On December 1st, Mike Lynes will succeed Mark Welther as Executive Director of Golden Gate Bird Alliance. Following is a letter from GGBA Board President Carey Knecht welcoming Mike and thanking Mark for his leadership and service to Golden Gate Bird Alliance. 

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Dear Golden Gate Bird Alliance members and friends:

We are announcing a leadership change at Golden Gate Bird Alliance: On December 1st, Mike Lynes will succeed Mark Welther as GGBA Executive Director.

These are challenging economic times for most nonprofits, and GGBA has been making strategic adjustments in order to ensure long-term sustainability. One of Mark’s strongest recommendations was that we streamline our leadership structure by merging the Executive Director and Conservation Director roles, and ask Mike to lead Golden Gate Bird Alliance in its work ahead.

Many of you know Mike as our Conservation Director since 2008. He brings with him the dedication and expertise necessary to engage all Bay Area residents in protecting birds and habitat. A U.C. Davis-trained biologist who studied birds with PRBO Conservation Science, he is also a lawyer specializing in environmental policy. For the past four years, he has been Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s chief strategist and public face on conservation issues.

We extend our respect and deep gratitude to Mark for his leadership over the past three and a half years. Mark guided GGBA to some major victories: a landmark agreement to remove thousands of old bird-killing wind turbines at Altamont Pass, San Francisco’s adoption of Bird-Safe Building Standards, and the expansion of the Eco-Education Program and high school internships into Richmond and San Francisco. Mark will continue to be involved with Golden Gate Bird Alliance as a member and advisor, and he looks forward to getting out in the field more.

We on the Golden Gate Bird Alliance Board of Directors look forward to working with all of you to strengthen GGBA’s conservation and education programs. Your support is what makes possible all of our great activities including advocacy, field trips, guest speakers, restoration days and youth education.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to meet Mike personally yet, you’ll have a chance at our annual Christmas Bird Counts on Dec. 16 and 27. We hope to see you there!

Yours truly,