Kirste Kowalsky

As Southwest Representative, Kirste advances The Conservation Fund’s dynamic programs on behalf of local stakeholders, state governments and federal agency partners to help strengthen vibrant communities and protect valuable lands across Arizona and New Mexico.

A real estate and land use professional by training, she has over 21 years’ experience with finding collaborative solutions that pursue shared values through conservable resource and land protection, creative financing tools, acquisition structures and securing public/private funds. She works in partnership and negotiates with private landowners, government agencies, funders, land trust partners, tribal nations and community-based organizations to leverage landscape-scale conservation. Utilizing the Fund’s Mitigation Solutions, Urban Conservation Initiatives and Acquisitions programs, Kirste builds on-the-ground capacity for conservation partners to promote resilience and protect the important landscapes and places that define the Southwest.

Kirste has a broad, long-standing network of strategic relationships with local/federal agencies, municipalities, real estate professionals, academia, conservation groups and nonprofit organizations. Prior experience includes working for both public and private sectors serving as a representative and land-use consultant on behalf of a full spectrum of property owners, corporations, institutions, developers, investors and lenders. Kirste holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in Tucson.