The Alaska Raptor Center Announces New Executive Director: Carol Bryant-Martin
SITKA, ALASKA – August 7, 2024 – After an extensive six-month national search, the Alaska Raptor Center (“ARC”) board of directors is excited to announce the appointment of Carol Bryant-Martin as the new Executive Director.
“We conducted a national search and are thrilled to welcome Carol and her family from Tallahassee, Florida,” said ARC board chair Roger Hames. “She has the right mix of skills, energy, and ideas to lead the Alaska Raptor Center to higher levels of excellence.”
With a robust background in nonprofit management, public service, resource development strategies, fiscal administration, and cultural resource and preservation advocacy, Carol brings a diverse set of skills to the position. Before joining ARC, she served as the Development Director for the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources and was also employed at various prestigious institutions, including the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Getty Images and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
“I am honored to join the Alaska Raptor Center and serve its vital mission to rehabilitate injured raptors and promote avian conservation,” said Bryant-Martin. “I look forward to working closely with the dedicated team at ARC to further scale our efforts in education, research, and community engagement.”
Each year, the Alaska Raptor Center treats 100-200 injured bald eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and other wild birds, addressing a range of injuries from gunshot wounds to inadvertent poisonings. While many patients are successfully released back into their natural habitats, those unable to survive in the wild are often placed in zoos or other centers like ARC. Some become part of the ARC “Raptors-in-Residence” program, helping educate visitors about raptors and their habitats.
The Center engages 40,000 annual visitors, providing opportunities for wildlife watching and education, revealing that 85 percent of treated birds have injuries caused by human interactions. This understanding promotes a greater appreciation for wildlife conservation. ARC also educates around 5,000 K-12 students annually through live raptor visits and specialized curriculum for students in secondary schools, inspiring a lifelong passion for wildlife.
A proud graduate of Eastern Washington University with a master’s degree in history, Carol’s extensive qualifications include applied archaeology field school programs at Harvard and James Madison universities, graduate level credentials in public administration and project management from Florida State University, as well as certifications in professional fundraising from Boston University, and sustainable historic preservation from Cornell University. Her dedication to resource management, educational outreach, and community partnerships has consistently resulted in significant support for initiatives benefiting natural history, local Main Street communities, national historic landmark sites, and preservation efforts.
Outside of her professional work, Carol enjoys exploring Alaska’s natural beauty through hiking, kayaking, and swimming, as well as spending quality time with her family. She now resides in Sitka, Alaska, with her husband Doug, their son Ezekiel and enjoys being a supportive bonus mom to her adult daughters, Stella and Iris.
The Alaska Raptor Center, established in 1980, is dedicated to promoting the health and stability of wild raptor populations through rehabilitation and education. The Center operates as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, relying on donations, memberships, grants, and program revenues to fulfill its mission.
For more information about the Alaska Raptor Center and to welcome Carol Bryant-Martin, please visit https://alaskaraptor.org. Supporters can also connect with ARC team members through social media by visiting X, Instagram and TikTok: @Raptororg; YouTube: AlaskaRaptorCenter; and Facebook: Alaska Raptor Center.
About the Alaska Raptor Center:
The mission of ARC is to promote and enhance wild populations of raptors and other avian species through rehabilitation, education, and research. EIN #92-0098901