Christie Keithis GAIA’s International Coordinator and U.S. Executive Director. She joined the network in 2005 and brings more than 25 years of experience with social movements and international nonprofit organizations, including seven years in Guatemala as a popular educator, program coordinator, and strategic planning consultant.  Christie has held multiple Executive and Development Director positions, primarily with international human rights and environmental health and justice organizations that have experienced growth or were undergoing transitions. Her leadership has played a critical part in developing GAIA’s collaboration with organized waste workers to raise the profile of zero waste and the rights of informal sector recyclers, and in generally expanding GAIA’s work in the economic and climate justice arena. In 2018 she received a prestigious 3-month sabbatical awarded by O2 Initiatives to successful nonprofit leaders that are aiming to grow their organizations. In the last four years Christie has helped to spearhead GAIA’s engagement in the Break Free From Plastic movement, and in addressing the issue of ocean plastic pollution through investment in grassroots organizing, upstream policies, and community-led solutions.