National Conservation Leadership Institute Wraps Up First Two Weeks

Emotions were high as the inagural class of the National Conservation Leadership Institute came to a close after their first two-week instensive training in leadership development.

"The National Conservation Leadership Institute's inaugural class was a career and life changing event," said Fellow Gordon Batcheller, a Certified Wildlife Biologist of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources. "An impressive roster of teachers and a world-class learning environment created a place and time for reflection, imagination, and challenge. Like all great educational institutions, however, I learned most from my fellow students - an exceptionally talented and committed group. They helped me see things in a different way, and they will be the great strength of the NCLI--an enduring network of dedicated professionals from the state, tribal, federal, industry, and non-governmental sectors--all working together to become better leaders and improve conservation in the U.S."

On November 17, thirty-six of the nation's natural resource conservation “future leaders,” otherwise called the Institute's Fellows, wrapped up the first two-week residency portion of an effort initiated this year by conservation agencies and organizations to address one of the nation's most significant conservation challenges of the twenty-first century — leadership. Each fellow was chosen for potential to build effective coalitions, lead organizational change, and deliver results; as well as for their work experience and goals.

The residency portion of the training - held at the National Conservation Training Institute in Shepherdstown, WV - was a unique comprehensive learning experience designed to challenge assumptions, teach new skills, facilitate networking, and strengthen confidence, preparing extraordinary leadership for the future.

Sally Guynn, who was heavily involved in the planning of the course as part of the Management Assistance Team, wrote a message on the National Conservation Leadership Institute website. It reads,"Clearly these 35 Fellows had not just completed a program over the last eleven days; they had been part of a rare experience that corporately had successfully launched the long awaited Institute. Because of the Fellows and what they experienced together the Institute transformed into so much more than what we had developed or envisioned or thought ever possible."

The NCLI was created due to the discovery that in the next 10 years, nearly one-third of today's top natural resource leaders will retire. In fact, according to research conducted in 2004, about 77 percent of state fish and wildlife agency senior leadership will retire between 2004 and 2015, and more than half of federal conservation leaders will retire by 2007. The Institute was created to train tomorrow's conservation leaders in the latest leadership thinking and practice, and each Fellow focused on a variety of issues, including a specific leadership challenge from each participant's own agency or organization.

Through the Institute, 22 state fish and wildlife employees, 6 federal conservation agency employees, 2 tribal members, three industry employees and three nongovernmental agency employees will work together over the next 10 months on priority leadership challenges and solutions.

Offered each year to a select group of thirty-five to fifty individuals identified by their nominating organizations, the Institute is designed as conservation's premier leadership development effort.

In the spring, the Institute will reconvene the Fellows to finish up their 10-month experience at Big Cedar Lodge, a Bass Pro Shops owned property in Missouri.

The NCLI will begin accepting applications for next year's class in January.

"Imprinted on my mind, is that the future of conservation will be in good hands," wrote Guynn, "and I can't wait to see what spring will bring!"

To view a slideshow of the week's events, click here.