Thomas Dillig

I am an engineer. I use technology to help nature and create healthy and resilient living spaces shared by humans and wildlife.

I am originally from Bavaria, Germany and grew up in the Starnberg region south of Munich. I first came to the United States as an exchange student in high school, when I spent a year living with American families in rural Nebraska. This is where I learned to use farm equipment and shoot with firearms.

I returned to the US to study computer science and got a BS/MS and PhD at Stanford. I have been passionate about technology and engineering since I was little. I started to work in academia and later founded with my wife a boutique technology consulting firm for businesses, including large corporations and small businesses.

In my academic career, I co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed research articles pioneering new methods in program verification and constraint solving. For my research, I received multi-million award grants from public organizations, including the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). I held faculty positions at College of William & Mary, University College London, and University of Texas at Austin, which is when I discovered Texas.

While I enjoyed developing new technologies and leading teams, I realized that my greatest passion lies in applying technology to live better and closer to nature at home. Therefore, I decided to change my career and follow my passions. My wife Aurelie and I both fell in love with the Texas Hill Country a few years ago while living in Austin. We love nature, open spaces, and wildlife, and the Hill Country deeply touched our hearts. We currently live in San Antonio and bought land in Bandera where we intend to live permanently.

I have applied my skills to residential construction. I am an electrician. I have designed and built smart lighting controls, home automation solutions, home media solutions, irrigation systems, swimming pool controls, outdoor living spaces, and HVAC systems for private homes in the US, Germany, and tropical islands (Mauritius, Réunion).

I intend to deepen my understanding of the natural ecosystem of the Texas Hill Country and to be part of positive change in this magical region of the world. I believe that effective leadership requires a strong command of facts, both at the big-picture and detailed levels. I relish switching between hands-on work and intellectual thinking. I am passionate about getting results by putting the right people on the team and empowering them to take responsibility and initiative, in order to bring out the best in them.