I recently had one of those with Tim Minotas, the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter's Legislative and Political Director. We were discussing a local effort in Novi to preserve a mature stand of trees threatened by development that had inadvertently been left off the City's Woodland Ordinance map. More specifically, we were talking through the best way to approach several Novi City Council members whom the Sierra Club had endorsed and how to engage them in finding a path forward to protect these trees.

As often happens, one topic led to another. We talked about other local conservation issues, how the Chapter approaches political advocacy and eventually the Sierra Club's Political Internship Program. That's when I realized something that surprised me. Despite being a Sierra Club member and volunteer for several decades, I didn't really understand the importance of our political internship program.

I knew we endorsed candidates, knocked on doors, made phone calls, staffed events and helped elect environmental political leaders. What I hadn't really thought about was where many of those organizers, advocates and future leaders got their start. Someone has to teach those skills, and it turns out the Sierra Club has been doing exactly that for years.

The Political Internship Program gives students and young professionals an opportunity to learn by doing. Interns gain experience with campaign organizing, voter outreach, fundraising, communications, environmental policy, grassroots organizing and the day-to-day work that goes into helping elect conservation-minded leaders. They aren't simply observing from the sideline; they're part of the effort, working alongside experienced staff and volunteers while learning how environmental advocacy and the political process intersect.

Then Tim shared something I had no idea about; he himself had started with the Sierra Club as a political intern himself.

I love stories like that because they remind us that leadership rarely begins at the top. Years ago, someone gave Tim an internship opportunity, invested the time to teach him how campaigns work, how to organize volunteers, and how to advocate effectively for environmental issues. Today, he's leading the Chapter's legislative and political efforts while helping mentor a new generation of interns who may someday find themselves in similar leadership roles. That's how healthy organizations grow.

After our conversation, I spent some time reading through the Chapter's 2024 Election Report, and one section that really caught my attention was hearing directly from the interns themselves. One talked about traveling across Michigan and meeting people they never would have met otherwise. Another described canvassing in the Upper Peninsula for the first time and discovering the importance of collective action while talking with voters about environmental issues.

Those aren't just campaign experiences, they're life experiences. You learn how to have conversations with people from different communities. You learn to listen before trying to persuade. You learn that meaningful change rarely comes from one speech, one meeting, or one social media post. More often, it comes from thousands of individual conversations that slowly build trust, understanding and momentum.

Our Chapter's internship program description also notes that former participants have gone on to become lawyers, campaign managers, nonprofit professionals, elected officials, professors, Sierra Club staff, citizen lobbyists and volunteer leaders throughout the organization. That's a remarkable legacy for any internship program.

Reading all of this also made me think about my own career. One of the most rewarding parts of leadership has never been hitting a professional goal or revenue target. Those accomplishments are certainly satisfying, but they fade with time. What stays with you is watching people grow. Hiring someone early in their career, helping them develop new skills and seeing them eventually step into leadership roles of their own has always been one of the most fulfilling parts of the job.

The environmental movement needs that same mindset. We spend a lot of time talking about climate action, protecting wetlands, restoring forests, preserving wildlife habitat and expanding access to nature. All of that work is important. But behind every successful conservation effort are people willing to organize communities, educate voters, advocate for better policies and inspire others to get involved. Those people don't simply appear; they're developed over time.

It's easy to measure success by asking whether a candidate won an election or whether a bill passed the Legislature. Those things certainly matter, but another measure of success is whether we're preparing the people who will be doing this work ten, twenty or even thirty years from now.

That's why I came away so impressed with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter's Political Internship Program. Yes, it helps campaigns. Yes, it helps elect environmental champions. But perhaps its greatest contribution is something much bigger. It's helping develop the people who will lead this movement long after today's election cycle is over.

I also have to admit that I'm a little surprised I hadn't learned more about this program sooner. After several decades as a Sierra Club member and volunteer, I had somehow overlooked one of the Chapter's most important programs. I'm glad Tim took our conversation in that direction because it gave me a new appreciation for how much thought goes into building not just successful campaigns, but strong organizations.

If this post resonates with you, I'd encourage you to think about getting involved. Elections shape the policies that determine what happens to the forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, parks and public lands we all care about. One of the best ways to protect those places is by helping elect leaders who understand their value and are willing to stand up for them.

Here in Southeastern Michigan, we're always looking for volunteers to join our Political Committee. You don't need campaign experience or a background in public policy; just a willingness to learn, ask questions and lend a hand. Whether your interests are researching candidates, participating in endorsements, attending local meetings, canvassing or helping during election season, there's a place in this committee for you.

If you'd like to learn more about the Political Committee or our other committees, please send us an email at sierra.club.semg@gmail.com. We'd love to have you join us.

After all, every experienced advocate started somewhere. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation to open a door you never expected to walk through.

Best regards, 

Ken Jacobsen, Outings and Wildlands & Wildlife Committees Chair