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A letter from Henry
 By now you know that I’ve been given the honor of being named the ninth president of Mass Audubon. I’m both excited and humbled to have been chosen for this role, which is especially meaningful to me on both a personal and professional level.
Personally, I’m a lifelong birdwatcher, and some of the most memorable (and just plain fun!) experiences of my childhood were the annual walks I took with my family and Mass Audubon staff at places like Monomoy and South Beach on the Cape.
Professionally, becoming the president of this extraordinary institution – widely regarded as one of the most prominent and influential environmental organizations in the Commonwealth, New England, and the entire United States – represents a culmination of my career as conservation leader.
It’s not easy to summarize in a few words what makes Mass Audubon such an outstanding organization, but I think it’s some combination of a powerful and perfectly balanced mission, an unmatched record of conservation, advocacy, and educational achievement for more than a century, and the highest level of Board, staff, and volunteer leadership. That’s a difficult combination to achieve, and few of our peer organizations have figured out how to do it.
While I’m eager to get started, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that I’m a bit daunted by the prospect of filling the shoes of my friend, mentor, and former boss Laura Johnson. I will work hard to live up to the leadership standards that Laura has set for the organization. I can’t wait to get started in the job and look forward to working with all of you to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. We have so many opportunities and challenges ahead of us, and I know we can take Mass Audubon to the next level together.
A few more personal notes in closing. Another reason I’m looking forward to joining Mass Audubon is that I’m hoping it will help my sandpiper and confusing fall warbler identification skills. And I am a loyal Red Sox fan, even if my son Miles is not. He’s a great kid though, so please don’t hold this against him.
Warmly,
Henry
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