NCF Announces the 2025 Next Generation Leadership Institute Cohort.

A Promising Start in Salt Lake City

The 2025 NCF-Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) Cohort kicked off their year-long training at the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting, held in Salt Lake City, Utah. This gathering of emerging conservation leaders marked the beginning of an exciting journey within the conservation community for the six cohort members.

The NGLI is a program of the National Conservation Foundation (NCF), a sister organization to NACD, aimed at readying conservation leaders for the challenge of guiding local, state, and national efforts in conservation.

"The 2025 NGLI Cohort represents the future of conservation leadership. It’s so inspiring to see a diverse group of individuals come together with a shared passion for preserving our natural resources. Undoubtedly, this cohort will make significant contributions to their communities and the broader conservation movement,” said Keith Owen, NACD Director of Education.

Building Connections and Leadership Skills

The NGLI sessions kicked off with an engaging agenda designed to foster connections among the new cohort members.

Carmen Bruner-Still, one of this year’s NGLI Cohort members, is excited to deepen the connections she made at this meeting. “I look at the NGLI as a family, and this round we're just meeting each other but because of the flow of the sessions, we've really strengthened our bond. I’m excited about moving forward because of this group that’s doing conservation work.”

The sessions included details of NGLI program goals and an introduction of key staff members, including Keith, who will lead the cohort from a staff perspective. The cohort members had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the National Conservation Foundation, gaining valuable knowledge about the partnerships among conservation groups.

Observing Leadership in Action

In addition to the program-specific sessions, the 2025 NGLI Cohort had the unique opportunity to observe NACD leadership in action by attending various events such as the NCF board of trustees meeting and the NACD board of directors meeting. These meetings showed the cohort members firsthand the decision-making processes and leadership dynamics within the NACD.

The NGLI program focuses on leadership development and connection-building, and promises to equip its members with the skills and knowledge needed to make a significant impact in conservation.

NGLI 2025 Cohort member Josh Meyers summed it up: “For me, it's honing those leadership skills, and bringing that initiative back home. I think it's an energy, and NGLI gives us the ability to go outside of our comfort zones and create an energy back in our districts.”