Kristina served as an animal care expert for the US Navy Marine Mammal Program, providing the Navy’s marine mammals with the utmost quality of care and training in a free release setting. In 2012, she began working for the National Marine Mammal Foundation as a marine mammal lead trainer and simultaneously began contributing to the development of NMMF-led conservation efforts. Striving to contribute even more, Kristina received her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership & Management from the University of San Diego in 2016. She then transitioned to her current role as Executive Operations Officer, where she provides direct support in managing daily executive operations, supports the NMMF Board of Directors, and works as a public and private liaison for business development and conservation initiatives. Kristina served as the Deputy Program Manager for the Consortium for Vaquita Conservation, Protection, and Recovery (VaquitaCPR), a multi-institutional international effort aimed at rescuing the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. Her marine mammal expertise dovetails with her practical and theoretical knowledge of nonprofit best practices and leadership to support healthy growth and advancement of the NMMF’s mission.