A headshot of Kristin Wilson-Palmer Kristin Wilson-Palmer

Chief Communications Officer

Kristin Wilson-Palmer joined NRDC as chief communications officer in September 2023. In this role, she leads all internal and external communications activities in support of NRDC’s mission, including brand strategy, advocacy communications, media relations, marketing, social engagement, and digital fundraising.

Most recently, Palmer was a senior vice president in Edelman’s Washington, D.C., office, where she served as a senior advisor to global financial services companies across a wide range of verticals, spanning public affairs, earned media, crisis communications, corporate social responsibility, ESG, and DEI. Prior to Edelman, she was chief communications officer for the Insurance Information Institute, where she led proactive issue campaigns that effectively expanded the industry’s consumer footprint, increased brand awareness for global insurance companies, and helped boost engagement with key industry stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels.

Previously, Palmer was vice president of media relations for AARP, one of the world's largest advocacy organizations. At AARP, she successfully directed earned media for its consumer-facing products and initiatives, brand campaigns, multicultural engagement, and media properties, including AARP The Magazine and Movies for Grownups.

Palmer served as a senior communications manager for then mayor Shirley Franklin in the city of Atlanta, where she oversaw daily operations of the Mayor's Office of Communications. She has also managed communications for NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) and America’s Public Television Stations. She began her career in the Washington, D.C., offices of Brodeur Partners and the Kamber Group.

Palmer is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is based in NRDC’s Washington, D.C., office.