NEW YORK – The National Audubon Society welcomed Mark Collins to its Board of Directors. Mr. Collins is an environmentalist with decades of significant engagement in conservation that will help guide Audubon in responding to today’s greatest environmental challenges while anticipating the issues—and opportunities—of tomorrow.
“Mark brings a unique combination of financial expertise, global experience, and a deep commitment to conservation,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society. “He understands the scale of the challenges we face—and the opportunity we have to drive lasting change. His perspective will strengthen our efforts to protect birds and the places they need, and to deliver meaningful impact across the hemisphere.”
“Mark is a conservation leader who understands that action is needed more urgently than ever,” said Dr. George S. Golumbeski, Chair of the Audubon Board of Directors. “For 120 years, Audubon has put birds at the center of conservation—because when birds thrive, people and the planet thrive too. Mark will help us continue to deliver lasting environmental and economic benefits.”
Mr. Collins is a partner and senior advisor at Brown Advisory, an investment management firm where he also founded a private equity group. His career also includes working at the International Division of the U.S. Treasury Department and Trinity International, where he developed emerging market funds and advised U.S. multinationals on international projects. Mr. Collins also served as the U.S. Director to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, which included work in Chile.
“As our planet faces climate change and biodiversity loss, Audubon has an ambitious plan to protect habitats across the hemisphere—for the good of birds, people, and the planet,” said Mr. Collins. “I’m eager to contribute to the innovative thinking that has fueled Audubon for over a century and to help chart a new course for the future health of our natural world.”
Mr. Collins has served on numerous nonprofit and environmental boards and foundations, including as a trustee of The Nature Conservancy’s Maryland/DC chapter, and Living Classrooms Foundation; and as a member of The Nature Conservancy’s China Global Conservation Fund, North American Advisory Council, and the Bretton Woods Committee. He is a director of Brown Brothers Harriman mutual funds and a member of Brown Advisory Sustainable Investing Advisory Board. He has also served as chair for corporate boards, including Dillion Trust Company and Keswick Management.
Mr. Collins is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Media Contact:
Heather Barlow, heather.barlow@audubon.org
