About
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Mission
Texas Park Outfitters is a Texas-based outdoor recreation practice focused on helping people get outside and experience the beauty of the state in thoughtful, accessible ways.
Our work is multifaceted and dynamic — ranging from guided experiences and trip planning to field-informed consulting and advisory support for parks, landowners, and outdoor organizations. What connects it all is a shared focus on place, people, and care.
Whether we’re leading a hike, planning a trip, or working alongside those who manage outdoor spaces, our goal is the same: to help create experiences that feel welcoming, grounded, and meaningful.
Meet Our Team
Founder & Lead Consultant
Ross Tarhini is the founder and lead consultant at Texas Park Outfitters, bringing over a decade of experience across outdoor recreation, tourism strategy, and field-based operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Parks & Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University and a Certificate in Data Analytics.
Ross has guided hiking and cycling trips across 13 U.S. states and 6 countries, with a focus on custom itinerary design, cultural interpretation, and guest experience. As a Trip Expert with Backroads Active Travel, he has researched, planned, and launched high-satisfaction trips in both domestic parks and international destinations. He is known for blending operational precision with storytelling and human connection, and consistently earns near-perfect guest satisfaction ratings.
Texas Park Outfitters’ consulting and field-based work began in 2018, rooted in hands-on experience supporting outdoor recreation across Texas. Since then, Ross has steadily expanded TPO’s scope to support both people seeking meaningful outdoor experiences and the agencies, landowners, and organizations responsible for creating and sustaining them.
Strategic Advisor: Recreation Planning & Policy
Dr. Scott Shafer brings over 25 years of experience in parks, recreation, and community planning. He is a longtime professor at Texas A&M University and currently serves as Executive Director of Campus and Community Enrichment, where he oversees cultural and environmental initiatives.
Dr. Shafer has led dozens of community-engaged planning projects across Texas and is published widely in journals focused on park design and leisure studies. He currently serves on the College Station City Council and advises Texas Park Outfitters on park planning, policy, and long-range strategy.
Finance Advisor & Capital Partner
Brent Howard is a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience in wealth management and investment strategy. He currently serves as First Vice President at RBC Wealth Management, where he supports high-net-worth individuals and families.
Brent began his career in professional athlete financial services and later held leadership roles at Wunderlich Securities and Sanders Morris Harris. As Finance Advisor for Texas Park Outfitters, he provides financial review and feasibility insight for select projects and long-term growth planning.
Technical Advisor: Data & Analysis
Hunter Jacob is a data scientist with nearly a decade of experience in analytics and modeling. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics with a Business minor and a postgraduate certificate in Data Science from the University of Texas.
Hunter has worked in both private sector and consulting roles, supporting organizations through data analysis, visualization, and insight generation. As Technical Advisor to Texas Park Outfitters, he supports research-heavy projects involving visitor behavior, user observation, and data-informed park planning.
Our Approach
We take a high-touch, on-the-ground approach to every engagement. Our work is shaped by observation, conversation, and iteration — not off-the-shelf solutions. While every project is different, most follow this general rhythm:
We start by understanding your goals and context. When possible, this includes time spent on site — walking the space, observing how people actually use it, and listening to staff and stakeholders. This early phase helps ground the work in reality, not assumptions.
We assess existing conditions, infrastructure, operations, and visitor experience. This may include data collection, user-flow observation, and identifying friction points or missed opportunities. The goal is to develop a clear, shared understanding of what’s working — and what isn’t.
From there, we develop recommendations and concepts in collaboration with you. When helpful, we bring in additional advisory support. Ideas are refined through feedback and discussion, ensuring solutions are practical, context-aware, and aligned with your capacity and vision.
We deliver clear, usable outputs — including reports, presentations, and planning tools — and remain available to support implementation as needed. Our goal isn’t just to hand something off, but to help ensure it’s understood, actionable, and useful over time.