Christine Ogura

Born in Hawaii to Japanese immigrant parents, Christine credits her love for learning about different people and cultures to growing up in a bilingual family. Hawaii is also where her curiosity for the natural world began while hiking and swimming. 

Her graduate work at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment focused on collaborative natural resource management and conflict resolution. Her professional career, which spans over 20 years in conservation both in the U.S. and abroad, includes working for the late Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink, managing land acquisitions for the National Park Trust, and coordinating 20 conservation projects in 5 countries with Conservation International. Christine has also worked for the State of Hawaii's Division of Forestry and Wildlife where she led the development of their Wildlife Action Plan and managed a multi-million dollar statewide Watershed Partnerships Program involving 60 public and private landowners and 2 million acres. In 2010, Christine joined the USFWS in their Honolulu office, working both for the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and Ecological Services. She left Hawaii to join the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex as their Deputy Project Leader where she then moved on to serve as Chief of Staff for the NWRS Headquarters office.

Christine’s breadth of experiences brings an appreciation for different perspectives, strong partnering skills and collaborative approach, and a proven record of leading successful on-the-ground conservation efforts.