Grand Canyon Conservancy Announces New CEO
Elizabeth Silkes will serve as the organization’s new CEO, effective February 3, 2025. In her new role, Silkes will leverage her extensive expertise to elevate Grand Canyon National Park and the Conservancy’s mission to inspire generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon.
Silkes brings over 14 years of experience and expertise from her role as Executive Director of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC), where she oversaw a dynamic network of more than 370 museums, historic sites, and memory initiatives across 80 countries. In this role, she fostered civic engagement, advanced transitional justice, and supported human rights through innovative programs, exhibit designs, and global collaboration.
“As the official partner to Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Conservancy performs invaluable service to our mission of preserving this remarkable place and making it available to our visitors,” said Ed Keable, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent. “Elizabeth Silkes brings a wide array of experience and a deep passion for the Grand Canyon as the new GCC Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to working with Elizabeth and her talented team in the new year and into the future to meet our shared mission.”
Silkes has also served on the board of ICOM-US, the U.S. National Committee of the International Council of Museums; as an International Advisor to the Accounts of the Conflict project at the University of Ulster INCORE; as an international advisor to UNESCO; and as a member of the Law Advisory Council for the Fetzer Institute.
“I am thrilled to be taking on the role of CEO at Grand Canyon Conservancy, where the members, partners, staff, board, and the larger community are carrying out remarkable work. I look forward especially to deepening and expanding collaborative efforts underway with the Intertribal Working Group and the 11 associated tribes who have called Grand Canyon home since time immemorial,” shared Silkes. “Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy can be a model for how our natural spaces can promote healing, civic engagement, conservation, and protection long into the future.”
About Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC)
Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, raising private funds, operating retail shops within the park, and providing educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the region. Our members fund projects including trails and historic building preservation, educational programs for the public, and the protection of wildlife and their natural habitat. Grand Canyon Conservancy inspires generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon.
Media Contact:
Mindy Riesenberg
Chief Communications Officer, Grand Canyon Conservancy
(928) 863-3878
mriesenberg@grandcanyon.org