Diversity is a crucial component of public leadership. Environmental leaders must themselves reflect the diversity of the country and be comfortable working with different types of people. Leadership begins with relationships and the personal skills needed to develop them. Our greatest impact will lie in the collective capacity of the network of young professionals we are creating. Leadership skills are identifiable and teachable, related to but distinct from issue expertise.
Public leadership relies on individuals daring to take carefully considered professional risks.
Guided by these principles, ELP forges a community of promising future leaders and builds programs to support their development. ELP connects emerging professionals to established environmental leaders whose knowledge and historical perspectives need to be shared with the next generation. Specifically, two focus group meetings were held in Washington, DC, and Oakland, CA, with individuals who comprise ELP's constituency of environmental practitioners relatively new to the field. An online discussion led up to and followed the meetings. The advisory committee, board of trustees, and staff continue to meet regularly to design ELP's program components and plan for future initiatives.