Crissy Canlas

Crissy Canlas is a Program Associate in the Environment Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. She provides thought partnership and support on the Western Conservation and Wildfire portfolios.

Prior to joining Hewlett, Crissy was project manager at Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks where she collaborated closely with State Parks staff and managed various initiatives related to equitable park access, habitat restoration, and property management among others. Crissy was also an independent strategic communications practitioner engaged in community-based resource management and marine governance of protected areas in the Pacific region of Micronesia and Fiji. Before moving to California, Crissy worked at Rare, a leading behavior change organization, as Program Manager for their Philippines Program then later as Senior Program Manager for their Micronesia Program.

Crissy holds a bachelor’s of arts in communications from Ateneo de Manila University, and a master’s of science in Environmental Policy from Silliman University, both located in the Philippines. She has been an active volunteer for the Marine Mammal Center since 2018, rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured seals, sea lions, and otters.