AMS Early Career Leadership Academy: From idea to reality to evolution

The aim of the Early Career Leadership Academy (ECLA; established in 2017) is to improve the retention rates of women; people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+); and people with disabilities in the atmospheric sciences and related fields by cultivating leadership, providing mentorship, and fostering a strong community of supportive peers and collaborators. Since 2017, five classes have completed the program, with the class composition spanning professional sectors and personal identities.

Approximately 70% of ECLA participants were identified as women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and/or people with disabilities. Nearly half of all graduates have filled leadership positions within the American Meteorological Society (AMS), with a majority reporting that their first leadership position was not held until after completion of ECLA. A benefit of leadership training that spans across sectors includes the realization that despite different day-to-day responsibilities, many of the challenges faced by early career professionals related to extreme weather, climate change, and diversity and inclusion are similar across workplaces.