When Nicole Fernandez signed up for the Green Foothills Leadership Program class of 2016-17, she was looking for new and...
Leadership Program Alumni Impact
Advancing Environmental Justice and Conservation
The Green Foothills Leadership Program prepares community changemakers to be effective in reaching their goals and build up a more effective and inclusive environmental movement in our region, advancing environmental justice. We bring in students who are current or potential community leaders for an eight-month training course. Following that, the associated alumni program supports them in their community work and/or career and allows us to coordinate our work with theirs.
Leadership Program alumni assume leadership roles in community, public, private, and nonprofit organizations, where they apply a lens of environmental advocacy and cultural humility to their work. They initiate and join successful campaigns that advance Green Foothills’ mission and vision and are involved in the Green Foothills community.
By the Numbers Since 2014
Alumni Stories
Our alumni come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experiences and priorities, so their individual impact is incredibly unique. These stories provide examples of the impact members of the Alumni Program are making in their communities.
Radhika Thekkath: Cultivating Change, from Native Plants to Sustainable Housing
Radhika Thekkath, an executive board member of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Santa Clara Valley Chapter, cares deeply about...
Monica Nanez: Growing a Career in Environmental Conservation
People sign up for the Green Foothills Leadership Program for a variety of reasons–to learn how to advocate for the...
John Ebneter: Addressing Housing, Environment, and Equity
John Ebneter was a member of the first-ever Green Foothills Leadership Program class in 2013-14. In 2015 he became a...
Emily Schwing: Building a Collective Food System
In the heart of East San Jose, next to the Hwy 101 and I-680 interchange, sits a vibrant urban oasis...
Protecting Our Groundwater From Mining Contamination
Santa Clara County has enacted a new ordinance requiring mining operations to maintain a 50-foot protective buffer from groundwater. We’re...
Tamara Smith-Jones: The Need for Healing
Tamara Smith-Jones is the founder of Helping Others Maintain Earth (H.O.M.E.), an organization whose mission is community empowerment. She participated...
Peter Ruddock: A Passion for Sustainable Food Production
Many of us dream of ditching our day jobs to follow our passion, but few people actually do it. Former...
Wendy Chou: Becoming an Advocate for Environmental Justice
Wendy Chou is a climate change advocate who works as the Coalition and Project Senior Manager at Acterra: Action for...