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Former Republican Congressman and Silver
Lake Partner Join
Audubon Society Board As David B. Ford Named Chairman
Former Rep. James C. Greenwood, Ajay Shah,
Michele Crist Elected To Conservation Organization’s Board;
David Ford Succeeds Holt Thrasher As Chairman
March 12, 2014 - The National Audubon Society
today announced the election of David B. Ford to succeed B.
Holt Thrasher as its chairman. Audubon also announced the
appointment of three new directors to its board: Silver Lake
Sumeru Partner Ajay Shah, landscape ecologist Michele Crist
and former U.S. Representative James C. Greenwood.
“Audubon has a truly terrific board of
directors, and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome David
Ford as chair,” said Audubon President and CEO David
Yarnold(@david_yarnold).
“And the talents and connection that Michele, Jim and Ajay
bring to the table are going to help us take things to
another level.”
David B.
Ford is
president of DBF Associates and senior advisor to Gatemore
Capital Management, LLC, a private wealth and institutional
investment management firm. He is chairman of Princess
Pictures, a family entertainment motion pictures and
television company. He spent 33 years at the Goldman Sachs
Group, where he was a managing director and co-head of
global asset management.
“Audubon has a top notch management team and
it has a unique opportunity to do large-scale conservation
by following birds to its work,” said Ford. “I’m excited
about where we’re headed – Audubon has a solid legacy and a
bright future.”
Ajay Shah joined
the $25-billion private-equity firm Silver Lake in 2007 and
is the co-founder and managing partner of the firm's middle
market fund, Silver Lake Sumeru. Previously, he founded Shah
Capital Partners and founded and managed the technology
solutions business of Solectron. He was also CEO of Smart
Modular Technologies, which he co-founded in 1989 and led
through its public offering in 1995 to its acquisition by
Solectron in 1999.
“Audubon is a sound investment,” said Shah.
“Conservation is a key to our collective future, and
Audubon’s strategic plan and top-notch staff are
well-positioned to continue making great strides.”
James C.
Greenwood is
president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO) in Washington, D.C. Greenwood is a former Republican
congressman who represented Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional
district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to
2005. He served as chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
from 2001 to 2004.
“Audubon’s members span the political
spectrum. Audubon is a credible, authentic presence in
communities because it understands that conservation isn’t a
Republican or a Democratic issue – it’s everyone’s issue,”
said Greenwood. “As a lifelong conservationist and birder,
I’m thrilled to join Audubon’s board.”
Michele
Crist is
a landscape ecologist focused on developing landscape-scale
modeling frameworks and restoration strategies for forests
and wildlife habitats. She works with Conservation Science
Partners as a science associate. She is regional director
for National Audubon Society's Central-North region and
serves as president of the Golden Eagle Audubon Society in
Boise, Idaho.
“I’m excited to join Audubon’s board because
of the power of Audubon’s tech-savvy, science-based approach
to conservation,” said Crist. “Conservation has to adapt to
meet the challenges of the 21st century, and Audubon is on
the leading edge of innovation.”
With total revenues in 2013 of $88.5 million,
Audubon is one of the nation's largest conservation
organizations. Headquartered in New York, N.Y., the
organization has 22 state offices, 44 nature centers and 463
chapters across the country, reaching more than four million
people annually and playing leading roles in local and
national conservation policy decisions, from Alaska to the
Gulf Coast.
More about Audubon’s board of directors:
www.audubon.org/board-directors
Now in its second century, Audubon
connects people with birds, nature and the environment that
supports us all. Our national network of community-based
nature centers, chapters, scientific, education and advocacy
programs engages millions of people from all walks of life
in conservation action to protect and restore the natural
world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org
and follow @audubonsociety.
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