Kate Burgess

Kate serves as NCEL’s Conservation Program Manager, where she enjoys collaborating with legislators on a variety of land, water, wildlife, and human issues. Her approach to conservation is rooted in principles of equity, justice, and community collaboration; she believes the best interventions to human-natural problems are those that take a systems-level approach, consider Traditional Knowledge, and elevate the perspectives of all who are affected. 

Originally hailing from the Boston area, Kate now calls Colorado home where she recently earned an M.S. at Colorado State University in Global Conservation Leadership, an interdisciplinary degree that sits at the nexus of social science and natural resource management. 

Outside of the policy arena, Kate’s portfolio includes work in restorative justice, wilderness therapy, dance & music performance/instruction, and climate advocacy. She loves to spend her free time surfing, trail running, playing music at local breweries, and volunteering as a Board Member with the Fort Collins Audubon Society, and with the Fort Collins Police Department as a Victim Advocate.