NAEP Leadership Blog

The NAEP Leadership blog series is written by your association leadership team and highlights relevant updates, thoughtful reflections, and upcoming news surrounding NAEP and the environmental profession.

Read the latest updates below!

Part 5: Notes from NAEP President, Betty Dehoney

I do not know about many of you, but my academic training was as a biologist and the course work needed for my degree did not include leadership. My experience has been gained more associated with boots on the ground vs academic training. Being an analytical individual, I tried to see what worked and what did not work. There were a lot of leadership books out there that I read (some good and some not so good) and tested some of the concepts. Some concepts worked and some did not. Some of the things that I have tested and seem to be beneficial are as follows:

Part 4: The ‘Nature’ of the ‘Environmental Professional’

The ‘nature’ of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) – is that of an organization with national and chapter members spread out across a multitude of disciplines, generations, stages of career development, employment, education, and experience. Surprisingly, this diverse membership often comes together ‘under one roof’ to embody the mission of NAEP in developing the highest standards of ethics and proficiency in the environmental professions, and promoting excellence in decision-making related to environmental, social, and economic impacts of those decisions. It is the effort of many ‘individuals’ and ‘thoughtful individual actions’ that bring validity to this organization. In other words, NAEP would not exist without the people who make the difference by ‘living’ their profession and upholding the values and high expectations of NAEP.

Part 3: Leadership Now – The Benefits of Volunteering

At the NAEP conference membership meeting in Baltimore I had the privilege to speak to our member professionals about leadership and the benefits of volunteering. I share my thoughts by starting with a quote from the poet David Whyte: “Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.” (from The House of Belonging).

Part 2: NAEP 2019 Conference Reflections

We asked the NAEP Fellows and NAEP Leadership to provide some thoughts and reflections on the recent 2019 NAEP Annual Conference held in Baltimore, MD. What was offered forth were words of encouragement, enthusiasm, connection, environmental challenge, genuine love and respect for NAEP friends and participants, and an overall glowing sense of this association’s leadership. Here are the thoughts and reflections of Gary Kelman, Marie Campbell, John Irving and John Perkins.

Part 1: NAEP: Friends Moving Forward

Friendships begin with a belief that there is something of value in two people connecting and talking about topics that interest them professionally and personally. Friendships also begin with small steps because we are somewhat guarded in what we reveal about ourselves initially until we develop trust in the relationship. One of the greater rewards of being a NAEP member is the friendships you make over time that become vitally important professionally and life-lasting personally.