Dear CORAL Friends,
When I first started working at CORAL over 10 years ago, I knew immediately that it was an organization full of passion, dedication, and commitment. Throughout my time here, that initial impression has held steady: our staff works tirelessly every single day to support the local communities that depend on coral reefs, and together with our partners, they move mountains to ensure coral reefs have what they need to not only survive, but thrive. And our supporters remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting coral reefs for generations to come.
That is why I am full of both sadness and gratitude as I write to inform you I have decided to step away from my role as CORAL’s Executive Director. CORAL is a remarkable organization, and one that I will always hold dear to my heart. I am grateful that this position has allowed me to explore nonprofit administration and management, which has led me to realize that my passion lies in conducting the direct science and conservation work that makes CORAL thrive.
It has been an absolute honor to witness how CORAL has evolved over the last decade. We have grown to become a leader in a ground-breaking conservation movement that uses evolution to rescue reefs from climate change. We continue to partner with communities to protect coral reefs, but we now focus on directly addressing the biggest threats to reefs, like poor water quality and overfishing, and we do it in a way that allows coral reefs to adapt to climate change. And most recently, when the world was rocked by a global pandemic, we pivoted to ensure our partners could continue their reef-saving work amidst their unprecedented economic losses.
The CORAL Board of Directors has launched a nationwide search for a new Executive Director to assume responsibility when I depart in early June. I am confident that my successor will bring CORAL’s work at local, regional, and global levels to new heights as CORAL continues its vital efforts to keep coral reefs healthy so they can adapt to climate change.
Thank you for all of your support over these last 10 years. I will miss this tremendous organization and community dearly, though I look forward to our paths crossing in a new way as we all continue to fight for coral reefs.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to CORAL, and for making my time here so memorable.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Madhavi Colton, Ph.D.
Executive Director