Leadership
Boards and Councils
Staff
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Executive Director
hdrummond@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 107Helen 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
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Conservation Director
kbiles@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 114Kelsey is an avian ecologist with a passion for conservation and public outreach. In her previous years of conservation research, she has led research teams and mentored undergraduate students in deepening their hands-on experience of bird conservation. She frequently gives lectures to birding organizations, interviews with news and blog outlets. Her dissertation research was on wintering ecology, migration patterns and pairing behavior of American Kestrels. Kelsey is a native Texan. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas in Arlington and Master of Science in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Baylor University. Her PhD in Biology is from the University of North Texas, where she studied American Kestrel conservation.
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Land Director
pdeichmann@houstonaudubon.org
409-286-2126Pete 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.
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Conservation Specialist
bmoffett@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 108Berri 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.
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Conservation Specialist
wegelhoff@houstonaudubon.orgWyatt works primarily in the High Island and Bolivar Peninsula Sanctuaries focusing on habitat restoration, species monitoring, and visitor services. This allows him to keep a close eye on the birdlife in one of the most species-rich areas of the United States, while also addressing the myriad day-to-day challenges the coastal sanctuaries provide. Wyatt grew up birding throughout the Desert Southwest and received his B.Sc. in Wildlife Ecology from New Mexico State University in 2019. Prior to Houston Audubon, Wyatt found work studying birds in the Southern Great Plains (NM, TX, & OK) and the Arctic (Alaska & Chukotka). He has also been known to twitch a bird or two.
Education and Outreach
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Environmental Educator and Staff Naturalist
sfletcher@houstonaudubon.org
713-640-2407Shelby has a degree in Conservation Biology from LSU and just finished a seasonal naturalist position at Lake Houston Wilderness Park. She worked previously as an Environmental Specialist both in Texas and Puerto Rico. Before being hired, she volunteered with Houston Audubon for over a year and loves birds and birding!
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Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator (part time)
zgapayao@houstonaudubon.orgZoe has been fascinated by environmental conservation from a young age. She spent her early childhood by the ocean and rainforests of the Philippines before moving to south Texas. After scuba diving for the first time at 9 years old, she knew she wanted to devote her future to protecting the natural world. Zoe has a bachelor’s in Biology and Marine Science from the University of Miami and a master’s in International Environmental Policy from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey Bay.
Her career in nonprofit organizations has ranged from scientific research to environmental education. She’s worked and volunteered to conserve endangered species like whale sharks, sea otters, sea turtles, and Hawaiian monk seals. Zoe first joined the bird world through backyard birding then started working for a World Birding Center location in the Rio Grande Valley. -
Environmental Educator and Staff Naturalist (part time)
aleung@houstonaudubon.orgAmber Leung built a deep appreciation for the natural world through camping and hiking around Central and West Texas with her family while growing up in Austin. A Coastal Ornithology course introduced her to the world of birding while she was earning a BS in Marine Sciences at A&M in Galveston. She later became a Texas Master Naturalist in 2015 and even served two terms as the president of the Coastal Prairie Chapter. She has spent time as an educator and naturalist at Kleb Woods Nature Preserve, and Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition. Her passion lies in extolling the virtues of ALL parts of a healthy ecosystem, especially the underappreciated ones. In her own time, she has a penchant for rescuing wayward venomous snakes from neighbors’ homes and giving advice on wildlife and native plants.
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Environmental Educator and Staff Naturalist (part time)
vstittleburg@houstonaudubon.orgVicki Stittleburg grew up in rural PA and has always had an affinity for nature and animals. After receiving her BS in Biology from Westminster College, she moved to Texas to be a zookeeper at the Houston Zoo where she worked with a variety of creatures including Meerkats, Asian small-clawed otters, and Pgymy Marmosets. Vicki loved interacting with zoo visitors and teaching about the animals in her care so she decided to shift her focus to education. She accepted a position at Houston Audubon where she worked full time in the Education Department for 9 years. Vicki developed a curriculum for early learners and discovered her passion for teaching preschool children about native wildlife. She left her job to be a stay at home mom when her son Barrett was born in 2016. She loved taking her son on outdoor adventures and now that he’s enrolled in Kindergarten, Vicki has returned to the Education Team and is excited to launch a preschool program called Fledgling Friends. She is honored to office in Edith Moore’s log home and is eager to start sharing her passion about native wildlife with children in her classes and visitors to the sanctuary.
Development
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Development Director
afriend@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext 103Aimee oversees the development department. Her department is responsible for individual giving, foundation and corporate relations and grant writing, membership and member services, planned giving, and events including the gala, Birdathon, and speaker events. She has served Houston nonprofits in a variety of development roles for the past 19 years and has a passion for bringing individuals together for great causes such as Houston Audubon. Aimee is a 5th generation Texan and a graduate of the University of Texas. She and her husband make their home in Memorial and enjoy home restoration projects, visiting art museums, and attending cultural events and concerts around Houston. They have 2 teenage daughters. Aimee and her family can be seen on the weekends enjoying the outdoors and love spending time at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. She is excited to be a part of an organization that impacts both her local community as well as the greater Houston-Gulf Coast region.
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Marketing and Events Manager
zseth@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 106In addition to managing Houston Audubon’s fundraising events such as the annual gala and Birdathon, Zineera’s responsibilities include communications, marketing, social media and graphic design. Zineera also leads Houston Audubon’s Young Professionals Advisory Council, which she co-founded in 2019. Zineera has a BS in Hospitality Management from the University of Houston and has held marketing and event planning positions in various industries such as healthcare, oil and gas, media, and nonprofit, but working in conservation has been the most fulfilling job. While Zineera has always loved nature and animals, working at Houston Audubon has given her a greater appreciation for birds and wildlife.
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Volunteer Manager
gdurham@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 109Gabriel is Houston Audubon's volunteer "matchmaker" and record keeper. Key aspects of this role are to recruit new volunteers, link up volunteers with sanctuary managers and other Houston Audubon Staff based on need and volunteer passions, as well as keeping records for these programs. If you want to volunteer for Houston Audubon, have requests about your volunteer records, or are looking for new ways to volunteer with us, Gabriel is your first person to ask!
Before Houston Audubon, Gabriel grew up on the road with musician parents. This took him all over the U.S. and he birded out the truck window and in campsites to pass the time. This cultivated a lifelong passion for conservation that culminated in a Master's Degree in Ecological Anthropology from the University of Houston. Gabriel is also a Texas Master Naturalist (Gulf Coast Chapter) and LEED G.A. He comes to us with extensive experience in volunteerism and conservation science from previous roles at the University of Houston and Hermann Park Conservancy.
Administration
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Operations Director
sjones@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 104Scott is a dedicated conservationist with a passion for protecting wildlife and the environment and for working in collaboration with others. He brings with him to Houston Audubon a love for people, enthusiasm for teamwork, and a broad range of skills and knowledge garnered through 25 years of working in conservation as an Advocacy Director and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Policy and Outreach Specialist, Watershed Protection Coordinator, and in several other roles he’s filled over the years. Scott has worked for NOAA, Galveston Bay Foundation, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, TCEQ and Galveston County, and he received his B.S. in Aquatic Biology from UT-Austin.
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Controller
bthompson@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 110Barbara hails from western Pennsylvania but has lived in Houston her entire adult life. She holds a BBA degree in Accounting from the University of Houston and is a licensed Texas Certified Public Accountant. Barbara began her career with the “Big Eight” firm Arthur Young where she gained audit and tax experience, then worked as the administrator of a 70-person law firm. When her daughters were young she volunteered extensively in the local community where she had an introduction to non-profit accounting and administration. She also served as a Girl Scout leader and camp mom, where she discovered her love of the outdoors. All those interests came together when she joined Houston Audubon in 2007 as Controller, overseeing all accounting, financial and tax reporting, payroll and benefits administration for the organization.
A self-professed novice birder, Barbara fondly remembers her beginner birding class with Glenn Olsen where she was thrilled to see Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Bluebirds flocking in the trees at Bear Creek Park. She also enjoys reading (especially biographies), playing pickleball, travelling, and spending leisure time with her husband and two adult daughters. -
Operations Administrator
eross@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 100Elaine grew up in Southwest Houston and fostered her love for nature in the protected areas on the Gulf Coast. She double-majored in Poultry Science and Wildlife and Fisheries at Texas A&M University. Additionally, she received her master’s degree in Tourism Management at Colorado State University. She enjoys spending her free time with her horses and birding. Elaine is passionate about conservation and excited to support the mission of the Houston Audubon Society.
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Accounting Assistant (part time)
kmiles@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 111
