Patrick J. Crist is Director of Conservation Planning & Ecosystem Management for NatureServe, an international information technology non-profit organization specializing in the conservation of biodiversity (www.natureserve.org). Dr. Crist oversees a variety of programs including conservation planning, the EBM Tools Network, and the NatureServe Vista decision support software. His work includes development of methods and toolkits to fit organizations planning needs and working with clients and partners to conduct ecological assessments and integrated planning for areas ranging from local government jurisdictions to large regions. From 1995-2001 he was the National Program Coordinator for the USGS Gap Analysis Program (GAP); a nationwide biodiversity assessment program. He began his GAP career as the New Mexico GAP coordinator. He has a B.S. in landscape architecture from California Polytechnic (1984), an M.L.A. in landscape architecture and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania (1992), and Ph.D. in Natural Resources (2003) from the University of Idaho.