Co-Executive Director
Kristi Chester Vance (she/her) joined TREC in 2017 first as a consultant, and now as Co-Executive Director. Previously, Kristi worked at a frontline environmental and social justice organization for 18 years, with a focus on direct action and speaking truth to power. Here, she came to understand why and how long-term change requires relationship and connection, and that leaders must develop practices to ground themselves as they seek shared values to move from conflict to collaboration. Over time, Kristi evolved her theory of change to focus on supporting the well-being of passion-driven people to commit for the long haul to their essential work. Her passion is to support leaders and organizations to shift the collective dialogue toward what is shared and what is possible, rather than what is wrong and failing.
Kristi has completed studies in movement-based transformation, organizing under Marshall Ganz, and received certificates in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and non-profit management, and is a certified coach. She notes that all of her educational pursuits are in service to supporting purpose-driven people to nourish themselves and their dreams as they serve their communities and our world.
Kristi is inspired by never-give-up organizers and dreamers like grace lee boggs, Prentiss Hemphill and adrienne maree brown, and draws inspiration daily from her two daughters who, despite encountering the fears and unknowns of life, “get after it anyway – all day long.”
An East Coast kid who’s spent spells in the South, Midwest, and a dozen years in San Francisco, Kristi has called Montana home for nearly 15 years. She’s wanderer of mountains and a maker of all things from watercolors to savory waffles to winter sweaters. Kristi loves living amongst the mountains, vacationing amongst the street art, culture, and food of cities, and savoring life with her artist partner and beloved family.
