Elizabeth Holmes Gaar brings more than 42 years of public service in natural resources management, environmental law, and collaborative leadership to her role leading Portland State University's Executive Seminar Program in Natural Resources Leadership. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in fisheries science, earned her Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School, and is a member (inactive) of the Oregon State Bar.
Elizabeth began her career with the U.S. Forest Service as a fisheries biologist before joining NOAA Fisheries while in law school. Over a 35-year career with NOAA, she held several senior leadership positions, including founding Chief of Endangered Species for the Pacific Northwest, where she helped establish NOAA's West Coast Endangered Species Act program for salmon and steelhead, and Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat Conservation. Throughout her career, she worked closely with Tribes and emphasized the federal government's tribal treaty and trust responsibilities. During the final four years of her federal service, she co-facilitated NOAA's Emerging Leaders Development Program in partnership with Portland State University's Center for Public Service.
A longtime resident of Oregon's upper Hood River Valley, Elizabeth remains active in conservation and leadership initiatives, including serving on the board of the Mt. Adams Institute, a nonprofit that connects military veterans and recent college graduates with careers in natural resources stewardship.