Environmental Initiative: Building bridges and collaborating to accomplish goals

Environmental Initiative is a group of committed individuals who bring people together to talk, listen, develop and implement creative solutions to problems. Executive Director Mike Harley and Partnership Coordinator Emily Kraeske will provide an overview of Environmental Initiative with an emphasis on their ag work, Sustainable Growth Coalition, EV efforts, and the state’s climate action framework. 

Emily's background: The biggest thing drawing me to Environmental Initiative is the focus on building bridges and collaborating to accomplish goals. I’m a firm believer that we can achieve our strongest and most sustainable work by joining forces and having more voices represented. I was drawn to the projects at Environmental Initiative that not only prioritize acting on our most pressing environmental issues but also work to center equity.

Mike's Background: I first came to the organization when it was just two years old, and he joined as an intern and the organization’s first communications staff person. I had come to Minnesota from working in an environmental justice organization in the poorest counties in Eastern Kentucky, and although I believed deeply in that work, I had come to realize that we were almost entirely in relationship with people who already agreed with us. No hearts and minds were being changed by working with a small group of people who mostly felt and thought in the same ways.

This presentation is brought to you by the RCAT in recognition of Earth Day.