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Green Leadership Trust Announces 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellows

Washington, DC — The Green Leadership Trust (GLT), an influential network of Black, Indigenous and people of color who serve as fiduciaries for environmental organizations and foundations, has announced its 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellows. This will be the second cohort of fellows of the development program aimed at imparting shared knowledge and valuable lessons to the next generation of environmental and conservation leaders of color. 

Established in 2021 in honor of the late GLT member and environmental justice giant Cecil Corbin-Mark, the Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellowship is a peer-to-peer learning program that is an immersive introduction to the challenges and opportunities of board service. Topics that will be covered during the 5 months of the fellowship include: myths and realities of board service, centering equity on boards, addressing conflict, maintaining work life balance, assessing board culture, and understanding fiduciary responsibilities. 

Fellows will be paired with veteran board members, many of whom are trailblazers within the environmental justice space, to enhance their experience by leveraging their expertise. Upon graduation of the fellowship, fellows will join a cadre of Vanguard alumni, be able to apply a new set of critical governance skills to the boards they sit on and strengthen GLT’s collective work to strengthen the power of the environmental movement nationally. 

This year’s thirteen 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellows include: Alexandra Grayson (Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Powershift), Anthony Pegues, Clara Fang (Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences), Dalia Dorta Gonzalez (National Parks Conservation Association), Dara M. Wilson (Friends of Wakulla Springs), E. Guilu Murphy (Youth on Root), Erica Nuñez (​​Marine Debris Foundation), Huda Alkaff (Milwaukee Environmental Consortium), Joyce Woodson (Alfred Street Baptist Church), Katherine Hasnain (Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences), Maya Kipp-Whalen (BioGals), Russell Armstrong (Washington College of Law’s Program on Energy and Environmental Law), and Teri Brezner (Training Resources for the Environmental Community). Erica Nuñez is currently on the board of the Marine Debris Foundation and is joining the fellowship to gain more knowledge on how to be an effective board member. Russell Armstrong is currently on the board of the American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Energy and Environmental Law and hopes to find ways to better advocate on the board he sits on. Teri Brezner sits on the board of Training Resources for the Environmental Community and is looking forward to developing a lasting relationship with her mentor while learning more about how to make the most out of being on a board. 

Some of mentors for this year’s cohort include: Ramon Cruz, the President of Sierra Club, Co-Chair of the Power Shift Network Board of Directors, Michél Legendre, and GLT Steering Committee members Pallavi Phartiyal (Oil Change International and American Rivers) and Ayako Nagano (Clean Water Fund and Transition Berkeley) 

“We are thrilled to be able to announce the 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellows,” stated Emira Woods, the Executive Director of GLT. “This fellowship is a pillar of GLT programming because it exemplifies in a tangible way the strengths of our collective membership. The Vanguard fellowship is a space for our veteran members to pass on their expertise to new board members in an intentional way and we know this knowledge sharing will have a deep impact in the boards we serve but also in the greater environment movement.” 

Francisco “Paco” Ollervides, Membership Director of GLT, shared, “It is my immense privilege to have launched the Cecil Corbin-Mark Vanguard Fellowship in 2021 and now to help usher in the second cohort. I am confident they will help carry our dear Cecil Corbin-Mark’s legacy of environmental justice and help GLT in building a more just and sustainable world through their board service.”

About the Green Leadership Trust

Since 2013, the Green Leadership Trust (GLT) has worked to build power for the environmental movement by diversifying its most senior leadership. Together, we are building a more just and sustainable world. For more information, visit www.greenleaddev.wpenginepowered.com.