Brian Nuszkowski | Ann Arbor, MI
2024 Board Candidate

I currently serve as a Cybersecurity Engineering leader at Cruise, a leading self-driving vehicle company in the United States that focuses on safe, sustainable, and accessible transportation options for all. In this role, I am responsible for establishing robust cybersecurity controls that help ensure passenger safety. Making communities and their roadways safer by reducing traffic accidents and fatalities is incredibly important to me as both a professional and a parent of two children. In addition to my professional responsibilities, I am the most recent past president of the Kirkway of Scio neighborhood homeowners association. In this role, I facilitated several neighborhood improvement projects and advanced environmental conservation initiatives such as eliminating waste of water resources by disconnecting unnecessary irrigation and organizing community clean-ups. In 2020, my family purchased land near Whitefish Point to help preserve the shoreline and habitat for a variety of wildlife, and I am currently working on a multi-year dune grass restoration project. My family has established a scholarship fund for the students of Whitefish Township that is focused on encouraging the pursuit of continuing education at any college or trade school in Michigan. I am also an active donor to the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. I believe these personal and professional commitments to building safe and environmentally sound communities make me an excellent candidate for the Michigan Audubon board.

Why do you want to serve as a board member for Michigan Audubon, and what would you like to contribute?

I would like to serve on the board of the Michigan Audubon because birds bring me a great deal of peace and joy. One of the primary reasons I purchased land near Whitefish Point was to enjoy the natural wonders that this area has to offer, and I want to help ensure that this land and its inhabitants, especially birds, continue to thrive for generations to come. I believe that I would bring a unique interdisciplinary background to the board, as well as the ability to solve complex problems. I am committed to sharing my personal resources with the organization, as well as help broaden the donor base of Michigan Audubon so that it can continue to protect birds and the places they inhabit.

What is your favorite bird and why?

During the spring and summer months, I spend time walking the beaches near Whitefish Point, picking up litter from the shoreline. While doing so, I am often encountered by groups of Piping Plovers who continuously advance ahead of me, almost as if they are overseeing my efforts. In these moments, I feel very connected with them.