Environmental Leadership Academy

Fostering visionary, spirited and thoughtful leadership toward a just and sustainable future. 

Our mission is to enlighten and engage leaders and professionals in the Inland Empire region on critical environmental issues affecting our quality of life; such as climate change, air pollution, land use change, endangered species, water quality and energy.         

Program Overview

There is an urgent need for current and the next generation of leaders to have a well-balanced knowledge and understanding of the critical environmental issues with which to support sound and well-informed decision-making and best practices. According to a report published by the Public Policy Institute of California, by 2015, the population of the region will grow by almost one million— close to five times the current population of the city of San Bernardino, and well above the state’s overall growth rate—to about 4.9 million. As the Inland Empire region prepares for this growth and development, our leaders need an understanding of the environmental effects on our quality of life and for developing prudent policies that will make this two-county area a national model for balancing long term sustainability with economic vitality and environmental stewardship.

The Environmental Leadership Academy uses a comprehensive, holistic and three-dimensional approach to deliver the knowledge base; a comprehensive presentation of the most critical issues among the environmental topics; holistic approach to all sides of an issue – upsides and downsides, good and bad; and three-dimensional through the use of hiking, field demonstrations, bus tours, interactive group discussions, expert panels, as well as some lecture presentations by experienced subject-matter-experts.

The Environmental Leadership Academy is made up of four (4) sessions – a day and a half each – beginning on Thursday at 1 pm and ending at 5 pm on Friday: September 13 and 14, October 11 and 12, and November 8 and 9, and December 6 and 7, 2012.  

The first session in September includes an over-night stay at Blue Sky Meadows Science Institute in Big Bear, and is intended as an initial building block for creating a supportive community among members of the class.  All meals will be included beginning with the evening reception and ending with a lunch and mid-afternoon snack on Friday.

Who should attend?

Designed for those who wish to better understand:
• development of quality of life issues;
• the region’s critical environmental challenges and opportunities; and
• long term sustainability issues.

Join a network of exemplary leaders who will gain a new understanding through the process of inquiry and information gathering, and who are dedicated to the quality of life in our two counties.

Professionals from transportation, health, land use and economic development, city and county planners and commissioners, contractors, architects, city council members, community leaders, educators, public policy board members, environmental policymakers, landmark and historic resource commissioners, attorneys, realtors, students and involved citizens.
Enrollment is limited to 30 participants.