The 2024 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award Winner: Christina Clayton

Christina Clayton, winner of the 2024 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award.

The Connecticut Audubon Society recognized the long and effective work of Board member Christina Clayton by presenting her with the 2024 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award, at the organization’s annual meeting on Saturday, October 26, at the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center in Old Lyme.

Chris has been an essential part of Connecticut Audubon’s leadership and governance for most of the past two decades. She served two terms on the Board of Directors, from 2011 to 2013, following her retirement as general counsel of the Xerox Corp., and again from 2018 until recently stepping down.

Chirs served as secretary of the Board’s Executive Committee, and chair of the Advocacy Committee. Her analytical skills and relationships with Board members and staff helped strengthen and solidify Connecticut Audubon. Her calm and steady leadership were especially critical during the pandemic. 

Board members and staff relied on her knowledge of birds (Chris is a former board member of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania), her legal expertise, and her ability to understand and communicate difficult conservation policy issues.

In 2018 Chris moved from Old Lyme to the Denver area to be closer to her family. She continued to serve as secretary to the Board and as chair of Connecticut Audubon’s Advocacy Committee.

Longtime Board members and former chair Kathleen Van Der Aue presented Chris with the Engleman award, which is named after Dave Engelman, who served on the board for may years before passing away in 2007. Chris accepted via Zoom.

“This recognition means so much to me, and I am so grateful,” she said to the almost-100 people gathered for the Annual Meeting. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve the cause of conservation, which I have been passionate about since I was a child, and thank you for the opportunity to work with so many other passionate people on the board and staff.”