David Yarnold

National Audubon Society

On September 1, 2010, David Yarnold became the 10th president of the National Audubon Society, bringing extraordinary new leadership in solution-oriented conservation, communications, and fundraising.  Yarnold will lead Audubon's powerful grassroots network of nearly 500 local Chapters, state offices and Audubon Centers across the country.  Prior to joining Audubon, Yarnold served as the executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, overseeing all operations -- from programs to development -- and played a leading role in expanding EDF's partnerships with corporations.  Yarnold helped EDF go from $52M to $117M in revenue, and led the organization's political action arm.  He is well known for his expertise on climate issues, among the most series threats to birds, habitats, and sustainable communities.  A Pulitzer Prize winning editor, Yarnold worked for more than a quarter century at the San Jose Mercury News, one of the nation's premier newspapers.  He managed a complex, global newsroom of more than 400 people where environmental coverage was always a priority.  The newspaper's stated mission was to cover Silicon Valley and its gloval impact and the changing demographics of America.  He was honored with the Catalyst Award, the highest honor given to a print journalist by the National Association of Miniority Media Executives, and named the Distinguished Alumnus from San Jose State University's school of journalism and mass communication in 1996.  He has served on the guest faculty of the Poynter Insititute and the American Press Institute, and is on the board of ecoAmerica and LINK TV and has served on the board of directors of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley and Stanford University Graduate School of Businesses' Center for Social Innovation Review.