Chris Spence brings 20 years of experience working internationally and in the United States on sustainable development issues, including health policy, conservation, climate change, and protected areas. He joined the Institute at the Golden Gate in June 2012 as its new director. From 2005-2012, he was Deputy Director of Reporting Services at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a non-profit think tank affiliated with the United Nations. He was also an adviser to IUCN-the World Conservation Union’s Multilateral Office in Washington, DC. He has lectured and been published in the U.S. and internationally, particularly on climate change and sustainable development. He has authored or co-authored several books, including Global Warming: Personal Solutions for a Healthy Planet (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). Before moving to the U.S., Chris ran a health-focused non-profit in New Zealand and was a political adviser in that country's parliament.