Audubon California this week welcomes Brigid McCormack as its new managing director. McCormack brings to Audubon an impressive background in nonprofit management, and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the California office and programs. She will also hold the title of vice president with the National Audubon Society, and will work closely with newly-appointed Vice President of the Pacific Flyway Michael Sutton to craft the California program’s important role in Audubon’s regional conservation efforts. “Birds – and their place in the natural world – are the things that brought me into the environmental field,” said McCormack. “It’s exciting to join Audubon now as the organization is implementing its ambitious vision of conservation along flyways.”

McCormack has spent her professional career in the nonprofit sector, starting as an environmental Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine where she worked for several Ukrainian NGOs.  She most recently served as Vice President of External Relations at the ClimateWorks Foundation, a global network that supports public policy to prevent dangerous climate change and promote global prosperity.  At ClimateWorks, McCormack was responsible for managing the ClimateWorks board of directors, funders, government affairs and external partnerships.  As a member of ClimateWorks executive team, she also helped lead the effort to revise ClimateWorks’ strategic plan.

“Audubon’s potential for making a real difference for conservation along the West Coast relies on having the right people with the right kind experience – and Brigid fits the bill perfectly,” said Sutton, who is also serves as executive director of Audubon California. “We will rely heavily on her leadership and creativity as we grow our efforts on behalf of birds and nature.”

Prior to ClimateWorks, McCormack worked as a fundraiser in the academic world, first at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and then at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

McCormack is also a longtime bird enthusiast, which never hurts when you’re joining North America’s preeminent bird conservation organization. She wrote her master’s thesis on the impacts of climate change on migratory birds and is a member of one of the bird census teams at Jasper Ridge Sanctuary.