Elizabeth joined Audubon in 2021, first as president and chief conservation officer before being appointed as Audubon's first woman chief executive officer. Prior to joining Audubon, she was the Global Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Climate Change program. Trained as an ornithologist, she has spent 30+ years as a dedicated conservationist, spending considerable time in the field nationally and abroad.

Elizabeth has been a leader on equity issues, from founding the first urban conservation program in Washington, D.C., to empowering the next generation of conservation leaders through a young professional’s network and youth advocacy program, to serving as one of five members of TNC’s Global Gender Equity Council.

Elizabeth is based in Audubon's Washington, D.C. office. She holds a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Washington and an A.B. with highest honors in psychology from Harvard University. 

Articles by Elizabeth Gray

Audubon View

Birds and Bold Activists Take the World Stage in Glasgow

By Elizabeth Gray
December 16, 2021 — At the U.N. climate summit, Audubon’s CEO urged leaders to hear what birds are telling us and learned from youth and Indigenous campaigners.
Press Room

Heeding the Call of Young Climate Defenders and Indigenous Voices at the Glasgow Climate Conference

By Elizabeth Gray
November 05, 2021 — While their words and works are vital to the conversation, they remind powerful leaders of the responsibility to deliver meaningful change.
Press Room

Taking the Messages that Birds Tell Us to the World’s Stage at COP26

By Elizabeth Gray
November 01, 2021 — Audubon's acting CEO joins global leaders in Glasgow for the UN Climate Conference.
Audubon View

Birds Are Telling Us to Act

By Elizabeth Gray
October 05, 2021 — A summer of brutal extremes drove home the urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the benefits of collaborative action to address it.