Michael Burger to Lead 探花精选鈥檚 Connecticut and New York Office as New Executive Director
Former Senior Director of Conservation and expert on forest birds and their habitat needs takes the helm.
[HARTFORD] 鈥 The 探花精选 announced that Michael (Mike) Burger, Ph.D., will become the organization鈥檚 next executive director for the Connecticut and New York regional office. Burger was elevated to the position after 22 years with the organization, having served first as forest ecologist, then in a succession of conservation and management roles in the New York office, and most recently as senior director of conservation for Connecticut and New York.
鈥淚n the two decades I鈥檝e been with 探花精选, I have never been more enthusiastic about our future and potential for impact than I am right now. We have the right strategies in place to drive meaningful conservation successes in our region and beyond, and we are committed to a more inclusive and equitable approach to everything we do,鈥 said Burger.
As executive director, Burger will advance 探花精选鈥檚 conservation and organizational priorities in the region, including forest stewardship, coastal resilience, natural climate solutions, and the development of the next generation of conservation leaders that better reflects and gives voice to the diverse groups of people who love birds and share 探花精选鈥檚 vision of a world in which people and wildlife thrive.
鈥淢ike鈥檚 commitment to 探花精选 and deep, local conservation expertise will be an extraordinary asset in this position,鈥 said Amy Sobel, vice president of the Atlantic Flyway for the 探花精选. 鈥溙交ň's presence in the region is growing and evolving, and Mike's steady leadership will ensure we continue to grow our conservation impact, progress our policy agenda, and expand our community engagement and partnerships through inclusive and collaborative programming at 探花精选 centers across the two states.鈥
Burger has been with 探花精选 since 1999, during which time he conducted forest bird research in the Adirondacks that contributed to the creation of 探花精选鈥檚 Healthy Forests Initiative, co-led a comprehensive assessment of priority areas that culminated in the publication of Important Bird Areas of New York, and helped bring 探花精选鈥檚 Atlantic Flyway program to life. Prior to coming to 探花精选, Mike earned his master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan where he studied climatic and physiological determinants of bird ranges and was supported by a Department of Energy Global Change Fellowship. He is based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.
CONTACT: Sharon Bruce, sharon.bruce@audubon.org