Members in the News

Long before leading the Pontchartrain Conservancy, Kristi Trail was a child on the lakefront swimming in waters many had learned to avoid due to pollution. That early connection to Lake Pontchartrain continues to shape the work that has now earned her the 2025 Inspirit Award.

Kristi has served as Executive Director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy for nine years, where her leadership has helped protect the water, land, and communities across all 16 parishes in the Pontchartrain Basin. During her tenure, the organization has nearly doubled in size--from 16 to more than 30 staff members reflecting its expanding environmental protection and education initiatives.

Even as the organization grows, Kristi remains grounded in the same guiding question that first drew her to this work: how people are able to experience, enjoy, and protect the lake itself.