Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve’s Board of Directors announces the appointments of four new staff members joining the team in October 2013.
Kimberly Jeanty has been named the Interim Executive Director. She brings her knowledge of financial stability and her ability to look ‘outside the box” for ideas that will further Ruffner’s mission and help to build consistent income streams for the future. Relocating to the Magic City from South Florida in 2009, Kimberly is using her strengths to enhance Ruffner Mountain’s relationship with the neighborhoods surrounding the “Mountain” and to bring a clear, cleaner focus to the importance of preservation and land acquisition, restoring some of the mountain’s landmarks and creating new programs for the public. She has nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofits, government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations and most recently served the Honorable Councilor Kim Rafferty, Birmingham City Councilor District 2, as Neighborhood Liaison. She is the architect of the Bank on Birmingham initiative and enjoyed working closely with the neighborhood associations of District 2 on their revitalization efforts. Besides being a board member of the East Lake Arts District, Kimberly also serves as an adviser to the East Lake Community Development Corporation or Blight Club, member of East Lake Merchant Group and volunteers with various other organizations throughout the city. Kimberly, her husband, Peter, and daughter, Taylor, have made Birmingham their “adopted” hometown.
Julia Ann Fleming has been appointed to the position of Director of Development and Communications. Bringing over 25 years of executive nonprofit experience, Julia Ann has been a consultant to regional and national nonprofits for the past 10 years. Her experience ranges from institutions such as Vulcan Park
Foundation, Pathways, Birmingham International Center and Discovery Children’s Museum in Nevada to development and marketing positions with Alabama Public
Television Foundation, McWane Science Center, Miami City Ballet, The Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Specialist Certificate in Multiple Arts and a Masters in Music Education from Indiana University and a Bachelors of Music from Rhodes College.
Lindsey Darby comes to Ruffner as the Administrative Coordinator from the Birmingham Zoo where she worked with native species in the Children’s Zoo. She has worked as a naturalist on the “Mountain” since 2012. In 2010, she started the bio diversity survey for the North Alabama Land Trust in Huntsville and holds a BS in Environmental Science from Nova Southeastern University.
Patrick Daniel joined the staff as the Land Manager coming from his own company that consulted and sold landscape designs and installations. He was the initial Curator of the Kaul Wildflower Garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for over two years and has many relationships with nurserymen and plant enthusiasts across the state. As an Alabama native, his experience, background and understanding of the land, plants and environment are already providing the kind of care our “Mountain” needs.
