Heather Starck is a conservation executive with more than 25 years of experience leading nonprofit organizations, building high-performing teams, growing philanthropic support, and developing ambitious strategies to address complex environmental challenges. As Executive Director of the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), Heather leads an international organization working to ensure coral reefs survive climate change by strengthening reef resilience, improving water quality and marine management, advancing conservation science, and building the capacity of local organizations and communities.
Since joining CORAL, Heather has led a significant period of organizational growth and transformation. She has helped substantially grow the organization’s budget and philanthropic reach, strengthened its executive team and Board, expanded programs across key coral reef regions, and led the development of an ambitious global strategy focused on achieving conservation impact at a scale that matches the threats facing coral reefs. Her leadership emphasizes strong local partnerships, rigorous science, measurable results, and building conservation systems that can endure well beyond any single organization or project.
Before joining CORAL, Heather spent more than two decades with the National Audubon Society in leadership roles spanning conservation, fundraising, strategy, policy, and grassroots engagement. Her roles included Executive Director of Audubon North Carolina and Vice President for Grassroots, leading Audubon’s national network of chapters, volunteers, activists, and emerging leaders. Earlier in her career, she helped develop a major urban nature center in Ohio, completing a $14.5 million capital campaign. Heather also co-chaired Audubon’s national strategic planning process and served on its 10-person Climate Cabinet.
Throughout her career, Heather has focused on moving conservation from successful individual projects to durable, large-scale change. Her approach combines conservation science with organizational strategy, fundraising, partnership development, and institution building to create the leadership, resources, and systems needed to sustain impact over time.
Heather is known for an approachable, optimistic leadership style that brings people together around ambitious goals. She believes strong relationships, curiosity, and even a little fun are essential ingredients in tackling conservation’s toughest challenges.
It is a magnificent thing to be alive in a moment that matters so much. Let’s proceed with broken-open hearts, seeking truth, summoning courage, and focused on solutions.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson