14 Kathleen Hebert (she/her)

Kathleen Hebert is a water conservationist and tidepool expert. In 2003, she left her position as Vice President of Microsoft to devote her life to environmentalism and conservation.

Hebert noticed a shocking decline in biodiversity in the local Pacific Northwest tide pools after she visited with her family; specifically, she noticed the disappearance of her favorite ochre (purple) sea stars. According to her, it was an epiphany because, “She thought that the world changed on a century basis, not within months”.

This epiphany led her to join the board of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Washington in 2013. She had already been involved with environmental advocacy since 2003, however now she dropped everything and focused her efforts entirely on climate change. The Nature Conservancy quickly sought her out for a position on her board. She was recognized by The Nature Conservancy for her environmental philanthropy and her potential as a rising female leader.

Sadly, in 2016, the now-ex-president began dismantling environmental protections for which Hebert and her colleagues had worked extremely hard. As Hebert explained, “If you don’t have government policies behind them, you can only succeed so far… There are three pillars to my work: nonprofit projects, government advocacy, and for-profit investments because together they have more impact than one could have”.

Hebert introduced an entirely new approach and a fresh perspective to TNC. She prioritized climate change, instead of traditional land conservation approaches, and worked towards mitigating the effects of climate change. After nine years with TNC, she completed her third and final three-year term.

During her tenure with TNC, Hebert enticed different stakeholders to come together to protect Puget Sound. In 2019, TNC collaborated with the Puget Sound Partnership on the Water 100 Project. The Water 100 Project is a combined movement, incorporating many disciplines to tackle the urgent issues of pollution, urban development, and climate change in Puget Sound.

The Water 100 Project helps businesses solve pressing environmental issues that adversely affect businesses. With a comprehensive, holistic approach, The Water 100 Project helps businesses benefit from reduced risk, better stability, sustainability, and economic growth. Within The Water 100 Project, Hebert introduced a highly holistic approach on climate change, taking into account all aspects of how to possibly mitigate climate change effects, and working with corporations to have the maximum possible impact for combatting these.

Hebert’s impact on the protection of Puget Sound cannot be overstated. Her insights as a board member and a female leader have helped several different environmental organizations. Not only is Kathleen Hebert a well-known pillar of the environmental community here in the Puget Sound region, but her holistic approaches have helped collectively shape how we look at mitigating climate change overall.