Kristen Greenaway was born and raised in New Zealand, graduating with a BA and MSocSci from the University of Waikato in 1984, and a MA from Duke University in 2017. In 1989, she left NZ sailing in the inaugural two-month Auckland to Fukuoka Yacht Race on a 60ft ketch as a member of an all-women’s crew. She worked in the UK for nine years, was transferred to New York City for two years, and after a year working in the Netherlands returned to the US—first, San Diego CA for four years, and then Durham NC for ten years.

In July 2014, she accepted the position as President of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. In her role as president, Kristen has been instrumental in establishing new streams of institutional support, reversing years of deferred maintenance, commissioning a new Master Plan for the CBMM of the next 20 years, and is leading CBMM through a second five-year strategic planning process that focuses on developing new audiences, implementing new
technologies, and ensuring financial stability for the institution. Under her leadership, CBMM has seen a healthy increase in attendance during her tenure through the presentation of increasingly innovative exhibitions, and expanded education and Shipyard programming, as well as being awarded a grant of $5M from the State of Maryland to build a new Maryland Dove for Historic St. Mary’s City Commission.

In 2017, Kristen was elected to the executive council of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM); she currently serves as vice-president. In 2022, Kristen was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Maritime Historical Society.

With her parents and two siblings, Kristen grew up on a 32ft keeler built by her father and has sailed most of her life. She owns a Cape Dory 32 and appreciates exploring the extensive waters of the Chesapeake Bay with her wife Lori and their son Andrew.