About Maria

In addition to raising her two 12-year-old daughters, Elizabeth and Christiana, Maria Baier currently is consulting in the area of sustainability through her own LLC.  From 2004 through 2006, she served as president and CEO of Valley Partnership, an organization with nearly 600 member businesses and organizations founded to "advocate responsible development" in the Phoenix metropolitan area.  Prior to her tenure with Valley Partnership, she served as the Conservation Finance and Marketing Director for the Arizona Field Office of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) a 34-year-old national non-profit land conservation organization, where she assisted in the research, development and/or implementation of several land conservation ballot measures as well as 25 conservation transactions in all corners of the state.  Prior to her employment with TPL, Maria enjoyed a ten-year tenure with the Arizona Governor's Office, where she served in various capacities, including speech writer, press officer, and policy advisor for criminal justice, growth, environment and natural resources.  She has also served as the public information officer for the Arizona Attorney General's Office and worked as an independent contractor with the San Francisco Examiner. 

Maria serves on a number of public committees, including the Agricultural Protection Commission (as vice chair), the Growing Smarter Oversight Council and the Conservation Acquisition Board.  She also is a board member of the Phoenix Zoo, Arizona League of Conservation Voters, the Arizona Advisory Committee for the Trust for Public Lands and the Conservation Campaign. 

She received her bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and her law degree from the University of Arizona.  She is a native Phoenician, a member of the Arizona State Bar, and resides with her husband, Christopher, and daughters in Phoenix.  In addition to spending time with her family, Maria enjoys nearly every form of outdoor recreation.  She is 46 years old.