Friends of Shipe Park is pleased to welcome Jen Berbas as a new park sponsor! Jen is the founder and owner of Berbas Group, a residential real estate advisory company located in our neighborhood.

Jen lived in the Hyde Park area during her time as a UT student and, after sojourns in Chicago and New York, she returned to Austin in 2000 and bought a home in Hyde Park. In 2006, she shifted from financial advising to real estate full time.  

Jen has been involved in the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association since her earliest days in the ‘hood, serving on Steering Committees and Code Next advisory committees.  Berbas Group is a much appreciated regular supporter of the Hyde Park Homes Tour — and Jen and her husband, Darren Boerner, supplied tables, chairs and extension cords for the Fire Station Festival.  

Our beloved neighborhood Shipe Park has its own unique set of needs — and Jen is stepping up there as well.  In recent years, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) has asked the Friends of Shipe Park to pay for compost, tree replacement, and arborist care that was once provided by the department. Always chronically underfunded and understaffed, PARD is further challenged to meet the growing needs of our expanding city and to address its historically underserved parks and open spaces. 

Support from neighbors and businesses is critical to helping keep Shipe Park green, resilient, and welcoming.  Thank you Jen Berbas and Berbas Group for your support!  If you or your business would like to become a supporter of Shipe Park, contact jill@jillnokes.com to learn more.