Sandra Schwartz is the national executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). Schwartz has worked in a wide range of public policy, strategic communications and political roles. She has been a strong advocate for sound environmental policy and has championed progressive ideas for clean energy and tackling climate change. With master’s degrees in management and environmental studies and backed by more than 20 years of experience, Schwartz has a well-grounded understanding of the public and private influences on Canada’s natural heritage. She lives and works on the traditional unceded land of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People (Ottawa, Ontario) and is happiest when out enjoying nature with her husband and their two children. She maintains her connection to Canada’s wilderness by visits to parks, where she enjoys camping, canoeing, hiking and cross-country skiing.