Mass Audubon hires former NOAA senior advisor, MassDevelopment TDI deputy director to fill two major roles

Mass Audubon, the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England, has hired Adena Leibman, a former senior advisor with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and George Durante, the former deputy director of investments and partnerships with MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), to fill two crucial roles providing science-based leadership to address environmental crises and bring additional access to nature to folks in urban areas. 

“Both Adena and George have such deep knowledge and proven track records of success in their respective areas of focus,” said Jocelyn Forbush, Chief Conservation Officer. “Adena will prioritize effective strategies to meet our agenda and achieve Mass Audubon’s ambitious climate and conservation goals in this new role for the organization, while George’s proven ability to work within the complexity of political, economic, racial, and social factors will allow him to bring his creativity and vision to urban areas that all-too-often suffer from inequitable access to nature.” 

Leibman, who led cross-agency clean energy and decarbonization work from the office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator, is Mass Audubon’s new Senior Director of Conservation Strategy. Her experience includes work with other federal agencies, such as the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Department of Justice, environmental non-profit organizations, and the U.S. Senate on a range of environment, infrastructure, and energy issues. As Senior Director of Conservation Strategy, she will work across teams to harness Mass Audubon’s longstanding and deep expertise in conservation, restoration, and outreach to further grow the organization’s impact within Massachusetts and across the region. 

"I’m very excited to join the team of passionate and knowledgeable staff at Mass Audubon,” said Leibman. “Now, more than maybe ever before, states like Massachusetts must lean into their leadership in climate, conservation, and environmental justice. Mass Audubon is a critical partner and driver of this important work.”

Durante is now the Senior Director of Nature in the City tasked with increasing the number of healthy green spaces—and access to them—for residents of under-resourced urban communities. Durante comes to Mass Audubon following nearly a decade of local and state-wide leadership with MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, where he focused on place-based economic development, program design, and cross-sector partnerships in Gateway Cities across the Commonwealth. 

As leader of the Nature in the City program, which addresses the nature deficit so often found in urban communities and includes programs like the Boston Tree Alliance, Durante will be tasked with creating 20 new urban greenspaces in the state’s most vulnerable communities. In addition to recently opened sanctuaries like Pawtucket Farm in Lowell, Durante will also have a key role in projects such as turning 18 acres in Chelsea at the former Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company into a waterfront park with affordable housing. 

”Mass Audubon has such a tremendous impact on land conservation, education, and ecological restoration across Massachusetts and to be a part of that mission with such a storied organization is a thrilling opportunity.” said Durante.  “I’m looking forward to working with the Mass Audubon team and collaborating with our community partners who have been engaged in cities across the Commonwealth to continue the important work of improving access to nature through the Nature in the City program.”