LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Teresa R. Christopher is a lawyer, policy-maker, and senior executive with extensive experience on environmental, energy, and economic matters. She is the founder and principal of a consulting firm that provides policy, strategy, and management advice to companies, NGOs, and foundations. Christopher served in the Obama Administration for eight years holding several senior posts. During her tenure, Christopher served as Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Associate Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she oversaw an agency with over 9,000 employees responsible for the management and conservation of fish, wildlife, and natural resources, and over 850 million acres of land and water. From 2012-2016, Christopher served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and chaired the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. In this role, she spearheaded the start-up of a new federal agency responsible for investment of over $3 billion in restoration projects following the BP oil spill. Christopher has worked with State, local, and tribal officials, Congress, foreign governments, multi-lateral organizations, businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders to develop and implement domestic and international policies and solutions. Christopher has also worked in the non-profit sector as Vice President of Strategy and Operations at the National Audubon Society, where she oversaw 23 state offices, 41 nature centers, and 25 sanctuaries. She has advised presidential and gubernatorial campaigns on environment and energy matters. A native of the Jersey Shore, Christopher holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and a B.S. in Earth and Ocean Sciences and a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University.