The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is pleased to announce the fourth cohort of the Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) Fellowship. NASHP’s ELC fellowship provides an accessible pathway for early career people of color to enter state government positions or advance from current state government positions and related non-governmental organizations to lead in the development and administration of state health policy informed by their lived experience. 

“It is a privilege to launch the fourth year of our Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship program,” said Hemi Tewarson, president and executive director of NASHP. “We hope this group of fellows will be inspired by senior state leaders and one another — to realize their vision of leading state health policy informed by their own experiences. Having different perspectives in state leadership is critical in advancing how we build and execute state policy to better meet the needs of our communities.”

Six fellows were selected through a competitive process. Fellows are paired with senior-level state official advisors from communities of color for an immersive experience developing a health policy project that aligns with their advisor’s state strategy. Advisors create collaborative learning environments with hands-on state health policy experience throughout the fellowship period.

“Increasing diversity is not a tagline. The Emerging Leaders of Color Fellowship positions people from communities of color to represent their communities when leading and advancing state health policy — that’s increasing diversity,” said Kevin Patterson, CEO for Connect for Health Colorado.

The ELC Fellowship program curriculum also includes in-state visits with the fellows’ advisors, professional and leadership development, and attendance and participation in the 2024 NASHP annual conference. ELC fellows join a network of ELC Fellowship alumni, becoming part of the larger state health policy community. See the ELC Fellowship webpage to learn more about the program.