Michael J. Parr is the new president of American Bird Conservancy (ABC), succeeding George Fenwick, who led ABC since its founding in 1994. Parr previously served as ABC’s chief conservation officer and began his new duties June 1.

“I am thrilled that Mike will be ABC’s next leader. His passion, vision, and courage are just what we need to continue and build on the outstanding work that ABC is doing,” said Larry Selzer, chairman of ABC’s board of directors. “No other bird conservation organization does as much, and no other leader is positioned as well to do the hard work of preventing bird extinctions, conserving their critical habitats, and building the capacity of local partners. The board was unanimous, enthusiastic, and very optimistic.”

Parr was chosen from a highly talented group of candidates. “In our search for the successor to George Fenwick, we considered and met with many wonderful and inspiring conservation leaders,” said Warren Cooke, former chairman of ABC’s board and the head of the committee that led the search. “In selecting Mike Parr, we are extremely pleased to have someone with a unique combination of vision, deep experience in bird conservation, and excellent leadership skills, as well as proven dedication to ABC’s mission to bring back the birds in the Americas.”

“It is an enormous honor for me to take on this important role,” said Parr. “Bird conservation is my personal mission in life. I have had a wonderful 20 years working with the great staff and board at ABC already, and I am looking forward to helping lead the next chapter in the history of this remarkable organization. I’m grateful for the opportunity to build on the tremendous bird conservation legacy of ABC leaders George and Rita Fenwick.”

Parr joined ABC in 1996 after graduating from the University of East Anglia and working for BirdLife International. He is an author and an avid birder who lives in Washington, D.C., with his family. Follow him on Twitter at @michaeljparr.

A version of this article appeared in the August 2017 issue of BirdWatching magazine.

This story was provided by American Bird Conservancy, a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.

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