Audubon Welcomes New Leadership to Everglades Policy and Science Teams

In December, McKee Gray joined Audubon Florida as our new senior manager of Everglades policy. Gray brings nearly a decade of experience in environmental regulation, with deep expertise in coastal and wetland resource management. Most recently, she served as a division chief II at Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resource Management, overseeing the Coastal Resources, Wetlands Resources, Tree and Forest Resources, and Water Control sections. She has also represented the county on the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force since spring 2024 and on the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration project delivery team since 2020. 

Gray earned her two undergraduate degrees at the University of Georgia and holds an M.S. in marine affairs and policy from the University of Miami, where she developed a strong interest in the intersection of science and policy to support South Florida’s ecosystems. She lives in Key Largo and is an avid backcountry angler who loves spending time on the water. 

"Over the past six months, I have had the privilege of working alongside legislators, agency leaders, and our conservation partners to advance critical Everglades restoration and conservation priorities. Through productive meetings at both the state and federal levels and strong collaboration with NGO partners, Audubon continues building momentum for policies that support a healthier Everglades ecosystem and a more sustainable future for Florida."

– McKee Gray, Senior Manager of Everglades Policy

Bryant Dossman, PhD, joins Audubon as the new director and principal scientist of the Audubon Everglades Research Station (AERS) in Tavernier. As a behavioral and population ecologist, Dossman focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving migratory species responses to global change from a full annual cycle perspective, with an emphasis on animal movement as a critical link between individual behavior and population processes. His research combines cutting-edge tracking technologies, longterm field studies, experimental designs, and innovative quantitative approaches to investigate the causes and consequences of individual movement and behavior. 

He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University, an M.Sc. from The Ohio State University, and a B.A. from Bowdoin College, coming to AERS from a postdoctoral position at Georgetown University and a research associate appointment at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Now stationed in the Florida Keys, Dossman is eager to build on the station's rich research legacy to advance the science and conservation of South Florida's iconic resident bird communities as well as the migratory populations that connect this region to the broader hemisphere.  

"I'm excited and honored to lead the long-term science at AERS during such a defining moment for Everglades restoration. Building on this station's extraordinary research legacy, I'm committed to ensuring that science drives the decision making that allows this globally significant landscape to thrive for future generations." 

– Bryant Dossman, Director and Principal Scientist of the Audubon Everglades Research Station 

This article was published in the 2026 Summer Naturalist.