Jim Lefik joins Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Board

Directors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary recently elected Jim Lefik to a four-year term on its all-volunteer board of directors. Hawk Mountain is the first refuge for birds of prey and an international center for raptor conservation. Operated by the non-profit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, it is the oldest and largest, member-supported raptor conservation organization in the world. Board members oversee policies and monitor the financial health of the Sanctuary and its local-to-global raptor conservation mission and programs.

A resident of Natrona Heights, Jim is a passionate conservationist and outdoorsman who serves as an engineer in the Environmental Department at FirstEnergy Corp. He also is an integral member of the company’s Avian Protection Program team, where he helps to manage avian issues, including nests, eggs and hatchlings, and electrocutions and collisions with electrical equipment. He also helps ensure compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act, thus helping to protect all migratory birds from the hazards associated with electric power systems.

“With his demonstrated interest in raptors and the dynamics of flight, Jim is an enthusiastic conservationist with relevant professional experience in environmental permitting and compliance issues, and so brings much to the board room,” says Board Chair Tom Kerr. “We’re fortunate to have him.”

An engineering graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Jim has also volunteered at his local state park assisting with public education programs and projects related to landscaping with native plants. A lifelong resident of the Western Pennsylvania region, he enjoys astronomy, photography, and tennis, and volunteers at his local food bank.

“I believe strongly in the importance of teaching the public and especially children, that the beauty of all living things cannot be overestimated,” Jim says.