Executive Director
hdrummond@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 107

Helen is the Chief Executive Officer overseeing day to day operations and program delivery. On any given day, she handles a range of issues from land conservation to safety and risk management. Areas of engagement include public access and natural resource management, property and facilities maintenance, outreach and education programming, fundraising and financial management, Board support and volunteer involvement, community engagement, human resources and team building, payroll and budget, strategic planning, policy issues and ongoing threats to birds in the environment.

Prior to becoming Executive Director in 2012, Helen directed the Galveston Bay Estuary Program for 11 years, where she led the organization in winning 10 national awards for environmental improvements and establishing effective public-private partnerships at the regional and local level. She has served on numerous national, state, and regional committees, including the board of directors of the Association of National Estuary Programs, Texas Sea Grant Advisory Committee, the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Natural Resources Advisory Committee and the Environmental Institute of Houston’s Advisory Committee. Helen cares deeply about the natural world and future generations. She has dedicated her 30-year professional career studying, protecting and managing coastal resources, and the wildlife and fisheries that depend on them. Her work is more than a career, it is a passion.

Helen holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Environmental Science from Hampton University in Virginia and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Houston in Clear Lake.

Conservation Director
rgibbons@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 114

Richard is our Conservation Director and a Research Associate of the LSU Museum of Natural Science. He has worked as an ornithologist for more than two decades on the Gulf Coast and throughout the Americas. Richard works with his team to manage and restore habitat in our 17 nature sanctuaries, including the famed High Island and Bolivar Flats sanctuaries. Richard develops and manages monitoring and science programs, and advocates for birds and conservation in the 11-county service area. Prior to moving to Houston, Richard worked at Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science coordinating citizen science projects while earning his PhD studying birds, wetlands, and climate change in Peru’s high Andes.

Coastal Sanctuaries Manager
pdeichmann@houstonaudubon.org
409-286-2126

Pete is responsible for the day-to-day management of Houston Audubon’s eight coastal sanctuaries on the upper Texas coast. Part-time biologist, boat captain, electrician, carpenter, plumber, mechanic, bird guide, outreach specialist, and all around problem solver are just of few of the hats he wears down on the coast. Each day brings new and exciting challenges. Pete received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Missouri- St. Louis. Since then he’s worked on several projects including wind energy-driven bird mortality and Greater Sage-Grouse response to mining in Wyoming, to Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Coastal Waterbird Program, and even on an organic farm. Pete joined the Houston Audubon team in September 2013.

Conservation Specialist
bmoffett@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 108

Berri is responsible for managing the Natives Nursery at Edith L. Moore, the upcoming Entergy Coastal Nursery, and three sanctuaries - Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, Winters Bayou Sanctuary, and Damuth Sanctuary. Her work at Houston Audubon continues her lifelong commitment to creating sustainable intersections for people, plants, and animals. Berri was born and raised as a naturalist in the Rocky Mountains and received her Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University. She is an avid birder, rock and fossil hound, and amateur mycologist. She also volunteers with wildlife and animal rescue agencies to rehabilitate and release wild animals and promote conservation through education.

Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager
ksweezey@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 102

Kathy manages the Bird-Friendly Communities program where she aims to provide accessible opportunities for everyone to engage in conservation efforts. Kathy grew up in the DC area and has lived most of her life along the east coast from Maine to Florida. As a novice birder living in coastal environments, she thought that shorebirds would be the easiest group to start with (she was wrong!). She earned her bachelor’s from Old Dominion University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Studies and her master’s from the University of Denver in Natural Resource Management. Her thesis analyzed the ecological impacts of coyote range expansion and developed a framework to manage coyotes in a way that supports a healthy ecosystem.

Conservation Specialist (part time)
avallery@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 108

Anna fills several roles in her position at Houston Audubon, including coordinating bird surveys, the Bird-Friendly Communities program which includes coordinating citizen science efforts, the Lights Out Program, and Houston Audubon’s plastic reduction initiative. Anna was born in Texas, but spent a large portion of her childhood living in Vicenza, Italy. She attended the University of Tampa for her undergraduate degree and then moved around, living in Ohio, California, and then on Midway Atoll, before moving to Houston. Anna came to Houston Audubon after obtaining her master’s degree in environmental science and biology from the University of Houston – Clear Lake, where she did her thesis research on waterbirds in Galveston Bay.

Sanctuary Steward (part time)
tmorris@houstonaudubon.org
713-640-2407

Education Director
maweber@houstonaudubon.org
713-640-2407

Environmental Educator and Staff Naturalist
jsalas@houstonaudubon.org
713-640-2407

Javier considers himself an artist but holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. There, he ran cross country and worked as an ecology summer camp counselor and in monarch butterfly conservation. Since then, he has volunteered and worked at three different wildlife rehab centers, including the Alaska Raptor Center doing public education programs. After relocating for seasonal work at Lake Houston Wilderness Park in 2020, he became enamored with the diversity of birds in Houston and eventually discovered the Houston Audubon Raptor Center. Now that he is a part of the Houston Audubon team, he is excited to get people passionate about conservation through birds. In his spare time, he runs his personal art business and goes on trail hikes throughout the Houston area.