The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is proud to welcome the 2027 Class of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), while also celebrating the 2026 ELP graduates. The ELP is a year-long program designed to grow the next generation of conservation leadership while building networks of support and local impact.
2027 Class of the SWCS Emerging Leaders Program
SWCS is thrilled to announce the 2027 cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program! This class will begin their learning journey in September and the program will culminate at the 82nd SWCS International Annual Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, next summer.
Throughout the year, participants will take part in interactive learning modules focused on professional skills such as communication, time management, event planning, and community building. Through connections with peers and leaders across disciplines, participants will gain guidance, strengthen their leadership approach, build confidence, and expand their impact on conservation in their communities.
2027 Class of Emerging Leaders:
Olanrewaju Adeyemi, UT
Gladys Adu Asieduwaa, ME
Mubashar Ali, Germany
Alaina Allen, IA
Hannah Ammann, MN
Helen Amorim, AR
Emma Anderson, WI
Muhammad Mehran Anjum, Qatar
Xue Bai, CA
Brissa Bailon, FL
Allegra Baird, MI
Mary Bakare, MS
Charchit Bansal, WI
Galen Bergquist, MN
Prashant Bhatt, ND
Anjan Bhatta, KS
Jacob Birch, IL
Elizabeth Bishop, AK
Marcus Blunck, NE
Christopher Borash, MN
Krysta Bozman, IN
Seth Bragg, MS
Morgan Brough, PA
Jennifer Brown, IN
Kevin Burgio, CT
Maria Burnett, VT
Matt Butler, AK
Grace Camarata, DC
Isabella Carpenter, MN
Carly Cecil, KY
Kennedy Chapman, MN
Emma Coakley, KY
Nikki Cobb, AL
Ariel Coleman, VA
Cordelia Collinson, VA
Samantha Colunga, TX
Elspeth Cooley, IN
Ciaran Costello, MN
Julia Cox, SC
Jada Csikos-Monroe, MN
Devin Curtis, MI
Samantha Daugherty, KY
Lucia Davids, WA
Ché Deer, OK
Sherri DeGraphenreed, MD
Ruby Dessiatoun, MD
Danielle Doering, NY
Audra Dooley, Iowa
Jacob Dooling, KS
Terri Eden, MI
Brianne Edwards, MO
Raza Ejaz, Pakistan
Alisa Evans, MO
Danny Flores, TX
Madeline Flores, GU
Ellen Friedrich, MN
Andreas Fuchs, KS
Jonathan Fuller, VA
Maya Fuller, DC
Cory Gamble, IA
Nikishia Garrett, CA
Mamnenge Gbim-Gbande, NY
John Gooding, FL
Haley Goodwiler, TX
Elliott Gough, IN
Angie Graham, KY
Me-Linh Gross, CA
Sophia Gunther, MO
Syed Haider, MS
Eli Halverson, MN
Patton Harbourt, MD
Jessica Harris, TX
Lauren Haygood, OK
Grant Head, TX
Danielle Heil, MN
Michele Heilman, DC
Bailey Henderson, MO
Nicholas Hendricks, IN
Kaylynn Henkenius, IA
Maria Hetman, Germany
Tayler Hilton, IN
Kate Hoheisel, IA
Brian Houle, ND
Carlton Howard, OH
Chad Howard, KY
Erin Huber, IN
Aayushi Jain, MS
Mary Janzen, KS
Annabella Jeffcoat, MO
Morgan Johns, TX
Kondwani Kamsikiri, OR
Reilly Kaplan-Fardy, KY
Dorcas Kayode, TN
Sara Kelemen, ME
Jonathan Kerman, NE
Sydney Kerman, WI
Sonali Kumari, India
Maneisha Lewis, GA
Guolong Liang, WI
Alyssa Libonati, NY
Madison Loder, KS
Jenny Long, MO
Marcus Long, OK
Halima Malal, CA
Lucas Mathews, FL
Leah Matzke, MN
Annabelle McCarthy, IN
Emerson McCauslin, MO
Tatianna McElveen, NC
Molly McIlquham, WI
Sean McKay, OH
Bridget McKinley, NE
Brooke McWherter, NE
Jesse Mears, IN
Shae Medlen, IN
Elizabeth Mefford, KY
Mukesh Kumar Mehla, TX
Heath Mineer, KY
Alejandra Miranda, CA
Ali Mohammed, AZ
Insha Momin, NY
Serena Moncion, VA
John Moore, WV
Azar Movaghatian, SD
Sydney Mrazik, IN
Natalie Nesburg, MI
Monica Nokes, IN
Ashley Novella, AK
Dillon Oatman, TX
Emmanuel Junior Oduro, Ghana
Libby Oren, CA
Megan Owen, GA
Grace Pacheco, NE
Rose Paul, MO
Tiffany Pauley, AZ
Evelyn Peat, KS
Srinivasa Rao Peddinti, CA
Katie Porubcan, WI
Davis Powell, SC
Danielle Pressley, MD
Emily Radhs, MI
Tory Raether, MO
Alexandra Ramirez, IL
Payton Randolph, UT
Lindsey Rasnake, MS
Eeswaran Rasu, MI
Tyler Reece, MO
Susan Chege Reuben, Tanzania
Mumtahina Riza, FL
Gustavo Roa, KS (Paraguay)
Gabriela Rodriguez, MN
Baileigh Rosado, PA
Elizabeth Salas Sandoval, Mexico
Diana Salguero Gaibor, WA
Felix Samuel, AL
Sidney Sanchez, TX
Anuoluwa Sangotayo, IN
Shalom Sapkota, FL
Ryan Sawyer, CO
Nicholas Scheel, MI
Emily Schmeling, NE
Brianna Shepherd, PA
Claire Shipp, IL
Whitney Simmons, GA
Tatum Simms, AR
Arshdeep Singh, OR
Abby Sisung, TX
Ana Morales-Ona Smith, AR
Helen Smith, MD
Erin Sonnenburg, MD
Emily Southwell, OR
Anderson Spratt, MD
Josue St Fort, FL
Rebecca StClair, IN
Maria Teresa Tancredi, MN
Aysha Tapp Ross, KY
Tamiya Thomas, PA
Pooja Timilsina, IA
Rachael Tuck, FL
Madisen Unseld, NE
Qudus Uthman, CA
Hannah Van Gorp, IA
Robert Vance, TX
Nathan Villiger, MD
Julienne Vinculado, PA
Sainfort Vital, MS
Andrew Waite, ID
Metta Watkins, SC
Brooke Watson, IL
Garett Watson, IN
Parker Wayment, UT
Denise Webb, GA
Benjamin Webster, GA
Serena White, MN
Tomekia White, AR
Mary Wilhelm, OH
John Williams, VA
Christina Williams , LA
Dailyn Wold, WI
Hallie Wright, NY
Yiting Xiao, AR
Breq Young, CA
Celebrating the 2026 Graduates
The 2026 Emerging Leaders Program graduates demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing conservation in their communities. Among the graduates, 118 earned their Certified Conservation Event Planner credentials, hosting a total of 122 events across 37 states/territories and 6 countries. These events collectively drew over 6,000 attendees (nearly 1,500 of these attendees were farmers/producers/landowners). The events involved partnerships with 246 organizations, significantly amplifying the reach and impact of their conservation efforts.
From here, the 2026 graduates join the 2024 and 2025 cohorts as part of the ELP Alumni Network. Alumni continue to stay connected with SWCS by volunteering with the Society and its chapters, sharing their expertise, and providing feedback that helps strengthen the program for future participants
"We need inspired, equipped conservation professionals ready to lead conservation on our working lands and in our communities, and this class has shown they have the talent, determination, and heart to move conservation forward around the world," said SWCS CEO Clare Lindahl about the graduates.
Congratulations and thank you to these emerging leaders. SWCS looks forward to continuing to support their growth, leadership, and conservation careers. Read more about the 2026 Emerging Leaders Program in the Post-Program Report.
2026 Graduates of the Emerging Leaders Program:
Alisha Adams, CA
Grace Adams, IN
Kaushik Adhikari, TX
Benjamin Aerts, WI
Nawab Ali, MI
Justine Anderson, OK
Ayomide Animasaun, Nigeria
Cassandra (Casey) Arthur, IN
Jordan Atmore, CA
Alexis Barnes, IL
Alyssa Barroso, CT
Logan Baum, MO
Prajwal Bhosale, CA
Roberta Bianchin Rebesquini, IA
Jacob Black, NJ
Gabrielle Bolwerk, MN
Hannah Booms, MI
Ben Brooks, CO
Allie Brown, MO
Megan Brown, MO
Joshua Brown , KS
Joseph Burke, TX
Ashley Burson, MO
Sophie Byde, UT
Christin Byrd, MO
Amanda Camacho , NJ
Morgan Cauble, IL
Jose Cesario Pinto, IA
Gillian Chesnut, IL
Arjun Chhetri, TN
Alysse Cleasby, NH
Mara Cloutier, SC
Tammy Cody, MO
Zoë Colatarci, KS
Alyssa Comer, IA
Chelsea Cook, MO
Adrian Coppage, WI
Karen Cossi Kawakami, ND
Krista Council, IA
Katrina Danzinger, AK
Crystal Denney, AK
Babak Dialameh, OH
Colleen Dickey, WI
Kaitlyn Dozler-German, NE
Karleigh Duffield, MI
Teagan Duffy, WI
Gregory Eckley, IA
Daniel Egerson, MS
Adesuwa Erhunmwunse, ID
Michael Ewing, MI
Antoine Favors, NC
Paige Fehr, Canada
Olivia Feldmann, IA
Kayla Fenning, NJ
Elizabeth Feth, MO
John Fisher, OH
Cole Flatt, IN
Laura Floyd, IN
Kade Flynn, MN
Robert Fowler, MN
Izzy Franks, MI
Nat Gaffney, CA
Sarah Gentry, MO
Valerie Gibertini, IA
Amare Gojjam, Ethiopia
Felicity Guttmann, MO
Claire Hambrick, CA
Ellen Harrell, MS
Amanda Harvey, WI
Christopher Harvey, SC
Sydney Hassfurther, IN
Eleanor Haworth, TX
Veronica Helming, IN
Claire Hetzel, WI
Eric Hogan, MO
Torri Holder, MO
Betsyjo Howe, WI
Brody Huff, MO
Emma Hunter, IL
Chisara Iwuchukwu, IN
Julia Jenikejew, SC
Shelby Jenkins, MO
Hailey Jessup, SC
Frank Johnson, MS
Gabriel Johnson, IA
De'Nonna Jones, MO
Divya Kandanool, MO
Elizabeth Kelley, MI
Kyle Knehans, MO
Samuel Kwakye, FL
Annalise Lallana, MO
Larissa Lapak, MI
Samantha Laswell, IA
Alyson Levig, MN
Abigail Levin, IL
Michaela Lubbers, GA
Erica Lujan, AK
Rachel MacDowell, CA
Engr Muhammad Danish Majeed, Pakistan
Cassidy Marquis, MD
Tim McNair, NC
Kamira McNeal, MI
Devyn McPheeters, PA
Lakota McRoberts, AK
Hannah Meert, MO
Sushant Mehan, SD
Brianna Miles, NC
Rose Mumbi, MN
Adriana Murguia, CA
Ravi Neelipally, TN
Ashley Neill, MO
Abigale Nicholson, WI
Floyid Nicolas, OR
Brenda Norris, IN
Emilee Novak, ND
Spencer Ostergaard, CA
Sarah Patterson, MN
Emily Perrott, IA
Christopher Pinkos, IN
Carlos Pires, ND
Kirthana Pisipati, CA
Alice Prates Bisso Dambroz, MN
Frances Preston, KY
Nadia Racz, IN
Brett Ramer, VA
Kel Richards, VT
Bailey Russell, IN
Maryam Sahraei, SD
Gwen Saliares, WI
Hayden Sater, IN
Camille Sczerbowicz, IN
Katrina Seaman, TN
Emily Sekelsky, MI
Emily Stambaugh, PA
Alexia Steele, VA
Shelly Stewart, IA
Tina Sullivan, KS
Anna Swearengen, MO
Pamela Taylor, MO
Hannah Thompson, AK
Charles Thorpe, AZ
Serene Tomaszewski, WI
Amanda Trakas, IN
Mariah Underwood, IN
Casey Venable, IN
Ian Virtue, Canada
Lisandra Vitorino, CA
Abigail Wadzinski, WI
Kaela Walton-Sather, TN
Michelle Weaver, KY
Sophie Westbrook, KS
Wyatt Westfall, IA
Cassidy Winn, CO
Maggie Woods, OK
William Yoder, IN
Kendra Young, UT
Matt Young, CA
Hongxu Zhou, IL
For More Information:
For more information on the SWCS Emerging Leaders Program, visit www.swcs.org/elp. Contact elp@swcs.org with any questions or to learn how to support leaders in your region.