Ms Kristen WALKER-PAINEMILLA

Chair, CEESP and Senior Vice President, Center for Communities & Conservation, IUCN & Conservation International

Kristen Walker Painemilla is Senior Vice President, Center for Communities and Conservation at Conservation International (CI) and Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy.  Kristen leads efforts on CI and the conservation community to engage indigenous peoples and local communities more effectively in conservation through a human rights-based approach focusing on people-center conservation.

In 2016, Kristen was elected as Chair of  IUCN's Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). She spearheaded support for IUCN’s IPO members, culture, environmental defenders, environmental change, and migration. Kristen is a candidate for CEESP Chair at WCC.

Kristen holds a degree in Latin American Studies and Anthropology from George Washington University. She was a Cotlow Scholar and Fulbright Scholar. She serves on several boards and committees