Emerging leaders selected for 2017 Leadership Institute

Congratulations to the participants who have been chosen to participate in the 2017 TWS Leadership Institute! These promising early career wildlife professionals, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, will engage in a variety of distance learning projects over the coming summer.  The program culminates in September, with intensive hands-on mentoring activities and leadership workshops during the 2017 TWS Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“The Wildlife Society established the Leadership Institute in 2006 to enrich the future of our membership and our profession,” says TWS Executive Director Ken Williams. “The program has garnered widespread support because it has been very successful in preparing our early career members for active professional leadership roles both within and outside TWS.”

A committee of TWS members and staff selected participants based on the applicants’ academic record, demonstrated leadership capability, and demonstrated level of excellence either in their current employment or in their position as a leader of a Chapter or Section of The Wildlife Society.

This year’s participants are:

• Kyle Daly, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota
• Paul Di Salvo, USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, Oregon
• Stacy Elmore, Colorado State University
• Marcella Fremgen, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Colorado
• Bryan Kluever, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts
• Christopher Lituma, West Virginia University
• Melissa Merrick, University of Arizona
• Sarah Milligan, fRI Research, Alberta
• Pamela Moore, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas
• Beth Ross, U.S. Geological Survey, South Carolina

“Many young wildlife professionals entering leadership positions have not necessarily been trained in the skills needed for successful management of large groups or complicated programs,” says Laura Bies, coordinator of the Leadership Institute. “The Leadership Institute introduces these exceptional young people to the management, mentoring, and organizational skills they need to become exceptional leaders.”

From May through September, participants will complete a wide variety of exercises, which include reading and reflection on leadership topics, presenting to peer groups, leading seminars, and developing summary documents regarding their professional leadership goals. During TWS’ Annual Conference in Albuquerque, the participants will meet for focused analytical discussions, serve as mentors for students, be mentored by Institute alumni and Council members, and attend Council meetings.

Learn more about the Leadership Institute here.