The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program has named longtime staff member Jason Kudulis as its new director following a national search, positioning a veteran environmental leader to guide one of the nation’s most significant estuaries into its next chapter.

The MBNEP Executive Committee appointed Kudulis, who has spent the past decade with the organization and most recently served as deputy director according to a news release. He will officially assume the role Feb. 1.

“Having worked with Jason for many years, I am pleased to see him step into this leadership role,” Commissioner Chris Blankenship of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, who chairs the MBNEP Executive Committee, said in the release. “Jason’s ability to collaborate with diverse community groups and government agencies will help the program build on its established foundation and address future challenges.”

Kudulis has played a central role in shaping MBNEP’s restoration and conservation efforts, leading initiatives aimed at improving water quality, strengthening community resilience and advancing nature-based solutions across coastal Alabama. His work has supported projects throughout the Mobile Bay watershed, an area critical to the region’s environmental health and economic vitality.

A Mobile native, Kudulis said his commitment to environmental stewardship is rooted in growing up along the coast. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Alabama and a Master of Science degree from the University of Alabama.

Before joining MBNEP, Kudulis built a diverse career in environmental management, serving with the National Park Service, state agencies in Alabama and Utah and nonprofit organizations. His professional experience has focused on restoration planning and science-based natural resource management.

“I am honored to serve as Director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program,” Kudulis said. “The Mobile Bay watershed is a special place, full of natural wonder and vibrant communities. I look forward to working alongside our partners to continue protecting and restoring the ecosystems that support our coastal way of life.”

Mobile Bay is one of only 28 estuaries in the United States designated as nationally significant under the National Estuary Program, a federal initiative led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. MBNEP works to coordinate scientists, government agencies, businesses and community leaders to protect and restore the coastlines of Mobile and Baldwin counties.

More information about the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is available at www.mobilebaynep.com.