Press release by Audubon Society Western Pennsylvania on 1 August 2025
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP) is pleased to introduce Chris Bason as the organization’s new executive director. Mr. Bason begins his position at ASWP on September 2, 2025. He takes the helm following the retirement of longtime executive director Jim Bonner.
Bason has led a 25+ year career in environmental conservation including ten years of executive leadership at the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. He also has expertise in renewable energy through his recent role with Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind development. Bason holds a Master of Science in Biology from East Carolina University and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Delaware.
During his time at Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, Bason worked with government, nonprofit, and academic stakeholders to revise and implement the organization’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. He also oversaw a $1.1 million Capital Campaign, implemented a robust public education program, oversaw ecological restoration initiatives for shorelines, forests, and oyster reefs, and led a community effort to establish Delaware’s shellfish farming industry.
Bason’s additional leadership includes an educational partnership that helped secure a $50 million in investment to Delaware’s Clean Water Trust, successfully advocating science-based recommendations to improve county-level protections for wetlands and waterways, and developing comprehensive assessments of waterway health.
Joining ASWP and relocating to western Pennsylvania allows Bason to further his leadership through the shared passion that people have for birds and their habitats. His undergraduate work in wildlife conservation and graduate work in stream water quality both support existing ASWP’s projects while opening up new opportunities to further innovate environmental stewardship in the Pittsburgh area and beyond.
“I believe that when communities are connected to nature and actively protecting their ecosystems, they thrive,” Bason said. “I’m honored to join ASWP and to work alongside its dedicated board, staff, and supporters to sustain and expand its community conservation mission. The organization’s accomplishments are tremendous, and I’m excited to begin serving this vibrant and growing community.”
Bason’s experience, leadership, and commitment to connecting people with birds and nature made him stand out during the interview process, according to Jim Pashek, President, ASWP Board of Directors. “We welcome Chris to the ASWP team and look forward to utilizing his knowledge and ideas in future programs and projects that will continue to bolster ASWP’s position as the region’s leader in conservation and education regarding birds and nature.”
For more information about the appointment of Chris Bason as Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s new executive director, please contact Rachel Handel, ASWP communications director, at rhandel [at] aswp.org.
