Daphne Carlson, DVM, PhD begins work with the organization July 20th
06.24.26
Austin, TX (June 24, 2026) – Following an extensive national search led by search firm Isaacson, Miller, Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) Board of Directors has unanimously selected Daphne Carlson, DVM, PhD, as the next Executive Director. Dr. Carlson will officially join the organization on July 20, 2026.
Dr. Carlson joins BCI at a critical moment, as the organization embarks on a new strategic plan and approaches its 45th year working to protect bats and their habitats around the world. The Board of Directors, led by Board Chair Andy Sansom, chose Dr. Carlson for her strong background in evidence-based conservation and her passion for BCI’s mission in particular.
Sansom says, “We are excited about Dr. Carlson because of her credibility as a scientist, her experience as a leader, her wide experience with international conservation projects and issues, and her vision for BCI, which is centered on championing and supporting the work and expertise of our staff.”
Dr. Carlson brings more than 25 years of experience working at the intersection of science, policy, and on-the-ground impact. She comes to BCI from Conservation X Labs (CXL), where, as Chief Conservation Officer and Managing Director of Molecular Diagnostics, she led the development and deployment of NABIT, a field-deployable platform for molecular diagnostics, across applications ranging from invasive species detection to pathogen surveillance. Her time at CXL deepened her conviction that technology and innovation have a critical role to play in conservation’s future, not as a substitute for the deep relationships and frontline expertise this work depends on, but as a way to make the people doing that work more effective.
Before CXL, Daphne spent 11 years at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leading international conservation programs, overseeing more than $150 million in financial assistance and a team of 40 subject-matter experts. Her work spanned legal and illegal wildlife trade and global biodiversity policy, and bats were a meaningful part of that portfolio. Her familiarity with and respect for BCI’s science and field programs go back to those years.
“I am genuinely honored and humbled to be joining BCI as its next Executive Director,” says Dr. Carlson. “This is an organization with an extraordinary scientific legacy, and more importantly, an extraordinary team of people who have built it into something the conservation world looks to as a model. That’s not something to take lightly, and I don’t. I come into this role as a steward first: committed to protecting what makes BCI exceptional and to earning the trust of this community. At the same time, I believe the tools and partnerships available to conservation are changing fast, and BCI is well-positioned to lead at that frontier.“
About Bat Conservation International
Bat Conservation International is a global conservation organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions. Our team works worldwide to conserve caves, restore critical habitats in danger, and ensure the survival of the world’s bat species. For more information, visit batcon.org.
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