More and more, people are becoming aware of the devastating effects of climate change and are making personal choices to live more sustainably. In order to affect change at the necessary scale, we must go beyond individual behavior and ensure elected officials and public policy prioritize environmental protection.

The NYLCV Emerging Leaders Program seeks to bridge the divide between environmentally conscious individuals and civically engaged voters. The program provides a community for early/mid-career professionals to connect and become more engaged with New York’s environmental sector.

Comprised of a diverse group of professionals from civic, business, and nonprofit backgrounds, Emerging Leaders at NYLCV enjoy events throughout the year, with opportunities to discuss the environmental issues in New York that matter most to them.

Membership:

Members of our Emerging Leaders Program are given access to our breakfast speaker series and happy hours, in addition to other programming administered through the NYLCV Education Fund.

Membership is FREE! Sign up to become a member today here.

Events:

Breakfast Speaker Series: We host 3-4 breakfasts throughout the year to hear from prominent business, environmental and political leaders, and speak candidly about advancing environmental and economic sustainability throughout the state.

Past Speakers at our Breakfasts include:

  • Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives
  • Melissa Iachan, Senior Supervising Counsel in the Environmental Justice Program at New York Lawyers for thePublic Interest
  • Julia Eiferman, Senior Policy Advisor at NYC Mayor’s Office of Resiliency
  • Bridget Anderson, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability
  • Lindsey-Paige McCloy, Assistant Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
  • Kate Boicourt, Director of Resilience, Waterfront Alliance
  • Chris Neidl, Director of Business Development at Brooklyn Solar Works
  • Alex Matthiessen, Founder and Director of Move NY Campaign
  • Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation
  • Noreen Doyle, Executive VP of the Hudson River Park Trust
  • Tony Simone, Director of External Affairs at Friends of Hudson River Park

 

Happy Hour Events: Our most popular events every year are our signature happy hours! Around 100 Emerging Leaders gather to enjoy beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres with future leaders of New York’s environmental movement. Guests gather for an evening of mixing and mingling with a short speaking portion focused on the particular environmental policy/topic of the night.

Past Speakers at our Happy Hour Events include:

  • Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson, District 31
  • Assembly Member Nily Rozic, District 25
  • Tom Devito, Sr. Director of Advocacy, Transportation Alternatives
  • Former NYC Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr., 37th District
  • Ilana Judah, Principal, Director of Sustainability at FXCollaborative Architects LLP
  • Molly Hartman, Senior Advisor for Food Policy to Mayor de Blasio
  • Mark Chambers, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
  • NYC Council Member Margaret Chin, 1st District
  • NYC Council Member Antonio Reynoso, 34th District

Steering Committee:

Our Emerging Leaders Steering Committee helps guide the priorities of the program. We’re always looking to expand our Steering Committee to represent a diverse group of environmentally conscious individuals from civic, business, and nonprofit backgrounds.

Members of the Steering Committee commit to:

  • Raising or contributing $250 to the program each year
  • Attending in-person quarterly meetings
  • Supporting the implementation of events via planning, promotion, and participation
  • Joining a breakfast, happy hour, or cultivation event task force

Steering Committee members get exclusive access to several high level meetings and documents throughout the year, including our NYLCV Annual Board Meeting Reception, our NYC Council Scorecard and more. We also have a number of cultivation events every year for our steering committee members. Past cultivation events have included a tour of Governor’s Island hosted by the Billion Oyster Project and an outing to the Royal Palms in Gowanus.

To learn more about the Emerging Leaders program or getting involved with the Steering Committee, email Gabby Meerwarth at gmeerwarth@nylcv.org