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. She is finishing up her PhD in Biology with an expected graduation in May 2022.
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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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Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager
ksweezey@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639 ext. 102Kathy 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.
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
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.
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 marketing, social media and graphic design. Zineera also co-leads Houston Audubon’s Young Professionals Advisory Council. Zineera has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Houston. Zineera has held marketing and event 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 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