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
kbiles@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 114

Kelsey 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. She is finishing up her PhD in Biology with an expected graduation in May 2022.

Land Director
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 and also collaborates on our community science projects. 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.

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

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

Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator
zgapayao@houstonaudubon.org

Zoe 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.