Christine Conte joined the staff of Tohono Chul Park as its executive director in September, 2010. She has more than thirty years of senior level management experience in museums and conservation organizations with an emphasis on the nature, art and cultures of the Sonoran Desert region and building community alliances for successful conservation campaigns.

Christine holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology with specialties in cultural ecology and cross-cultural communications. She also holds an MA in Museum Studies, has completed Post-baccalaureate studies in Education, and was a Scholar in Residence in the Eller College of Business, Department of Marketing at the University of Arizona.

In addition to her current position as executive director at Tohono Chul Park, her experience in museum administration, research and education includes the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where she served as founding director of the Museum’s Center for Sonoran Desert Studies and as the Museum’s cultural ecologist. The Center for Sonoran Desert Studies conducts the educational and scientific functions of the Museum and is a hub for research, education and conservation of the Sonoran Desert Region.

Before joining the staff of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Christine was the founding director of the Marketing and Communications program for The Nature Conservancy in Arizona, a position she held for more than 16 years. During that time, and continuing through her tenure at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, she served on the production team for the Emmy award-winning national public television program on nature, art and culture in the Sonoran Desert region, The Desert Speaks.

In 2015, Christine received the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leader award. In 2005, Tucson’s Mayor Robert E. Walkup honored her with the Copper Letter Award for Extraordinary Citizenship recognizing her long-term commitment to inspiring appreciation and understanding of our natural world and for her leadership in advocating for conservation of the Sonoran Desert.

Christine has also held research, education and curatorial positions at the Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of the American Indian, Old Pueblo Museum, and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. She authored and/or edited numerous publications.