Carlos Fernandez: Colorado 500 - Nonprofits & Philanthropy

State Director, Colorado, The Nature Conservancy

ColoradoBiz Staff //April 21, 2026//

State Director, Colorado, The Nature Conservancy

ColoradoBiz Staff //April 21, 2026//

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Carlos Fernández is state director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, leading a staff of more than 60 employees and a board of 23 trustees. With more than 20 years of experience at TNC, he helped create the Yampa River Fund in 2019, raising $5 million for river health and restoration, and worked to establish Fishers Peak State Park. He is currently implementing TNC’s Western Dry Forests Program, which aims to put 50 million acres of dry forests on a trajectory toward increased resilience by 2030. Before leading the Colorado chapter, Fernández served as TNC’s Southern Andes Conservation Program Strategies Manager in Bariloche, Argentina. He holds a law degree from Mendoza University and a graduate law degree from Georgetown University and is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

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