Atlanta Audubon Society elected four new members to the Board of Directors at their annual meeting on Sunday, December 11 at Manuel’s Tavern. Angelou Ezeilo, Jairo Garcia, David Schaefer, and Amanda Woomer were each elected for three-year terms, beginning on January 1, 2017.
Current board members Ellen Miller, Tom Painter, and Michael Wall were also re-elected for a second term. Additional Atlanta Audubon board members include Joy Carter, Linda DiSantis, Robert Johnson, Mary Kimberly, Charles Loeb, Rusty Pritchard, Esther Stokes, Victor Williams, and Troy Wilson.
“We are excited to welcome Angelou, Jairo, David, and Amanda to the Atlanta Audubon Society Board of Directors,” says Linda DiSantis, President of the Board. “These four individuals bring a wealth of talents and experiences to the Audubon Board. Atlanta Audubon Society’s mission is to protect Georgia’s birds and their habitats through conservation, education, and advocacy, and these four new board members will be tremendous additions to the Board as we embark on strategic planning for 2017 and beyond.”
Angelou Ezeilo is the Founder and CEO of the Greening Youth Foundation, which provides environmental access to under-served children and young adults through its Public School Initiative, Youth Conservation Corps programs, and the Urban Youth Corps. Her environmental career began as a project manager for the Trust for Public Land in both New Jersey and Georgia state offices, where she worked in greenspace acquisition. Angelou is a graduate of Spelman College and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. Angelou’s love for the environment stretches back to when she was a little girl who had the chance to escape the dense urban streets of Jersey City, New Jersey, to summer in upstate New York. She enjoys birding in Snellville with her husband, two sons, and dog, Nina. Angelou is especially fond of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Dr. Jairo Garcia is the Director of Climate Policies and Renewables for the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. Dr. Garcia performs sustainability analysis and reporting, and studies and develops innovative policies and educational programs to track and implement communitywide energy, water, waste, and climate related initiatives. Jairo worked as a research assistant for the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York City. He holds an engineering degree, an M.S. in management of technology, a second M.S. in sustainability management, and a doctoral degree in Educational Technology and Sustainability. Jairo has a deep love for birds and the natural world and has been an active participant in Atlanta Audubon’s Project Safe Flight Atlanta.
Born in Georgia to an Argentinian-American family, David Schaefer is the director of policy and advocacy at the Latin American Association (LAA). At the LAA, David advocates for educational access for youth who are eligible for the immigration relief program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; comprehensive immigration reform; and increased support for Central American children fleeing violence and persecution. He has dedicated his career to serving the under-served working in many capacities as a paralegal, attorney, university administrator, college instructor, and grant writer. David holds a B.A. in international relations, an M.A. in political science, and a Juris Doctor, all from the University of Georgia. David lives in Atlanta with his wife, Darlene, an Afro-Cuban/Venezuelan professor, and their son, Noé Javier, who will soon turn five. A nature enthusiast, David enjoys learning about birds with his son.
Amanda Woomer is a program associate at The Carter Center, working on extractive industries and human rights projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Guyana. She is also a Ph.D. student at Kennesaw State University, studying the frameworks for conflict-sensitive environmental conservation. Amanda joined Atlanta Audubon last year and currently serves on the Advocacy Committee. She has also volunteered with local and international animal rescues and conservation organizations. An Atlanta native, she holds an M.A. in anthropology from Georgia State and a B.S. in international affairs and French from Georgia Tech. In addition to birding, Amanda enjoys hiking and photography.
For more information on Atlanta Audubon Society, visit www.AtlantaAudubon.org.
Media Note: Photos to accompany this article and a MS Word version of this press release are available for download at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y3l9s32oktcs94e/AADL4n1VHbxzzwGhN455VJ-fa?dl=0.
The mission of the Atlanta Audubon Society is to protect Georgia’s birds and their habitats through conservation, education and advocacy.
