Kristin Buckley

Director of Philanthropy

Kristin grew up on Orcas Island—raised, as she says, “among the wonder of the madrone, seabirds, tide pools and serene vistas.” She attended the University of Washington and began a long career in nonprofit fundraising and development while living in Seattle. Most recently, she served as Director for Advancement for the College of the Environment at U.W. Prior to that, she raised funds for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the American Red Cross.

In early 2020, Kristin and her husband returned to live full-time on Orcas Island, where they continued their years-long support of the Preservation Trust as fieldwork volunteers and donors, and even became Preserve Stewards. She joined the staff as Director of Philanthropy in the fall of 2020.

“I am thankful for the land that the Preservation Trust has protected in the years since I was a kid living at the base of Turtleback Mountain and riding my horse to what is now the Frank Richardson Wildfowl Preserve,” Kristin says. “It’s exciting to return to these treasured landscapes and join in the work of expanding SJPT’s positive impact throughout the islands.”