I am excited to be addressing you in the inaugural members-only newsletter of the National Sustainability Society. It's a real joy to see the work of our intrepid band of collaborators come to fruition in the form of the NSS. This organization is needed now more than ever, as the imperatives and challenges for envisioning and building together a just and sustainable future for humanity become ever more urgent.
The idea for a new organization that would support the growth and impact of the sustainability profession started to coalesce in 2022, following on the report from a National Academies study on strengthening university programs on sustainability. In numerous conversations with academic, industry, and non-profit leaders, we developed a vision for a community that will elevate, develop, and nurture academics who educate the next generation of professionals, researchers who generate new knowledge and solutions, and sustainability professionals across all career stages and sectors. We hope to be the support system that promotes best practices, strengthens policy, and heightens public awareness and engagement to support our network of sustainability professionals, researchers, and educators. We are thrilled to have officially launched this year as 501(c)3 with a new board and great plans for the future.
The energy at the inaugural meeting in Seattle last September reminded me why we've put the energy in to build this organization over the last few years. As an academic myself, I'm fortunate to have worked with numerous students over the years and seen the power of education and research in providing evidence and illuminating paths forward through geospatial technology and land systems science. In that work and in the broader field of sustainability, it has become ever clearer that the positive impacts of new knowledge are only fully realized when the questions, answers, and solutions are developed and shared in partnerships that span expertise found in academic, business, policy, and advocacy organizations. The cross-sectoral conversations and learning we began in Seattle are the heart of the NSS mission and purpose. By cultivating robust interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral conversation and collaboration, we can strengthen the important work each of us is engaged in. I look forward to continued connection through our 2nd annual conference at the University of Notre Dame in October, and through new engagement efforts before, during and after that event.
Credit where credit is due: I want to thank my earliest collaborators in this journey, especially 2025 program chair Arun Agrawal and past-president Chris Boone for their vision and tireless efforts in helping to bring this vision into reality. We amassed a small army of contributors to this effort, and I don't have space to mention everyone. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't acknowledge the ever positive efforts of Cristy Watkins, who keeps us moving forward and is serving as NSS new Operations and Engagement Director, and Jaron Rothkop, our strategic planning consultant, for his expertise on and attention to the details of organizational management.
On behalf of the board of the NSS, thank you for your engagement and help in growing our community as we work to build a just, resilient, and sustainable future, together.