Rooted in Power: Reflections from GLT’s 12th Annual Retreat
May 29–31, 2026 | Washington, DC
The Green Leadership Trust gathered its network of environmental board members and Global Majority advocates in Washington, DC for our 12th Annual Retreat, three days of connection, learning, and collective strategy at a pivotal moment for democracy and the environment.
Friday Evening: Gathering the Network
The retreat opened Friday evening at the Sierra Club offices, where GLT members, board allies, and prospective members came together for a reception that set the tone for the weekend: warm, purposeful, and community-centered. Pioneer architects of Environmental Justice Professor Charles Lee and Vernice Miller-Travis shared pure inspiration as they spotlighted the tenacity of frontline communities impacted by environmental racism.
Saturday: Learning, Strategy, and Solidarity
Saturday’s full-day program began with grounding remarks from Executive Director Emira Woods, land acknowledgment, and an authentic relating icebreaker that wove new and familiar faces into genuine connection.
The morning featured two powerful panels. Democracy Deferred: The Urgency of Now brought together GLT members to analyze the current political moment and explore how boards can drive positive change. Voices included Leslie G. Fields of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Justin Kwasa of the League of Conservation Voters, Mark Magaña of GreenLatinos, and civil rights lawyer and author/filmmaker Arjun S. Sethi, moderated by GLT Managing Director Dany Sigwalt.
The afternoon panel, Protecting Communities from the Impact of Data Centers, examined one of the fastest-growing and least-discussed environmental frontiers: the energy demands, land use implications, and community impacts of data center infrastructure. Speakers included Abre’ Conner of the NAACP’s Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, Charles Hua of Powerlines, and Robin Lewis of Interfaith Power and Light, moderated by Chitra Kumar of CK Advisory.
The afternoon opened into a rich menu of peer learning tracks, including financial literacy, legal defense for nonprofits, and a session on strengthening board-ED relationships led by Ebony Twilley Martin of The Regenerative Leadership Lab. A facilitated roundtable, Meeting the Moment, invited members to collectively generate solutions to the board-level challenges of this political era. Members who needed to step away to recharge were equally welcomed — rest, as the agenda reminded us, is revolutionary.
The day closed with laughter yoga led by Chitra Kumar, before members gathered for dinner at Tiffany’s Bar & Bistro in Northeast DC.
Sunday: Grounding the Digital in the Physical
Sunday took the full group into Northern Virginia for a tour of Data Center Alley, led by GLT member Lydia Lawrence, Conservation Director at Nature Forward. Northern Virginia is the global epicenter of data center infrastructure, and the tour offered members a visceral understanding of the physical and environmental footprint of the digital economy, knowledge we can now bring back to strategic conversations in our own organizations.
The retreat closed over lunch in Tysons before members departed, re-energized, reconnected, and ready to meet the moment.