Eleanor Trenary
Federal Policy Director, Minnesota, North Dakota & South Dakota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Eleanor Trenary Eleanor Trenary is the Federal Policy Director for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. © TNC
Areas of Expertise
Conservation policy, Climate policy, Federal policy
Biography
Eleanor is a passionate advocate and policy wonk. After graduating with a bachelor’s from Macalester College, Eleanor started her career managing volunteers and community engagement with a social services agency, PRISM, in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Wanting to work “upstream” on solving problems, Eleanor then spent several years at the Legal Foundation of Washington and Landesa while exploring her interest in good governance and policy. Before joining TNC in 2023, she served as outreach director for Congresswoman Kim Schrier in Washington state. In this role, she coordinated relationships with constituents and federal agencies, managed the Congresswoman’s in-district activities and advised on policy related to energy and environment.
In her current role, Eleanor leads federal policy and government relations efforts across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. She works closely with congressional offices and federal agencies and collaborates with colleagues across North America to advance conservation priorities and policy initiatives.
She previously served as a development fellow with Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and as a board member of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington’s Political Action Committee and King County Democrats.
Eleanor studied classics and religious studies at Macalester College and has a Master’s of Public Administration from Indiana University. When she’s not at work, Eleanor can be found hiking with her husband and son, Leo, or knitting and drinking tea.
Policy Stories
Advocate: Use Your Outside Voice!
Learn how The Nature Conservancy advances policy solutions that work for people and nature in Minnesota.
Speak Up: Conservation Policy in North Dakota
Follow this guide to learn about conservation policy in North Dakota.
Policy and Nature in South Dakota
Explore this guide to learn how we use policy to advance conservation in South Dakota.