As I’ve written about before, one of the most important elements of our leadership training program is the opportunity for the MSoE students to interact with environmental leaders from across a wide spectrum of pathways and experiences in life. These leaders are real practitioners — people who are actually working on real projects and in real settings to bring about a positive change in the world. Rather than simply have these practitioners tell their life stories, we ask them to share with the students some of the lessons they have learned about how to be effective — things that they are glad they did and things they wish that they hadn’t. From hearing the stories of what others had to learn through trial-and-error, the MSoE students gain a leg up on developing a professional skill set earlier in their efforts to make their own mark on the world.
The roster of practitioners who will be joining us this summer is shaping up and looks to be our most exciting yet.
- Bill McKibben, noted author, climate activist, and founder of 350.org
- Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power, Vermont’s largest energy utility and a leader in the implementation of renewable energy systems
- Peter Forbes, founder of the Center for Whole Communities and co-owner of Knoll Farm, an organic farm dedicated to promoting resiliency, transparency, and the health of the land.
- Kim Stone, city councilwoman for Highland Park, Illinois, and environmental advocate for alternative transportation.
- Alden Woodrow, financial manager for the Makani Project (part of GoogleX), a company developing alternative strategies for harvesting wind power.
- Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for the Trust for Public Land, as well as former New York City Park Commissioner.
And we’re working to finalize arrangements with a number of others, hopefully representing professional fields such as state government, the military, and community development.
We’re excited about our guest for the summer, and we know that the students who join us will benefit in untold ways from the conversations that will unfold.