skies Texas and created a nonprofit to provide resources, education and leadership on this issue for all Texans.
Clear Skies Texas mobilizes Texas women to advance innovation and free-market solutions to mitigate climate challenges.
Texas remains a worldwide leader in energy innovation while safeguarding the prosperity and beauty of our state.
The goal of Clear Skies Texas is to build grassroots support for data-driven and market-oriented solutions so that all Texans can enjoy the opportunities and prosperity our state has to offer.
Clear Skies Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Treasurer
Sarah Davis is a successful attorney and former State Representative for Texas House District 134 in Houston. She is of counsel with the national law firm of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edleman & Dicker, LLP. Sarah's clients include individuals, local businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. She holds degrees from Baylor University (BA, Economics) and the University of Houston (JD).
Sarah currently serves on the leadership council of Conservatives Against Discrimination, on the board of Texas Impact Foundation, on the advisory councils of Houston Area Women’s Center and the Texas Medical Center Orchestra, and was the Texas Access to Justice Ex-Officio Member for the Speaker of The House from 2013-2020. Sarah is also a Rodel Scholar at The Aspen Institute, class of 2018.
Sarah is a breast cancer survivor, and lives with her husband, Kent Adams, and their dogs, Barrett and Rose, in Houston.
Secretary
Carolyn Hodges is a past President of the Texas Federation of Republican Women and has been active in politics for her entire life. After a career in teaching, she worked in the congressional district offices of Congressmen Bill Archer and John Culberson. She has been honored by the Texas House of Representatives with a resolution commending her work and was honored to serve as a Presidential Elector in 2012.
In December 2013, she was confirmed by the Texas Senate as a Member of the Texas State Cemetery Committee. Carolyn also serves on the executive committee and board of directors of the University of Texas’ Archer Center in Washington, DC, whose mission is educating the next generation of leaders for local, state, federal, and international service.
Carolyn is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston. She enjoys politics, history, travel, gardening, reading, and her pets.
Chair
Mia Garza McCord is President of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI). Her appointment as president of TCCRI is notable as the organization’s first Hispanic and first woman to serve in this capacity.
A South Texas native, Mia began her work in Texas government and politics after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. She has worked in public policy and campaigns for the last 16 years.
Mia also serves on the board of directors for Red State Women, and the advisory boards for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School and the Texas Federation of College Republicans. She’s a Leadership Network Member of American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a member of America’s Future, the Women’s Symphony League of Austin, and the ZACH Theatre Marketing Committee. Mia was also recently named a 2020 Fellow for the ADL/Aspen Institute’s Civil Society Fellowship.
Director
Rebecca Klein is Principal of Klein Energy, LLC, an energy and water consulting company based in Austin, Texas. She previously served as Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, during which time she oversaw the restructuring of the State’s $36 billion electric power industry. She was also the Chairman of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Becky has also worked at the White House in the Office of Presidential Personnel, where she assisted in recruiting and recommending sub-cabinet level presidential appointees in the national security arena of government.
In 2015, Becky retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. She received her academic training at Stanford University (BA, Biology); Georgetown University (MA, National Security Studies); St. Mary’s Law School (JD); and MIT Sloan School of Business (MBA). She is fluent in Spanish, having grown up partly in Venezuela and Mexico.
Executive Director
Courtney DeBower was hired as the first Executive Director for Clear Skies Texas in May of 2021. She comes to us with extensive experience in both the policy and nonprofit worlds. Courtney began her career in Washington DC, working for then Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison before being appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Media Coordinator at the Treasury Department. She has worked in the Texas legislature as both a staff member and a government relations professional.
Courtney is active in the Austin nonprofit community, having worked for various nonprofit organizations and serving on numerous boards. She is currently an elected member of the board for The Junior League of Austin, an organization of more than 2,000 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.