Kristen provides leadership on a range of policies and practice related to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, gender, human rights-based approaches, social safeguards, and engagement with the peace and development community. Effective conservation can only occur with and through the cooperation of Indigenous peoples and local communities living in and around protected areas — and elsewhere. Support of women as conservation stewards and decision-makers is central to this work. 

Throughout her 25-year career, Kristen has advocated effectively and globally to improve the engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation through a human rights-based approach, and a focus on people-centered conservation. Since 2016, Kristen has also powerfully committed herself to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in her elected role of Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP), promoting research and policies to balance nature conservation with socioeconomic and cultural concerns. Under her tenure, the Commission has supported the Union’s Members, supported all seven Commissions, advanced work with Indigenous Peoples Organization Members, engaged in research around well-being and conservation, peace and migration and governance.  

Kristen is the Senior Vice President for the Center for Communities and Conservation at Conservation International (CI). For more information on her work with CI, visit here. Kristen holds a degree in Latin American Studies and Anthropology from George Washington University. She was a Cotlow Scholar in 1996, a Fulbright Scholar in 1997-1998 and is a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program. She serves on several boards, including the Equator Initiative, the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force and the Chol-Chol Foundation.