Kristen McConnell

Senior Conservation Manager, Gulf of Mexico

Areas of expertise: Oceans Programs, organizational capacity-building, renewing fisheries, collaboration, protected area management

Work

Kristen joined EDF in 2013 and is responsible for advancing fisheries management reform in commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. She works directly with fishermen, state and federal managers to rebuild and sustain fisheries in ways that enhance society’s economic use and enjoyment of oceans while achieving long-term conservation objectives.

Kristen also conducts research and analyses to improve the effectiveness of fishery management councils, other decision-making organizations, and stakeholder associations charged with carrying out the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Background

Before joining EDF, Kristen was Director of the Center for Park Management at the National Parks Conservation Association from 2007-2013. At NPCA Kristen applied business and policy expertise to manage projects designed to equip National Park Service employees to more effectively manage and protect parks. These projects spanned from the development of a statistical model for law enforcement staffing to the cultivation of a consortium of universities to develop a Master’s degree in public lands management.

Prior to her time at NPCA, Kristen spent 2 years working for EDF’s Gulf team to conduct research on the shrimp, recreational, and spiny Caribbean lobster fisheries, as well as ideas to incentivize fishing innovation across the Gulf.

Kristen sits on the Texas Regional Council for the National Parks Conservation Association and is a former board member of Creative Action and the Great Society Fund.