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Jessica Wilson, NYC Bird Alliance's new executive director
NYC Audubon Welcomes New Executive Director Jessica Wilson
NEW YORK, February 3–NYC Bird Alliance welcomes Jessica Wilson as its new executive director to lead the grassroots organization as it looks to expand amid a dramatic increase in interest in urban birding, green space and conservation. Wilson succeeds Executive Director Kathryn Heintz, who retired in December 2021 after seven years of leadership.
A lifelong New Yorker who’s dedicated her career to environmental conservation, Wilson brings to NYC Bird Alliance experience from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and deep expertise in fundraising and community engagement. She was most recently the chief development officer at Friends of Governors Island, and prior to that served at Prospect Park Alliance, National Audubon Society and American Express.
“As COVID has completely upended our way of life and New Yorkers have increasingly found both solace and camaraderie by flocking to the City’s natural areas and discovering their astonishing amount of wildlife, Jessica Wilson’s deep knowledge of our parks and green spaces make her a terrific fit to lead to NYC Bird Alliance,” said Karen Benfield, president of the organization’s board of trustees. “Her proven expertise in building community and organizational capacity building will guide NYC Bird Alliance as we broaden our efforts to engage New Yorkers of all backgrounds in our impactful conservation work.”
While Wilson has long been connected to NYC Bird Alliance as a member and as a volunteer, in her new leadership role she will build on the organization’s legacy for further accomplishments in conservation, engagement and advocacy. What began as a volunteer grassroots group to advocate for bird habitat in City parks has grown over four decades into one of the city's conservation leaders, with a professional staff supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers and many committed partners across the city.
NYC Bird Alliance’s impact has increased dramatically in recent years with legislative successes, including playing a central role in the passage by the New York City Council of landmark bird-safe building and Lights Out legislation, which will significantly reduce the estimated 230,000 bird deaths that occur annually due to collisions with buildings in New York City.
Wilson takes the helm of a strong and growing NYC Bird Alliance, which has expanded its public offerings to greet the surge of interest in birds and nature that occurred during the pandemic, and to welcome the many communities of New York City into its work. In recent years, NYC Bird Alliance’s has increased its visibility with new online programming reaching new audiences, guided by a focus on creating a more diverse, inclusive, equitable and accessible conservation movement.
“I’m thrilled to be joining NYC Bird Alliance and its expert and passionate community,” said Wilson. “As a wildlife enthusiast, I’m committed to bird conservation, and as a New Yorker, I’m committed to the health and vibrancy of the City. The two go hand in hand.”
NYC Bird Alliance champions nature in the city’s five boroughs through a combination of engaging programs and innovative conservation campaigns. An independent non-profit organization affiliated with the National Audubon Society, NYC Bird Alliance protects over 350 species of birds living in or passing through the 30,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and grasslands of New York City. Find us on nycaudubon.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@nycaudubon)
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Media Contact: Andrew Maas, Associate Director of Communications | amaas@nycaudubon.org
