September 5, 2024

I love us!! New Leaders Council alumni are forging progress and change in rooms across the country. We are a Community Leadership Movement built on the relationships of over 13,000 alumni from across identities, industries, and issue areas. As one of our donor partners put it “NLC talks to everyone, everywhere, all the time”. For this, and so many other reasons, I am honored to be the new Acting President & CEO of New Leaders Council.

When I applied to NLC Broward in 2016, I was looking for a way to magnify and multiply my efforts to effect positive change in my community. I was doing it for one of the most basic reasons I believe we all share. I wanted my children and loved ones to be safe and have access to every opportunity they desired. From school massacres, to police involved murders of black people, and the epidemic of fake news, I was looking for a place to trade in my anxiety for action. I found NLC.

Although my titles have changed over the years: Mentorship Chair, LEAD Trainer, Millennial Compact Author, Black Caucus Co-Founder, Spark!Talk Presenter, Coach, Vice President of Programs…my passion and commitment remain the same. The challenges facing us today are complex, but I believe in the collective power of the NLC community to create solutions. My intention for NLC is to be the engine that drives forward the new kind of leadership our loved ones and communities desperately need – leadership that is bold, innovative, compassionate, and, most importantly, grounded in equity.

My vision for NLC is ambitious: to scale our work in a way that deepens our impact while expanding our reach and strengthening our brand. We’ve already begun laying the groundwork for this, with programming that speaks to the urgent needs of today and prepares our Fellows for the evolving landscape of tomorrow. 

We’ll continue refining our flagship NLC Institute, offering thoughtful, equity-centered leadership training that is both accessible and inclusive. But we’re not stopping there. I’m committed to ensuring NLC becomes a lifelong resource for our alumni, offering continuing education, leadership coaching, and networking opportunities so that we become the essential community for progressive leaders. In the coming weeks we will launch new alumni engagement campaigns including NLC100, #IAmNLC, and NLC Tracks. 

To everyone reading this: I invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you’re a current or prospective Fellow, an alumni, a supporter, or simply someone who believes in the power of inclusive leadership, your role in this movement matters. Together, we can create a future where every voice is heard, every community is valued, and leadership reflects the true diversity of our world.

Let’s trade our anxiety for action. Let’s build the future together.