Katie Maxwell on LinkedIn: Meech Carter with the NC League of Conservation Voters discusses clean… (2024)

This is an exciting week because it is the beginning of my second (and final) year in the Master of Environmental Management program at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment! Throughout the summer, I have been looking forward to joining the as a Student Consultant this semester. On day one, I was struck with a poignant reminder of my ties to my Alma Mater, St. Olaf College. During our introductions, we were asked to share a place that holds significance to us. I decided to mention the St. Olaf Natural Lands for its recreation value—a place to recharge and root deeper in community, much like prairie grasses. My comments led to a lovely opportunity to honor the memory of the late Amy Gillespie—an alumna of St. Olaf and Duke Law—with Ryke Longest. Though our interaction was brief, I got lunch with Amy on a 2015 St. Olaf Spring Break Connections trip to Washington, D.C., organized by the Piper Center for Vocation and Career. Nearly ten years later, I vividly remember Amy’s quick wit and passion for mentorship over our lively conversation at that bustling D.C. cafe. Later that summer, I interned as a Svoboda Legal Scholar for the University of Minnesota Law School Family Law Child Advocacy & Juvenile Justice Clinic under the supervision of Jean Sanderson. The Svoboda Legal Scholars program is a rare undergraduate opportunity for Oles to explore legal professions. Though I have taken a more climate policy/nonprofit advocacy focus in my career than a strictly legal path, I continue to be grateful for my time in the law clinic. This full-circle moment allows me to reflect on how St. Olaf prepared me for a career dedicated to serving the greater good. I believe vocational discernment is a lifelong endeavor. This is why I am eager to continue discerning how to craft a career of meaning and purpose under the guidance of Michelle Nowlin, Ryke Longest, and Nancy Lauer. I hope to live up to Amy’s impressive legacy.#OlesCanOlesWill #UmYahYah#WeAreDukeEnvironment #GoDukehttps://lnkd.in/erqhr7UW

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Today, I had the honor of stepping onto the floor of the North Carolina House of Representatives as a guest of Representative Sarah Crawford. I’m grateful to Representative Crawford for being so welcoming to Michael Mohs and me each time we have visited the Legislature with Daniel Crawford during our NC League of Conservation Voters Stanback Fellowship this summer. Dan is a fantastic lobbyist and mentor. He is teaching us how to be effective on environmental issues in a battleground state. The work is about much more than conservation. It’s also about defending democracy and utility accountability. With so much riding on the upcoming election up and down the ballot, this experience has been both challenging and rewarding! I’ve got another week and a half to go before my fellowship concludes. In case I don’t say anything next week, I want to be sure to mention how great it has been to work alongside a cohort of Duke University graduates and current students. Both Michelle (Meech) Carter MSL, MEM and Tyler McFarland have been super welcoming as full time staff. And I’m excited that the team recently grew to include Marinel Ubaldo, RSW as Raleigh’s Regional Field Director. They’re three awesome Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment alumni!! None of this would have been possible without the generous support of Mr. Fred Stanback and the dedicated staff at the Nicholas School Career Office. Thank you! #goduke #wearedukeenvironment #summerinternship P.S. Swipe to the end to see a standing ovation for a WWII veteran who was 102 years old!

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It's great to see The Washington Post write about the League of Conservation Voters' endorsem*nt of Vice President Harris and discuss who might be her running mate. As a Stanback Fellow working at the NC League of Conservation Voters this summer, I have seen firsthand that NCLCV's scorecard and endorsem*nts matter a great deal. Their mention in this article is a testament to that fact.

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Thank you to the for including me in this post celebrating the 2023-2024 cohort of student assistants! Take a moment to click the article below to read about the research and writing my fellow students did this past year. It is impressive. I’m also truly touched by what Braden Welborn said about me. She wrote: “Katie Maxwell (MEM ’25, Communications Graduate Assistant) applied her considerable communications, research, and organizational skills to make invaluable contributions to the Nicholas Institute. She captured and curated compelling photos and quotes (including at COP28 the United Arab Emirates), helped promote and document the student-organized Energy Week at Duke, evaluated technical solutions, completed web analytics projects, and so much more! Our work requires us to be nimble and responsive—Katie embraced this variety, collaborating effectively with every member of our team over the year. Her questions and insights—and her sunny attitude—helped make us better at what we do!” Thank you, Braden!

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