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The Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) Board of Directors appointed Lauren Jonaitis as the organization’s new executive director on Oct/ 1. Jonaitis, who joined the organization in 2022 as senior conservation director, has demonstrated a proven record of leadership that compelled the board to move her into the vacant position.
“For the past few years, Lauren has been the face of our organization so we didn’t have to look far,” noted TAS president Dr. José Francisco Barros. “Her exceptional ability to build partnerships, deep environmental policy expertise, and determination to grow Tropical Audubon Society made her the clear choice for Executive Director. She’s already a force on the South Florida conservation scene, so we’re thrilled to hand her the reins, and can’t wait to see how far she can take us.”
In her previous senior conservation director role, Jonaitis advanced the society’s strategic conservation agenda in collaboration with local, state and federal organizations and agencies. She led major campaigns to protect Biscayne Bay, the Everglades and South Florida’s imperiled Pine Rocklands, including the successful effort to halt the Miami Wild’s development in favor of safeguarding Pine Rocklands and the endangered species that rely on the imperiled habitat. She also built broad partnerships to advance climate resilience and smart growth policy initiatives.
“With Lauren leading we’re confident that our mission to protect our region’s natural habitats will be strengthened, that our advocacy will become even more impactful, and that we’ll expand our community partnerships and stakeholder support,” Barros noted.
“It’s truly a privilege to lead and grow Tropical Audubon Society at this critical time,” Jonaitis said. “Protecting South Florida ecosystems requires all of us — residents, policymakers and community partners — working together. My focus will be on nurturing existing partnerships, forging new ones and ensuring our advocacy delivers meaningful and lasting results for people, wildlife and our shared future.”
Before moving up to the executive director position, Jonaitis had been recognized as the best in her field locally and nationally, including being named a “Local Legend” by the Miami Dolphins in 2024; being honored twice in Miami Today’s “Best of Miami for Environmental Stewardship” (2024, 2025), and playing a crucial role in earning TAS both the 2024 “Regional Recovery Champion Award for the Southeast” (bestowed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an honor shared with conservation partners) and the 2023
“Grassroots Activism” award bestowed by the Everglades Coalition.
“On behalf of our Board, I want to congratulate Lauren on her new role,” Barros said. “It’s a new era for Tropical Audubon Society.”
Lauren Jonaitis’ conservation career spans public and private sectors. She has worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to reduce light pollution impacts on sea turtles, served as an environmental and coastal scientist in the private sector, and today holds prominent leadership roles that complement her TAS responsibilities, including vice president of policy for the Society for Conservation Biology North America, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition, and co-chair of the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition.
Jonaitis received a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from SUNY Oswego in 2014, then earned a master’s in Biology (Conservation Biology) from Bowling Green State University in 2017.
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