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Hannah Debelius, Sustainability Manager, American University
Any way that you can quantify your contribution, efforts, or leadership is a real asset when you're applying for jobs. It's something employers are going to respect. In the EcoLeader certification, there is a means to quantify leadership skills and actions that students have already taken.
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Kathy Cacciola, Sr. Director, Environmental Sustainability, Aramark
From farm worker to food service manager, each person plays a key role in supporting a sustainable future. Hands-on experience cultivated through the NWF EcoLeaders Program is a great way of building knowledge and finding the right opportunity for you.
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Amirah Odeh, EcoLeader, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras
Being part of NWF EcoLeaders allowed me to explore many opportunities that I wouldn't have found about otherwise. The network also gave me the chance to connect with other people, share stories and be inspired by many wonderful projects that I saw online.
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Tom Wojciechowski, Educator, University of Wisconsin-Extension Ashland County Office
An EcoLeader certification would be a great add-on. In recent workforce development studies, the biggest thing that seems to be lacking is soft skills - how to work with a group of people, how to lead a team, how to communicate. Employers are saying they are finding those skills lacking.
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Jim French, Sustainability Integration Specialist, United States Postal Service
If a person had an EcoLeader certification, it would be a boost. We need people who have some basic technical background in environmental protection, but more importantly we need people who know how to lead cross-functional teams to identify a common direction.
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Pamela Millan, EcoLeader, St. Edward's University
The NWF EcoLeaders community is a great place to connect with other people. It is also a great place to share your ideas, and get inspiration for projects that you want to bring to your community.