During her daughter’s birthday party at NH Audubon’s McLane Center, Celina Hurley and her spouse signed the final purchase and sale for their Hopkinton home. Celina recalls that the realtor brought the documents to the party, anxious for signatures on the final offer. She adds, “I will always remember that afternoon, with 20 rambunctious first graders in the nature classroom, the naturalist holding a snake for the kids to touch, and the realtor coming in with important life-changing documents!”

A longtime member and recent volunteer, Celina recently joined the NH Audubon team as our Grants Manager. With a 20-year career in philanthropy and a love of hiking, skiing, swimming and running, she brings expertise and affinity to her role.

After growing up in Rhode Island, attending college in the Bronx at Fordham University, and receiving her Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Celina moved to New Hampshire in 2003. “My husband (then fiancé) was working in Concord at the time, so I moved here too. My family and I enjoy the open space in our hometown of Hopkinton and exploring and camping in Northern New England. Although, lots of my free time right now is spent watching lots of youth sports (soccer, baseball, and basketball) and coaching lacrosse.”

“Working for NH Audubon will be the first time I can help raise funds in my professional capacity for an organization that has had a direct impact on my life. With gratitude for Audubon’s summer camp, I learned as a parent how significant being outdoors and valuing nature and wildlife can be for children and their happiness, which extended to my appreciation for being outside and unconnected. Time in nature has increased our awareness as a family of many policy and program initiatives to protect and preserve land, water, and animals, including the critical work of NH Audubon. I am excited to join this team and engage in efforts so important to me and to all of us.”