Kristi learned about the field of conservation while working as a graphic designer in a special collections library. She earned a Master of Arts in the conservation of books and library materials from West Dean College in England in 2009. After graduating she worked at the Guildhall Library in London, The Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Library in Northern Ireland, and the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, Massachusetts. She joined the conservation team at The Huntington in 2015.