Margaret Frisbie

Margaret Frisbie is the executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, the only organization devoted exclusively to the protection and restoration of the 156-mile Chicago-Calumet River system. She oversees an award-winning effort to reimagine the river and its tributaries as a connected, biologically rich ecosystem—one that is open and accessible to all. Since assuming leadership in 2005, Frisbie has emerged as a prominent advocate for multi-benefit natural solutions that strengthen climate resilience, protect biodiversity, and improve water quality and public health. Grounded in the conviction that cities can sustain both people and wildlife, she originated many of the organization’s signature initiatives, from pioneering in-stream habitat restoration solutions and the Chicago River Fish Hotel to the creation of the cross-jurisdictional Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance. That work contributed to Friends of the Chicago River’s receipt of the 2025 Thiess International River Prize. Frisbie was named a River Champion by River Network in 2017 and a Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2022. She has served on the boards of Friends of the Forest Preserves and Illinois Environmental Council. In 2026, Frisbie was tapped to be a panelist on Reimagining Rivers at Bloomberg CityLab Madrid.