Austin was steeped in a darkness as thick as Texas crude. It had been weeks since the electric grid had belly-upped, leaving us all groping in the dark. The city was in a chokehold, caught in the iron grip of an unending blackout. In the ensuing chaos, there was one man who could bring a glimmer of hope, a ray of light - Chief Sustainability Officer, Zach Baumer.
The shoes he filled were big - Lucia Athens had cast a long shadow. But this wasn't just about filling shoes, this was about saving a city. Baumer was no stranger to the fight, years spent wrestling with climate change and sustainability issues had forged him in the fire of crisis. His time in the trenches had prepared him for this, and now he was Austin's last best hope.
The crisis had caught us with our pants down, but Baumer saw an opportunity in the catastrophe. He wasn't interested in a quick patch job. No, he was aiming higher, setting his sights on making Austin a model of sustainable energy resilience.
The crisis had driven home one thing - sustainability wasn't just about the environment, it was about resilience, about bouncing back, and about fighting back. And as Austin stumbled its way through the dark, with Baumer as its guide, it was clear - sustainability was no longer an option. It was a necessity. Austin needed Baumer, and Baumer, he was ready. Ready to face the storm, ready to bring back the light.