EGA President and CEO
by Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, President and CEO, Environmental Grantmakers Association
In these trying times I am sharing a light hearted update about the first leg of the EGA Connects Tour: Meet the President & CEO! Amid cascading crises, it has been heartening to meet members and partners across the country for the first time.
EGA’s ambitions toward racial equity could not be timelier and I look forward to refining them together as we go. Here are a few highlights from the tour.
Our First Stop: San Diego, California
In May, EGA held its first in-person Board Retreat in San Diego. This was also the first stop of the EGA Connects Tour. We kicked off in collaboration with EGA Board Chair, Marisa Aurora Quiroz and the support of the team at the International Community Foundation. I enjoyed connecting with members at the San Diego Foundation and Marisla Foundation; and I happily spent time with prospective EGAers. I feel blessed to have quality hours with past Board members and the incredible team at International Community Foundation! Thank you for your grace and support, Marisa.
Our Second Stop: Miami, Florida
After San Diego, we headed to Miami for the second tour stop and the Hispanics in Philanthropy Conference (HIP). I had the pleasure of mask-to-mask meetings with members from all over the country and time with members of EGA’s Board and community who were in attendance. I connected with so many EGA program and thought partners, including Candid and SURDNA. As part of the HIP conference, I moderated a well-received plenary on climate, race, and environment with representatives from The Funders Network, Miami Catalyst, and GreenLatinos.
Simultaneously, our new Strategic Partnerships Director, Cristina Edwards, represented our community at the Biodiversity Funders Group's annual meeting strengthening the bonds of our networks on Jekyll Island, GA. We are delighted to see the slow and steady return to gathering for impact.
To close out the month of June, I had the pleasure of representing EGA and the broad work of environment in a few public and thought leadership spaces:
- National Academies’ Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States (presented on the Racial Equity POV and the role of philanthropy in making change with EGA members, Kresge Foundation and Pisces Foundation);
- The TED Countdown Series on the question of carbon offsets;
- 2022 Financial Innovations Roundtable, Advancing Clean Energy, a convening hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Keep an eye out for updates from my next stop in the Windy City (which includes onsite tours of venues for the upcoming Fall Retreat)!
In July, I will head to Seattle to present the Racial Equity POV at the United Philanthropy Forum conference. The staff team will be on hand, and we will all meet for the first time for a much-needed staff retreat. Board member, Kristen Ragain, is helping us plan funder meetings in Seattle between July 13th-18th. Please spread the word, and I hope to see you there!