Chris Lash
Keep McAllen Beautiful
Nestled on the grounds of the Recycling Center sits the mobile home offices of Keep McAllen Beautiful (KMB). Out of these humble settings a team of dedicated employees guides the volunteer projects of Keep McAllen Beautiful through clean-ups, mosaic works, house paintings, and neighborhood revitalizations. Leading the team of enthusiastic staff and volunteers is Chris Lash, Program Director.
“I really love the way we are enveloping our culture and having more quality things to do for families, such as the hike and bike trails,” Lash said. “McAllen is growing tremendously, and our events and projects are a great way to get involved in the community.”
Lash developed her passion for the environment from her parents.
“When we were young, our parents would take us to parks and monuments, teaching us not only to enjoy the outdoors, but also not to litter,” she said. “As I grew up, I would volunteer for clean-ups and other environmental projects.”
After growing up in the Valley, Lash moved around the country, even living in Grenada, West Indies, for a while.
“I had a lot of fun adventures,” she said.
But a terminally ill mother brought her home.
“At this stage of my life, this is home.”
Joining the City of McAllen in 2001, Lash led KMB for 10 years before moving to manage the Recycling Center. KMB called her back, and she is happy to be leading the forces again to make McAllen an environmentally better place to live.
Her passion for hiking has taken her to national parks in Texas, Montana, and Colorado, and she feels experiencing the natural world goes hand in hand with her passion for the environment.
A McAllen Chamber Ambassador for many years has given her what she feels is another perk.
“When I travel to conferences for my job, I’m not just representing KMB. I’m also representing the McAllen Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “As an Ambassador, I tell our story, and I can let people know who we are and where we are.”
Lash loves expressing her passion by working for a better world, and working with her staff and volunteers to Keep McAllen Beautiful. She is an invaluable champion of and for McAllen.