Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! As we usher in 2011, International Bird Rescue Research Center is looking forward to a number of very exciting changes that will allow us to continue growing our bird rehabilitation, research and education programs. Our 40th anniversary is coming up in April, and we have many accomplishments to celebrate, thanks to your ongoing support. But there is always more we can do, and to that end, after over 25 years at the helm of IBRRC, I am moving into a new role as Director Emeritus, where I can devote my time more fully to building our bird rescue and rehabilitation programs, while Paul Kelway (photo, on the left) takes over as Executive Director.
Paul has been working with IBRRC since he and I met at an oil spill in France at the beginning of 2000. He worked for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as their ER Manager for Oiled Wildlife for a number of years before actually joining the IBRRC staff in October 2009. He will be leading the organization through an exciting evolution, as we prepare for another 40 years making a difference to the lives of aquatic birds. After 25 years on the front lines of oil spills, algal blooms, and weird weather events, I know the need for dedicated and professional bird rescue is as great as ever, and I look forward to working closely with Paul, and all of you, to meet that need and ensure every single bird we treat has the best possible care.
We’ve come a long way in 40 years. We have responded to over 200 oil spills and cared for tens of thousands of birds that needed help. I know that together we can do even more going forward!
Sincerely,
Jay Holcomb, Director Emeritus
International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC)
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A note from Paul Kelway, IBRRC’s new executive director
Dear Friends of IBRRC,
I am humbled and honored to have been asked by Jay and the IBRRC Board to follow in both his and our founder Alice Berkener’s footsteps as Executive Director of International Bird Rescue Research Center and certainly hope to do all I can to build on the organization’s tremendous achievements to date. I am also delighted that Jay will continue to serve the organization as Director Emeritus where his vast experience and expertise can continue to benefit the lives of aquatic birds as we work together to keep building IBRRC’s rescue and rehabilitation capabilities.
We’ve had a whirlwind 2010, from storm-battered pelicans to the unprecedented Deepwater Horizon oil spill and we are excited to now be starting a fresh chapter in 2011. We will be sprucing up our website, and are excited to debut a new name and look in the spring that reflects our growth over the past 40 years. We will also be working to create a strong foundation that will carry IBRRC through the next four decades. From oil spills and ocean dead zones to climate change, there are many threats to marine wildlife health, and we want to be prepared to meet these and future challenges head-on by providing the best possible care to aquatic birds in need.
With the help of dedicated volunteers and generous individual donors, corporate sponsors, and government partners, we have made huge strides since the 1970’s. And we hope you will help us build on that legacy of success in 2011 and in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Paul Kelway, Executive Director
International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC)