We are David Hanson (Senior Consultant, Social Contract) and Evan Kuras (Evaluation Consultant, MXM Research Group), two mid-level environmental evaluators finding our way through professional and leadership journeys. As reflexive evaluators motivated by issues at the intersection of the environment and social justice, we have both found it challenging to find professional development, mentorship, and growth opportunities that help us develop our specific interests. Opportunities intended for early to mid career evaluators don’t typically have an environmental focus, and opportunities intended for emerging environmental leaders don’t typically have an evaluation training and development component.
Our Stories
I (David) saw a posting on LinkedIn calling for applications to the 2024 Delaware River Watershed Network (DEWN) cohort of the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). Given my own leadership curiosities, professional work, and service to environmental organizations, I applied to the program and was genuinely excited to be accepted. Honestly, I did not know what to expect when the program started with a 3-day in-person retreat. I am a team player, having played sports all my life and going to tournaments. This was different! At the end of the retreat, I made friends out of strangers and I was left with a glowing buzz that felt akin to carrying the fire (see Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’). Still, even though it was magical, I have a lingering curiosity around a leadership development opportunity that would allow me to interrogate my evaluation thinking, while focusing on the environment as a use case.
I (Evan) joined a similar fellowship called CEE-Change, hosted by the North American Association for Environmental Education that aims to build leadership at the intersection of civics and environmental education. Since our first 5-day in-person Leadership Institute, my cohort has truly inspired me. I love the banter in our Whatsapp and how we hype each other on LinkedIn. I happen to be the only professional evaluator in the group, which has positioned me as “the evaluation guy” and given me the chance to practice my skills. Because we all wear different professional hats, trainings have skewed toward general themes like power building and strategic communications. While I’ve enjoyed building these skills through an evaluation lens, I yearn for a deeper dive intentionally at the intersection of evaluation and the environment.
Lessons Learned
Being in-person is electric: Fellowship organizers took steps to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort in-person. We are glad that they did because no matter how many technological advances are developed, nothing beats sharing physical space with others. The gatherings created intimacy among the fellows and laid the groundwork for us to continue building relationships, finding each other at conferences, and dreaming up ways to collaborate.
The practical makes good practice: There is a practical and tangible product behind each program. For CEE-Change, fellows complete a Community Action Project, while ELP fellows develop their Personal Leadership Plans. These allow for skills-building, visioning and accountability markers to ensure that the leadership journey has a roadmap.
Curiosities at the intersections: Obviously, we knew the scope of the programs going into them but it still created a groundswell of wonderings. What skills and relationships are we growing around the edges of our fields and leadership journeys? As emerging leaders, how do we challenge inequitable power structures in a meaningful way? And of course, how can we best contribute our evaluation skills toward healing the planet and advancing social justice?
If you are intrigued about our leadership journeys, are interested in our respective programs, or have ideas about next steps for us and other emerging environmental evaluators, feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn.
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