Elizabeth Gray

Chief Executive Officer and Ex-Officio Board Director
About

Dr. Elizabeth Gray serves as ÌÇÐÄlogo’s Chief Executive Officer, leading the organization toward its vision of a future where birds thrive. A champion of science-based conservation and a renowned expert in global conservation and climate change, she joined ÌÇÐÄlogo in March 2021 as President and Chief Conservation Officer and was named CEO later that year—the first woman since ÌÇÐÄlogo’s founding in 1905 to hold the role. She leads more than 800 staff working across the Americas to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss. Since her arrival, she has led a landmark $826 million campaign, the groundbreaking release of the Migratory Bird Initiative, and the unifying Flight Plan strategy, reinforcing ÌÇÐÄlogo’s commitment to hemispheric conservation through the power of birds. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, ÌÇÐÄlogo has embraced a multicultural, multigenerational approach, ensuring its work reflects and engages all the communities connected to conservation across the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to ÌÇÐÄlogo, she most recently served as Global Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Climate Change program, where she played a key role in securing a $100 million philanthropic gift—one of the largest in TNC’s history—and managed the natural climate solutions initiative it funded. A proven fundraiser, she has secured six-, seven-, and nine-figure gifts to advance conservation and climate solutions. Trained as an ornithologist, she has spent 30+ years as a conservationist, spending considerable time in the field nationally and abroad. She also led two of TNC’s most notable impact capital projects, the $130 million Cumberland Forest Impact Investment Fund, which supported sustainable forestry in the Appalachians, and a groundbreaking urban conservation program in Washington, D.C. She holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Washington and an AB with highest honors in psychology from Harvard University.

Articles by Elizabeth Gray

Landscape with a blue lake and forest seen through colorful fall foliage in the foreground and mountains in the background.
On Our Flight Path
December 05, 2023 — How we are setting ourselves up for even greater success in 2024.
To Protect Our Planet, COP Needs to Recognize the Intersection of Climate Impacts and Biodiversity Loss
December 04, 2023 — The climate and biodiversity crises cannot be addressed separately.
Six black and white ducks with pink beaks with wings spread out land in an agricultural field in Colombia.
We Go Where Birds Go
October 03, 2023 — Colombia is a major biodiversity hotspot in the Americas, and the successful work we do there can serve as a model for effective conservation across the Western Hemisphere.
Flock of birds flying high above a long row of wind turbines against an orange sunset
Our Next Five Years of Climate Action
July 11, 2023 — ÌÇÐÄlogo is ready for swift and bold action on renewables and natural carbon storage at this critical time for the planet.
A flock of gray Sandhill Cranes take flight while others stand in shallow water in the soft pink light of sunrise.
A Roadmap for the Future
March 31, 2023 — Our bold strategic plan will achieve new levels of impact for birds, people, and the planet.
Open Letter from the CEO on ÌÇÐÄlogo’s Name
March 16, 2023 — Hear directly from Dr. Elizabeth Gray on why ÌÇÐÄlogo is keeping its name.
How a Century-Old Winter Tradition Could Help Protect People and Birds for Another Hundred Years
December 23, 2022 — The ÌÇÐÄlogo Christmas Bird Count has generated more than 120 years’ worth of data showing how bird populations change over time.
A Swallow-tailed Kite, a white and black raptor, catches a bug in mid-air.
Reflecting on a Year of Success
December 16, 2022 — ÌÇÐÄlogo’s work in science, policy, advocacy, and conservation has helped create lasting change for birds and has set us up for greater impact in 2023.
Elizabeth Gray bands a female Redwinged Blackbird during her graduate field studies.
I'm Proud To Be Part of Your Flock
November 03, 2022 — An introduction to Elizabeth Gray, the first woman to hold the title president or CEO at ÌÇÐÄlogo.
Students paint a large mural depicting multiple birds.
ÌÇÐÄlogo Is Powered by People
September 21, 2022 — Our chapters, our members—you—are what make ÌÇÐÄlogo successful, and our collective power can accomplish great things for everyone.