Kristin Schafer, MA

Kristin comes to Commonweal’s Collaborative for Health and Environment (CHE) with more than three decades of experience in the field of environmental health and justice. After working as a communications specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with World Resources Institute in Washington, DC, she moved back to Northern California where she held various roles—including executive director—over her 25-year tenure at Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North America.

Her work at PAN was deeply rooted in public interest science. Throughout her career she’s had a particular focus on children’s health and pesticides, collaborating with partners to promote protective policies at the state, national and international levels. In 2021 she received the Child Health Policy Award from the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Kristin holds a Masters in Social Change and Development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She lives with her husband in downtown San Jose where she loves to bike ride and garden, and currently serves as board co-chair for the community-building urban farm, Veggielution.