Onondaga County Parks Commissioner Brian Kelley announced the appointment of Amanda Accamando as the new Director of Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville. Accamando takes over the reins from Heidi Kortright, who recently retired after a 37 year career at the nature center.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Accamando earned a B.S. in Biology at SUNY Geneseo and an M.S. in Biology at Louisiana State University. She has served in various capacities over the last 20 years at nature centers, botanic gardens, zoos and museums around the country including in New York City, Florida, Puerto Rico, Louisiana and Colorado. Her most recent position, before coming to Central New York, was Nature Center Manager at the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory in Oregon. In addition to her roles at cultural organizations, Accamando’s research on plant and insect interactions has been published in scientific journals and she has received multiple grants and awards from the Audubon Society of Denver, the Association of Nature Center Administrators, The Wildlife Society of Oregon and more.
“Amanda really stood out from a pool of very qualified candidates as someone who understands our mission and was ready to lead Beaver Lake Nature Center into the future” said Kelley. “We are excited to welcome her to Onondaga County.”
Accamando and her partner, and their two dogs, recently relocated to Baldwinsville. “The opportunity to move back to New York and join the impressive team at Beaver Lake and Onondaga County Parks is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” remarked Accamando, “I can’t wait to get started.”
For more information about Beaver Lake Nature Center and Onondaga County Parks, visit www.OnondagaCountyParks.com.
