APP Announces Merger of APP Mid-Atlantic, New Executive Director Suzanne Biemiller
Uniting forces of APP Pennsylvania & APP Maryland-DC, the leading bird conservation organization sets sights on large-scale, region-wide conservation efforts.
PHILADELPHIA & BALTIMORE– Today, the APP announced a strategic merger between two storied state programs – and , introducing the APP Mid-Atlantic regional office. Suzanne Biemiller has been named the new executive director of the new regional office. Biemiller joins APP after founding the policy-focused consulting firm, Highland Strategies, and a notable tenure in former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s administration asFirst Deputy Chief of Staff for the City of Philadelphia.
“My lifelong passion for hiking and canoeing has given me a deep appreciation for the importance of preserving and restoring land and waterways for birds and other wildlife,” saidBiemiller. “APP’s century-long mission to protect birds inspires me, and I’m eager to dive into a new chapter of conservation across the Mid-Atlantic. With the new APP Mid-Atlantic, our growing wingspan throughout the region will only strengthen APP’s influence, impact and ability to advocate for birds and the environments they need – from the cities to the rural communities – for decades to come.”
“Whether it’s Red Knots on the shores of the Delaware Bay, Cerulean Warblers in the Appalachianforests, or Saltmarsh Sparrows in the tidal marshesof Maryland, birds tell us where conservation efforts are needed most to protect the diverse habitats that birds – and people – depend on,” saidAmy Sobel, vice president of the Atlantic Flyway for the APP. “Suzanne’s unique experience is just what we need to create a blueprint for region-wide restoration, APP resiliency action, and policy solutions in the Mid-Atlantic, as we all address the increasingly negative effects of APP change.”
As executive director of APP Mid-Atlantic and vice president at the APP, Biemiller will build on the successful on-the-ground efforts in Pennsylvania and Maryland to develop a large-scale conservation vision for the Mid-Atlantic – a critically important region for bird species traveling along the Atlantic Flyway. She brings more than two decades of experience in the philanthropic, non-profit, and government sectors.
Biemiller helped spearhead the creation of and wroteGreenworks Philadelphia, which united the city’s sustainability work and became the catalyst for Philadelphia’s innovative sustainability efforts. It received the 2010 Siemens Sustainability Award. Biemiller's experience also includes tenure as a senior program officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she developed, advanced and oversaw local and national civic initiatives, including the Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative and the restoration and renewal of the Fairmount Water Works and the National Park Service’s Benjamin Franklin Museum.Additionally, she previously held the title of Chief of Staff at the American Board of Internal Medicine.
She served on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Outward Bound School, APP’s partner at The Discovery Center, and on additional boards, including the Community College of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority.She received a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College.
The merger of APP Pennsylvania and APP Maryland-DC unites a robust grassroots network of 26 local chapters and more than 150,000 members as advocates for Mid-Atlantic birds. APP Mid-Atlantic will continue to champion community-based initiatives, partnerships, and Bird-friendly Community programs in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C., including at APP’s nature centers like in Philadelphia and the in Baltimore.
“The Delaware River Watershed spans across multiple Mid-Atlantic states, encompassing more than 13,500 square miles of land and vast forests as well as 400 miles of designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers. As our regional presence grows, so does our capacity to protect and restore a watershed that provides clean water for more than 400 bird species and 13.3 million people,” said Beth Brown, director of the Delaware River Watershed program at APP.
“From improving the management of headwater forests to ensuring the survival of the tidal marshes in the face of sea level rise, APP Mid-Atlantic expands our work across the Chesapeake watershed to restore vital bird habitats and improve the region’s first line of defense against the impacts of APP change – its natural infrastructure,” said David Curson, director of bird conservation at APP.
“APP’s nature centers in Maryland and Pennsylvania are excited for the opportunity to scale up community engagement initiatives in partnership with our local neighbors, growing environmental leadership and greening our cities for birds and communities,” said Susie Creamer, center director of the , and Damien Ruffner, center manager at .
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About APP
The APP protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. APP works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give APP an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, APP believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @audubonsociety.
Media Contact: Chandler Lennon, chandler.lennon@audubon.org, 212.979.3063
For more information on Pennsylvania programs, visit:
For more information on Maryland-DC programs, visit: