Springing into a New Chapter

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Featured, Instagram, News

First Spring Flowers by Lindsey Pepper

How is it March and we are fast approaching the first day of spring on Sunday?

Spring is a season of new beginnings, fresh starts, new growth, and a chance for positive changes. Iowa IPL is no exception to this. At the beginning of the month, it was announced that I was stepping into the role of executive director. And we added two new board members: Rev. Dr. Belinda Creighton-Smith of Waterloo and Sr. Ruth E. Westmoreland of Clinton! It’s already been an exciting month as Iowa IPL turns a new chapter in empowering Iowans of faith and conscience to take bold and just climate action. 

We continue to run Faith Farms & Climate across the state and have added Dubuque and Atlantic to a growing list of travel outside of central Iowa. Farmers and rural faith leaders continue to amaze me with their love and dedication to caring for creation. This week we sent our first round of recruitment emails to Iowa college campuses for our Called to Climate Action summer student leadership program. All while continuing to monitor activity of the Iowa legislator and taking time to speak about climate action with groups around the state.

So, what’s next for Iowa IPL as we spring into a new chapter?

I’m a big believer in our mission and it will continue to guide every move I make leading Iowa IPL. And because I love a list, here are things that are vital to Iowa IPL moving forward:

  • A commitment to building more interfaith relationships and diversifying our supporters.
  • Lifting up the innovation and love of the land of farmers living into climate action.  
  • Empowering our rural faith leaders to take climate action in their contexts.
  • Expanding Faith Farms & Climate across our state.
  • Building and uplifting new climate action leaders across our state through our current programs and others currently percolating. 
  • Advocating for clean energy and water with our coalition partners.
  • Staying centered in hope and abundance in a world that pushes fear and scarcity.
  • Creating opportunities for our supporters to lean into their faith traditions to take bold and just climate action.

It’s a lot, and will take more than just myself. Luckily (and I mean it), we have great staff, an engaged board, and thousands of supporters like you around the state advocating for climate action. I am excited about all our changes, and remain hopeful that Iowa IPL will continue to expand in new ways while remaining grounded in our firm mission.

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