May 2015
E-Newsline
The 2015 Fellows Are Coming!
It is May, and that means exciting things are happening at the Switzer Foundation!  By the time this ENews goes out, we will have selected our 2015 California Fellows (interviews were on Saturday, May 2nd).  On May 16th, we will select the 2015 New England Fellows, and we will announce all of the new Fellows in June!  Our annual board meeting will take place in Boston on Friday, May 15th, at which time we will also choose a new round of Leadership Grantees.  It's an exciting time of year for us, and we look forward to sharing all the good news as soon as possible.  Keep an eye out for our social media updates and website announcements!
Final Reminder:  Switzer Networking Opportunity at the National Adaptation Forum
Fellows attending the National Adaptation Forum, May 12-14, in St. Louis, MO, just a reminder there is a Meet-and-Greet on Monday evening, May 11th, alongside other sponsors, including the American Society of Adaptation Professionals, EcoAdapt, and the United Nations Environment Programme.  Great networking opportunity!

Date of Reception:  Monday evening, May 11th
Time:  5:30 - 7:00 pm
Location:  St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Grand Hall

Please contact Erin if you plan to attend.
30th Anniversary Ideas
Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas for how we can celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2016!  We've got a great list of ideas, and we will be discussing them over the next few months as we start to plan for 2016.  It's not too late to submit ideas!  Contact Lissa or Jessica Switzer any time.
Interested in Mentoring a 2015 Fellow?
As many of you know, we re-instituted the Switzer Mentor Program with the 2014 Fellowship cohort.  This program will again be offered in 2015 to new Fellows who wish to be paired with a Fellow alum for mentoring and/or career coaching.  If you are interested in working with a new Fellow as a mentor or career coach, please contact Erin.  
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Let's Plan Some Regional Fellows' Gatherings!
Fellows, it is spring, and it's time to come out of our dens and re-connect with other humans!  And, what better humans than your fellow Fellows?  It's time to start planning some regional gatherings.  We need volunteers to pick a time and place (restaurant, cafe, trailhead?) and be the point person for getting together for a drink or a meal or a hike with Fellows in your area.  These are fun and really easy to plan.  Please contact Erin if you're interested in organizing one!   Don't feel limited by geography - we're looking for regional gatherings everywhere, not just the big hubs.  Thanks in advance!
Switzer Fellows at ERG 40th Anniversary
Speaking of gatherings, UC Berkeley's Energy & Resources Group recently held a 40th anniversary celebration, and there were Switzer Fellows galore!  Thanks to Katrina Schneider for the photo at right with 14 of the many Switzer Fellows in attendance.  Remember, we love sharing group photos of Fellows, so please bring a camera to your regional gatherings!
A Quick Primer on Switzer Grant Programs
As we prepare for our annual board meeting, at which we review the year's grants and activities and start planning for next year's, we thought this was a good time to remind everyone about our various grant programs designed to advance your careers and professional development, and to provide critical funding on an issue being addressed by two or more Fellows.  Below are brief summaries and links to more information on each program:

Leadership Grant Program:  This career-enhancing program provides grants up to $40,000 to organizations working with a Fellow to address a critical environmental issue on which the Fellow plays a leadership role.  Grants can create new staff positions or consulting roles and must show very clear leadership boost and strategic career benefits for the Fellow.  See past recipients.

Network Innovation Grant Program:  This program is designed to tap the collective expertise in the Switzer Network to solve a problem, share learning, or bring people together to strategize on an issue.  There must be at least two Fellows involved from different organizations and preferably different sectors.  Fellows must contact Switzer staff and seek input and engagement on their proposal from the Switzer Network.  Provides seed funding (up to $5,000) for bringing people together, or project funding (up to $40,000) to work as a group to actively solve a problem.  See past recipients.

Professional Development Grant Program:  This program provides funds for Fellows to attend important workshops, trainings, or conferences that will provide significant professional development opportunities (e.g., attending a conference at which you will present your work or make important connections, taking a Rockwood Leadership Institute training, etc.).  Currently we are offering these grants up to $500.

Contact Erin for questions on any of our grant programs.  We look forward to continuing to see great proposals!
Select Networking Calls Will Be Open to Colleagues
You asked, we listened!  Many of you have suggested we open up our networking calls to colleagues of Fellows, so we're giving it a try.  Our first networking call for Fellows and colleagues will be on Sustainable Waste Management on June 10 at 12:30 pm Eastern time.  Caroline Howe hosted a call on this topic in March, and the group would like to make it a regular event during the year for both Fellows and their broader networks.  


If you have a topic for a networking call, with just Fellows or with Fellows and colleagues, please email Lauren.
Switzer Spring Newsletter Now Available!
Our spring newsletter, which focused on Fellows working in climate change and conservation, is now available online.  We profiled a number of Fellows in different regions, working on a variety of issues, from a number of perspectives.  Please forward the link to colleagues who might be interested!

Upcoming Events
Meet-and-Greet for Switzer Fellows at the National Adaptation Forum
Monday, May 11 - 5:30-7:00 pm
New England Fellowship Selection Interviews
Saturday, May 16 - 8:30 am
Boston, MA

Switzer Fellow David Kramer:  Panel Discussion on Energy Policy and the Environment
Saturday, May 16 (all day)
Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA
David Kramer, Senior Manager at EcoLogic Development Fund, will speak on a panel for this Harvard Kennedy School alumni event.  (Open to HKS alumni only.)

Switzer Networking Call:  Mid-Atlantic Fellows (DC, MD, VA, WV, DE)
Wednesday, May 20 - 12:30 pm ET

Switzer Networking Call:  Water Resources
Wednesday, June 3 - 12:30 pm ET

Networking Call for Fellows and Colleagues:  Sustainable Waste Management
Wednesday, June 10 - 12:30 pm ET

Switzer Networking Call:  Southern California
Wednesday, June 17 - 9:30 am PT
Fellows in the News
Doreen Stabinsky (1991) was quoted in the Inter Press Service News Agency on the role of climate change in the Syrian conflict.

Isaac Silverman (2010) was quoted in an article about Squaw Valley in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains having to look to surrounding areas for water security.

Brian Bowen (2014) writes about three steps states can take to fuel community solar growth.

John Andrew (1995), Climate Change Executive Manager at California's Department of Water Resources, announced that the DWR was recently honored with a National Climate Leadership Award for its actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The Department is the first public agency in the country to receive this honor.

Margaret Torn (1990) is part of a research team at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory which measured the CO2 greenhouse effect at the Earth's surface for the first time.

A comprehensive study by the New England Wildflower Society found that one-fifth of New England's plant life is threatened, says Elizabeth Farnsworth (1990) in a CBS News story.

Lily Lewis's (2013) work with bryophytes was featured on the BBC.

Jessica Veysey Powell's (2013) work on the importance of vernal pools was featured by UNH's Agricultural Experiment Station.

Sarah Reed (2006) has been elected to the Society for Conservation Biology's Board of Governors as Vice President for Programs.

Evan Hansen (1996) and Dustin Mulvaney (2004) co-authored a report which was referenced in an EPA document on fracking.

Sharon Smith (2011) co-authored the Union of Concerned Scientists' Palm Oil Scorecard for 2015, which found that many of America's biggest brands are still using palm oil that contributes to deforestation and peatland destruction.
A vibrant community of environmental leaders