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People and Wildlife: Thriving in a Clean Energy Economy
73rd Annual Meeting in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
April 30-May 2, 2009
What must our
job be if we are to be successful in
confronting global warming, in safeguarding
wildlife for our children's future, in ensuring
that children learn the love and respect of the
great outdoors as we did?
What must our job be when we look around this
room and think about the future of wildlife
conservation in America?
I will suggest to you today that our jobs must be to reinvent our organizations for the 21st century. Gone are the days when we could rely on our hunting and fishing comrades to sustain our organizations. Gone are the days when we could ignore the political realities and opportunities to influence the policies that will dictate the health of natural systems across this great land of ours. Gone are the days when a few meetings made an organization.
National Wildlife Federation boasts of being the largest conservation organization in the country, with "more than four million members and supporters." But I must ask myself, --- and all of us should ask ourselves why is it not 10 or 20 or 40 million members and supporters? Impossible? I don't think so. That is, if we all decide what kind of job we really need to do.
Imagine with me for a moment an organization with a successful chapter model where members were engaged and empowered to reach out to a variety of different networks and communities in their state. Where members stepped up and enrolled their neighbors in the importance of turning inside kids, out.
An invigorated organization with new, diverse community leaders, increased political clout because of diligent outreach and credible relationship-building with key decision makers.
Imagine an organization building the next generation of conservation leaders. Young people who stepped up to protect their own future and the lands and wildlife they love. Young people who were actively engaged in our Annual Meetings, even advancing their own resolutions. Imagine more young people than 60-somethings at our annual meetings. (Now, that's not to say the 60-somethings aren't important! We need to be infusing our ranks with younger people.)
Or, imagine deciding to stop doing the same old things the same old ways. Deciding instead to build a bigger tent, full of more diverse people who shared the same values but showed up differently, maybe even talked differently. Imagine saying where we've been isn't where we need to go. Imagine getting out of the comfort zone to play big. Imagine deciding that your job was to rebuild your organization for the 21st century.
Imagine taking on the biggest and baddest development project in your state. A project well-funded, politically connected and off the radar for most of the rest of the country. Imagine saying "we won't take it anymore" - and actually doing something about it and mobilizing voters in your state and to achieve one of the biggest voter turnouts in your state's history.
Well for some in this room, we don't have to imagine it. Because for some affiliates, that's actually what they're doing. So let me please recognize four affiliates in particular who have decided that business as usual is not a recipe for success.
For their work to invigorate their organization with a successful and growing chapter model, for bringing in new diverse community leaders into their network, for stepping up to advance the goals of National Wildlife Federation's connecting people with nature strategic driver, will representatives from the North Carolina Federation please stand up and be recognized.
An organization's future relies on the infusion of new blood - new ideas, new perspectives. Knowing that "guarding our natural heritage" requires a commitment to the next generation, the Conservation Federation of Missouri has demonstrated an organizational imperative to engage the next generation in decisions about conservation policies in their state. For your visionary work to build the Conservation Leadership Corp that engages high school and college students, will representatives from the Conservation Federation of Missouri please stand up to be recognized.
We hear a lot of talk about "movement-building." Well.. we all better realize that we have to do more than just talk about it. Without a commitment to true movement building, our "movement" will become weaker and weaker. Movement building requires that we look around the table and ask ourselves, "Are we relevant to a broader group of citizens?" "Who will feel welcome at our board table?" "Who will we learn from and broaden our perspectives for the benefit of the greater good?" "How open are we to change?"
The Texas Conservation Alliance went through a strategic planning process with the commitment to move from being an East Texas group to becoming a Big Tent. And in Texas, that's no small task. But they were committed to step up and be a coalition-builder - to develop and nurture a network of diversity. They reached out to state agencies to address the biggest threat to wildlife today, global warming. They stepped up to help pass No Child Left Inside legislation - because they know this is key to the future and to building the next generation of conservation leaders. They are network weavers - knitting together diverse groups of citizens into a larger network that continues to grow in clout and influence. Will representatives from the Texas Conservation Alliance please stand and be recognized.
Related Links:
Annual Meeting Attendee List
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Interview with Larry Schweiger
April 30-May 2, 2009
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Reinventing Your Organization
for
the 21st Century
by Tom
Gonzales
I will suggest to you today that our jobs must be to reinvent our organizations for the 21st century. Gone are the days when we could rely on our hunting and fishing comrades to sustain our organizations. Gone are the days when we could ignore the political realities and opportunities to influence the policies that will dictate the health of natural systems across this great land of ours. Gone are the days when a few meetings made an organization.
National Wildlife Federation boasts of being the largest conservation organization in the country, with "more than four million members and supporters." But I must ask myself, --- and all of us should ask ourselves why is it not 10 or 20 or 40 million members and supporters? Impossible? I don't think so. That is, if we all decide what kind of job we really need to do.
Imagine with me for a moment an organization with a successful chapter model where members were engaged and empowered to reach out to a variety of different networks and communities in their state. Where members stepped up and enrolled their neighbors in the importance of turning inside kids, out.
An invigorated organization with new, diverse community leaders, increased political clout because of diligent outreach and credible relationship-building with key decision makers.
Imagine an organization building the next generation of conservation leaders. Young people who stepped up to protect their own future and the lands and wildlife they love. Young people who were actively engaged in our Annual Meetings, even advancing their own resolutions. Imagine more young people than 60-somethings at our annual meetings. (Now, that's not to say the 60-somethings aren't important! We need to be infusing our ranks with younger people.)
Or, imagine deciding to stop doing the same old things the same old ways. Deciding instead to build a bigger tent, full of more diverse people who shared the same values but showed up differently, maybe even talked differently. Imagine saying where we've been isn't where we need to go. Imagine getting out of the comfort zone to play big. Imagine deciding that your job was to rebuild your organization for the 21st century.
Imagine taking on the biggest and baddest development project in your state. A project well-funded, politically connected and off the radar for most of the rest of the country. Imagine saying "we won't take it anymore" - and actually doing something about it and mobilizing voters in your state and to achieve one of the biggest voter turnouts in your state's history.
Well for some in this room, we don't have to imagine it. Because for some affiliates, that's actually what they're doing. So let me please recognize four affiliates in particular who have decided that business as usual is not a recipe for success.
For their work to invigorate their organization with a successful and growing chapter model, for bringing in new diverse community leaders into their network, for stepping up to advance the goals of National Wildlife Federation's connecting people with nature strategic driver, will representatives from the North Carolina Federation please stand up and be recognized.
An organization's future relies on the infusion of new blood - new ideas, new perspectives. Knowing that "guarding our natural heritage" requires a commitment to the next generation, the Conservation Federation of Missouri has demonstrated an organizational imperative to engage the next generation in decisions about conservation policies in their state. For your visionary work to build the Conservation Leadership Corp that engages high school and college students, will representatives from the Conservation Federation of Missouri please stand up to be recognized.
We hear a lot of talk about "movement-building." Well.. we all better realize that we have to do more than just talk about it. Without a commitment to true movement building, our "movement" will become weaker and weaker. Movement building requires that we look around the table and ask ourselves, "Are we relevant to a broader group of citizens?" "Who will feel welcome at our board table?" "Who will we learn from and broaden our perspectives for the benefit of the greater good?" "How open are we to change?"
The Texas Conservation Alliance went through a strategic planning process with the commitment to move from being an East Texas group to becoming a Big Tent. And in Texas, that's no small task. But they were committed to step up and be a coalition-builder - to develop and nurture a network of diversity. They reached out to state agencies to address the biggest threat to wildlife today, global warming. They stepped up to help pass No Child Left Inside legislation - because they know this is key to the future and to building the next generation of conservation leaders. They are network weavers - knitting together diverse groups of citizens into a larger network that continues to grow in clout and influence. Will representatives from the Texas Conservation Alliance please stand and be recognized.
Related Links:
Annual Meeting Attendee List
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Interview with Larry Schweiger
Last Updated (2009-05-13 10:35:13)