Chris Lehnertz is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Her distinguished career at the U.S. National Park Service included service as Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, General Superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Deputy Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, and Director of the Pacific West Region. She successfully oversaw the final stage of removal of the Elwha River dam in Olympic National Park, addition of lands to Joshua Tree National Park, improved working conditions at Grand Canyon National Park, and stewardship of natural and cultural resources in the face of substantial increases in visitation. Chris previously served 17 years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver and Washington D.C. She started her conservation career in the Rocky Mountains working seasonally for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. She received a degree in environmental biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.