DEADLINE EXTENDED: Friday, April 17, 2020 at 11:59pm ET

About Yale Blue Green

Yale Blue Green (YBG), a shared interest group recognized by the Yale Alumni Association (YAA), is led and supported by Yale alumni and serves as a hub for thought leadership, collaborative action, lifelong learning, and social impact on a range of topics relating to the environment and sustainability. We represent a robust community of leaders, volunteers and members drawn from the entire Yale alumni population across different schools and generations. All alumni are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of academic or professional experience in environment and sustainability.

Yale Blue Green’s alumni members are located across the United States and internationally. We are building a network of regional chapters, and we also create digital community through online programming, webinars, monthly calls, and social media. Our chapters are an opportunity for alums living in different cities and locales to connect with fellow alums where they live and work, and to engage with environmental and sustainability issues that are unique to their area. We currently have chapters led by local co-chairs in New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, London.

YBG operates with the goal of facilitating three levels of connection and community-building:

• Alumni-to-Alumni: We create community by connecting and engaging Yalies interested in environment and sustainability issues through events and programming in our chapter network. We organize and participate in sustainability-related civic projects, lectures, social events, outdoor excursions, advocacy efforts, and Yale Day of Service projects.
• Alumni-to-University: We support the efforts of the Yale Office of Sustainability and University goals to advance global leadership on sustainability, as well as students who are exploring future environmental career paths.
• Alumni-to-the -World: We support alums working on the frontlines who are building new organizations and institutions, and pioneering innovative approaches to public engagement and climate action.

About the Inaugural YBG Board

Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, Yale Blue Green has experienced significant growth over the last few years, expanding programming, establishing chapters, and creating new opportunities for alumni-driven engagement around the critical issues facing the future of our planet.

We are now at a stage in our development where creating a board will enable us to achieve a new level of organizational sustainability and diversified leadership to better serve an expanding community of alumni. Our members represent the diversity of the Yale alumni body across many forms of identity, background, and Yale affiliation, and we want a board that reflects our membership and models the diversity that is needed in the environmental movement.

FAQs

Q: What will the board do?
A: The board will have the responsibility of building out the leadership structure of Yale Blue Green, engaging in long-term strategic planning, supporting a vision for programming and engagement that enables members to amplify their environmental impact beyond YBG, and identifying opportunities for deepening partnerships with Yale and other alumni groups.

Q: What is the length of the board term?
A: New board members will serve a three year term from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2023.

Q: What is the expected time commitment to serve as a board member?
A: Board members will be expected to engage in most of their work remotely via regular full-board conference calls and small working group meetings. There may also be an annual in-person meeting.

Q: Who is eligible to apply to serve on the board?
A: Relevant volunteer and/or professional experience is required to serve on the board, and prior board experience is beneficial but not required. Alumni from any school or program are encouraged to apply (regardless of their environmental experience), with some preference given to those who have prior involvement with YBG, or a demonstrated commitment to Yale alumni work more broadly.

Q: How will applications be evaluated and what is the timeline for selecting new board members?
A: Applications will be evaluated on a holistic basis by current YBG leadership with support from the Yale Alumni Association. We are looking for alumni who are excited about volunteer leadership and ready to roll up their sleeves to build a new board, and have a variety of complementary skills to think strategically and creatively. After the March 31st deadline, complete applications will be reviewed through mid-April, and shortlisted candidates will be contacted for phone interviews in late April/early May. We aim to notify selected board members and announce the inaugural board by the end of May, and the term will start on July 1st.

Q: Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
A: Please email YBG Chair Lauren Graham, ’13 MEM with any questions about the application.