Birmingham Audubon’s first executive director leaving to lead Audubon Texas

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According to an announcement on the Birmingham Audubon website, Susanne Langley,  the organization’s first executive Director will be taking on a new role at Audubon Texas.

Langley began her tenure at Birmingham Audubon in July 2012. Since then, she secured a $1.4 million coastal bird stewardship and monitoring grant from the Alabama Department of Conservation through the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In the Magic City, she oversaw the development of a highly successful and popular regional urban bird habitat initiative. Also under Langley’s leadership, Birmingham Audubon’s annual operating budget increased six-fold in five years.

Birmingham Audubon
A photos from the 2016 Audubon Photography exhibit

About her work with Birmingham Audubon, Langley stated:

“More than five years of working with Alabama’s leading naturalists for the conservation of birds and their habitat has truly been inspirational. It’s been a real honor to serve as the first Executive Director for Birmingham Audubon, which has a rich legacy as the state’s leading nonprofit promoting bird and habitat conservation. Programs addressing urban habitat and coastal bird conservation, as well as an amazing staff that includes respected naturalists, scientists, educators and nonprofit managers, are among the achievements of which I am most proud.”

As head of Audubon Texas, Langley will oversee the organization’s programs in urban conservation, coastal conservation and grasslands & prairie conservation, as well as the operations at three nature and education centers: Trinity River Audubon Center, Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center and Mitchell Lake Audubon Center.

Audubon
Photo by George Lee

Langley transformed Birmingham’s oldest conservation organization from primarily an all volunteer organization to a staff of eight. Birmingham Audubon’s conservation and education programs have also grown exponentially throughout the state of Alabama.

She is leaving a remarkable legacy.

According to Birmingham Audubon an Interim Director will be named later this month by the  board of directors.

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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