NEW YORK – The Nationwide Audubon Society (“Audubon”) right this moment introduced the appointment of two key senior hires to hitch the group’s management workforce following broad nationwide searches. Dr. Elizabeth Grey will be part of Audubon as President and Chief Conservation Officer, reporting to CEO David Yarnold. Dr. Grey would be the first girl to carry the title of President within the group’s 115-year historical past. Jamaal Nelson has been appointed Chief Fairness, Range, and Inclusion Officer, and also will report back to David Yarnold. These appointments will grow to be efficient March 8 and March 1, respectively. Audubon has additionally introduced the promotion of David Ringer to Chief Community and Communications Officer.
Audubon Board Chair, Maggie Walker, mentioned, “That is an thrilling second for Audubon as we welcome two excellent leaders – Elizabeth and Jamaal – to the group’s govt workforce. Elizabeth’s distinctive credentials as a scientist, fundraiser and strategic chief will give Audubon much-needed govt capability as we proceed to develop. Whereas we didn’t initially set out in our search to rent for the position of President, assembly Elizabeth introduced us with a golden alternative to construct on a doubling of our price range over the previous decade and our vastly elevated affect and capabilities. She and David will make a terrific workforce.”
Ms. Walker continued, “Audubon and its Board and leaders are all deeply dedicated to making sure range, fairness, and inclusion are on the core of what we do and the way we function each day. That’s the reason we couldn’t be extra excited to welcome Jamaal to steer Audubon on this journey. The group will profit vastly from his experience in advancing social and environmental justice as we work collectively to place our values into apply.”
Dr. Elizabeth Grey
Dr. Elizabeth Grey is a famend skilled within the discipline of conservation and local weather change. She was chosen after an intensive search course of involving each inner and exterior candidates, led by Isaacson Miller. In the course of the search course of and in recognition of the excellent candidacy of Dr. Grey, Audubon elected to separate the roles of President and CEO. Dr. Grey will function President and Chief Conservation Officer, with duty for the group’s conservation, coverage, worldwide, and science groups, as wells because the nationwide community of chapter organizations. As CEO, Mr. Yarnold will proceed to function the group’s senior chief, strategist and fundraiser. Dr. Grey will report back to him, as will the heads of improvement; fairness, range and inclusion; operations; state workplaces; and advertising.
Educated as an ornithologist, Dr. Grey has spent greater than three a long time as a devoted conservationist, spending appreciable time within the discipline nationally and overseas. She joins Audubon from The Nature Conservancy the place she most just lately held the position of World Managing Director for Local weather. Dr. Grey has a major observe file on local weather change management on the nationwide and world stage together with: serving as a worldwide spokesperson for the Conservancy’s local weather change work on the United Nations Framework Conference on Local weather Change conferences; launching regional packages in local weather adaptation and pure local weather options throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean; and, publishing quite a few scientific papers centered on her analysis in climate-impacted areas resembling Latin America, East Africa, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Grey served as certainly one of 5 members of The Nature Conservancy’s World Gender Fairness Council, advising the CEO, President, and COO/Basic Counsel on gender points throughout the group. She based the primary city conservation program in Washington, D.C., and has labored to empower the subsequent technology of conservation leaders by a younger skilled’s community and youth advocacy program. Dr. Grey earned her Ph.D. in ecology from the College of Washington and holds an A.B. with highest honors in psychology from Harvard College. She will likely be primarily based in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Yarnold, mentioned, “Once we launched into the seek for a Chief Conservation Officer, we couldn’t have imagined a greater candidate than Elizabeth. Her unmatched observe file as a worldwide chief on local weather and conservation, collectively together with her deep dedication to range and inclusion make her the perfect match for our group. Audubon will profit tremendously from her strategic and artistic strategy, to not point out her scientific and coverage experience. I’m thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to our workforce as President and stay up for working alongside her to construct an Audubon for the longer term.”
Dr. Elizabeth Grey mentioned, “Audubon’s mission resonates deeply with me; my love of birds started as a university pupil once I studied how homing pigeons navigate. I’m excited and honored to hitch the Audubon workforce as President and CCO. I stay up for working with Audubon’s fantastic expertise to advance new and progressive options to probably the most urgent challenges dealing with birds and the locations they want, right this moment and tomorrow.”
Audubon’s conservation priorities replicate the chance {that a} bipartisan membership base provides. From working throughout the aisle on local weather and clear power, to a “30×30” agenda for America’s lands and waters, to bedrock chicken conservation insurance policies, Audubon brings 115 years of belief and an entrepreneurial strategy to bear for birds and other people and the locations they want.
Jamaal Nelson
Jamaal Nelson will be part of Audubon as Chief Fairness, Range, and Inclusion Officer. His appointment is the end result of a nationwide search course of that included inner and exterior candidates and was led by Russell Reynolds.
Mr. Nelson is a widely known chief in problems with range and inclusion and has a observe file in serving to a few of the most essential and visual organizations within the nation rework their cultures in help of social justice. Mr. Nelson beforehand served as Companion and Advisor with The Administration Heart, a nonprofit administration consulting and management improvement group that helps social justice leaders in constructing and working more practical organizations. On this position, Mr. Nelson led DEI, teaching, and organizational effectiveness providers to main nationwide nonprofits and their leaders, together with organizations resembling Generational Citizen, the NAACP, American Pink Cross, Widespread Trigger, the Authorized Protection Fund, and the Democratic Nationwide Committee.
Mr. Nelson additionally held numerous management roles at Management for Instructional Fairness, a nonprofit management improvement group centered on supporting civic leaders who’re working to finish the injustice of academic inequity. He continues to serve a senior advisor to the Govt Director of LEE. Along with these roles, Mr. Nelson’s profession spans a few years in training and labor organizing. Mr. Nelson holds an M. Div. from Harvard Divinity College and obtained his B.S. with honors in Human and Organizational Growth from Vanderbilt College. He will likely be primarily based in New York.
David Yarnold commented, “There has by no means been a extra essential time in Audubon’s historical past – or the historical past of the conservation motion – to make sure that we’re fostering a office that values and lifts up various voices, ensures everybody feels that they belong, fights systemic racism and injustice, and that our work in communities does the identical. Jamaal stood out for his deep experience and expertise main organizations by transformational change – and for his robust values and dedication to justice. He’s the passionate, skilled, and achieved chief that Audubon wants and we’ll once more price range a further discretionary $1 million to assist bounce begin our ED&I work — as we did this 12 months. I stay up for working with Jamaal to make sure Audubon lives as much as its mission of being an Audubon for all.”
Jamaal Nelson mentioned, “I’m honored to be becoming a member of Audubon at this essential second within the group’s historical past. Audubon’s mission is one which I love vastly, and I’m wanting ahead to driving constructive change within the conservation motion in order that it’s extra inclusive and equitable for the BIPOC group particularly. The eagerness and expertise that I’ve seen throughout Audubon’s employees and management make me excited for what we can accomplish in the direction of this purpose.”
David Ringer
Along with the appointments of Dr. Grey and Mr. Nelson, Audubon has introduced the promotion of David Ringer to Chief Community and Communications Officer. This elevation follows the modifications made to the group of Audubon’s govt workforce with the now-separate roles of CEO and President and displays the expanded scope beneath Mr. Ringer’s tasks. Mr. Ringer joined Audubon in 2009 and was appointed because the group’s first Chief Community Officer in 2016.
###
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, right this moment and tomorrow. Audubon works all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, training, and on-the-ground conservation. State packages, nature facilities, chapters, and companions give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals every year to tell, encourage, and unite various communities in conservation motion. A nonprofit conservation group since 1905, Audubon believes in a world by which individuals and wildlife thrive. Be taught extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Media Contact: Matt Smelser matt.smelser@audubon.org ; 512-739-9635