Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI)
The Sustainability Leadership Initiative (SLI) is an innovative leadership development program that uses cross-boundary dialogue, field sessions, and experiential learning to enhance skills and equip fellows to enact positive change in their organizations and communities.
We are visionaries and collaborators who find and implement transformative strategies at the intersection of commerce and conservation to facilitate systems change. We build trust through sharing ideas, solutions, and best practices while challenging each other and celebrating sustainability successes.
Applications for 2026 are open now!
Complete your application by August 18th
For any questions, please reach out to Emily Skaggs at Emily@sustainsouthcarolina.org.
For more information, watch the informational webinar recording.
Hosted throughout the state, SLI focuses on developing the qualities leaders need to navigate South Carolina through unprecedented changes in human and natural communities, while supporting economic prosperity and resilience.
The six-session program accepts 25 participants each year, and spans six months, from January to June. Each fellow is required to attend all six sessions to meet the certification requirement.
hrough cross-boundary dialogue, active learning, case studies, site tours and community projects, Fellows will emerge with enhanced skills to driver positive change within their organizations and communities.
To ensure that the curriculum is hands-on, interactive and participant-driven, each SLI class is limited to 25 participants. Each year we select from a large pool of applicants across South Carolina, to create a balanced cohort of private, public and sustainability-minded NGO decision makers.
SLI Program Objectives
NETWORKING
Create a strong, cross-sector network of sustainability leaders to serve South Carolina.
SUSTAINABILITY
Explore and understand complex sustainability systems from multiple perspectives (commerce and conservation) and identify levers for systems change.
LEADERSHIP
Build and enhance the leadership skills needed to enact positive change.
Furman University
THE SHI INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities trains leaders and conducts applied research for a more Sustainable South Carolina.
Launched in 2020, the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities works at the intersection of socio-economic and ecological systems to tackle our most pressing sustainability challenges. The Institute places students and faculty at the heart of the work, making positive impacts through applied research, hands-on learning, and sustainability leadership training. The Institute builds on over a decade of proven success and national renown of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability to envision a world that meets the needs of all people within the means of the living planet. Residing in a net-zero, LEED-certified, sustainable showcase home, abutted by an organic-practice farm in the heart of Furman’s campus, the Institute is emblematic of Furman’s commitment to sustainability.
SLI Sessions Overview
SESSION 1
January 8-9, 2026
Foundations of Sustainability Leadership
SESSION 2
February 5-6, 2026
Materials and Circularity
SESSION 3
March 5-6, 2026
Conservation and Land Management
SESSION 4
April 9-10, 2026
Sustainable Agriculture
SESSION 5
May 7-8, 2026
Energy and Emissions
SESSION 6
June 4, 2026
Leadership Presentations and Graduation
SLI Fellowship
KEY DATES AND APPLICATION INFORMATION
For more information, register to attend the informational webinar on July 15 at 11:00am
Applications open July 9, 2025 and close August 18, 2025
All applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions by September 25, 2025
Tuition payments will be due by October 17, 2025 and must be paid to participate in the 2026 program
For any questions, please reach out to Emily Skaggs at Emily@sustainsouthcarolina.org.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Each Fellow will be responsible for approximately 2-hours of preparation work before each session. This can include listening to an assigned podcast and/or light-reading. Fellows will also be required to do a short reflection for our #FellowFriday social media features and will be given due dates for the reflections at the beginning of the program.
All Fellows are required to complete a project and deliver a short presentation to meet the certification requirement. The project will capture their work and key learnings throughout the program. Though Fellows will be working on their projects throughout the program, they should also plan and account for some additional time spent finalizing their projects and preparing final presentations after the fifth session.
Each fellow is required to attend all sessions to meet the certification requirement. The sessions take place across six months, from January to June 2026.
SLI is the best way to get connected and prepared to lead Sustainability change in SC. Embedded in all session are opportunities to:
Learn from, and network with experts who are actively engaged in sustainability work in our state.
Share challenges and discuss best practices with organizational leaders and practitioners from across South Carolina.
Practice what you’re learning with guided activities and group problem solving.
Participate in field sessions that allow fellows to “learn by doing” and gain hands-on experience by engaging in real-world, innovative sustainability practices across sectors.
Tackle an organizational challenge (solutions-oriented approach in collaboration with fellows).
Each session incorporates networking, sustainability leadership development, engagement with other fellows and outside experts and field experiences around the state, all within a hands-on learning environment.
Upon successful completion of the SLI program and curriculum, you will become a certified Leadership Fellow for the 2026 calendar year. While you will always be considered an SLI fellow, the alumni program is designed for fellows who want to demonstrate their continued engagement with SLI as “Active” fellows.
In order to be an “Active” SLI Fellow, you must lead, attend or participate in three designated SLI Sustain SC and/or Furman events each calendar year to maintain your certification. Active fellows will remain part of a growing network of sustainability leaders.
Only one person per organization is eligible for SLI Fellowship per year.
PROGRAM COSTS
The cost of the program is $4,500, which includes SLI curriculum and programming, materials, access to participants and experts, lunch, snacks and dedicated networking times. Lodging, transportation and other meals are not included. Information on hotels will be provided and must be booked and paid for by individual participants.
For those interested in partial scholarships please contact Emily Skaggs, Marketing and Events Director of Sustain SC at Emily@sustainsouthcarolina.org.
PROGRAM LOCATIONS
Sessions take place across South Carolina. Past locations have included Greenville, Columbia, Lake City, Beaufort, Hartsville and Charleston. Final locations for 2026 will be shared upon acceptance to the program.
SLI Leadership
Andrew Predmore
Andrew brings extensive expertise in sustainability to Furman, having worked in both private industry and higher education. He most recently served as sustainability manager for Milliken & Company, where his work focused on reporting environmental, social and governance metrics, integrating life cycle assessment methodologies into Milliken’s business, and developing greenhouse gas reduction and climate mitigation strategy.
Prior to Milliken, Andrew was Director of Sustainability at Indiana University, where he was responsible for improving sustainability education and operations across seven campuses, serving more than 90,000 students. He led efforts to standardize waste and recycling at the Bloomington campus, created a cohesive approach to greenhouse gas emissions accounting, and developed an externally funded, climate-focused internship program serving cities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations across Indiana.
Andrew was previously a tenure-track professor of environmental studies at the University of Illinois-Springfield. In his academic career, Andrew has authored over 15 peer-reviewed papers on natural resource management and sustainability. Working at Furman is a return home to the Upstate, as Andrew is originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Leslie Skardon
Leslie is the CEO of Sustain SC, a nonprofit organization connecting sectors across South Carolina to optimize the use of our natural resources in a way that is sustainable for both our economy and our environment. With a business development background and passion for sustainability, Leslie unites smart growth with conservation to sustain South Carolina’s economic prosperity.
Prior to joining Sustain SC, Leslie built and executed strategies to drive business growth for Fortune 500 companies, governments, non-profits, and institutions. As a strategic communications and public affairs professional, Leslie specializes in advising purpose-driven clients to uncover strategies to meet business goals while positively impacting their communities.
Leslie is a community leader. She was recently named as South Carolina's Top 50 Women to Admire and was selected to be in the 2023 Lowcountry Class for the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative. Leslie was appointed to be a Commissioner on the City of Charleston's Commission on Women, founded Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3), and serves on the Charleston Chamber of Commerce's Regional Policy Committee. Leslie completed her MBA from Georgetown with a focus in Non-Market Strategy to help businesses be a force for good in the world.
Emily Skaggs
Emily Skaggs is a leader in marketing, corporate events, sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement. Since 2019, she has worked across numerous roles, managing corporate marketing and sustainability projects and leading strategies for sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, marketing operations and communications.
Previously, Emily held key leadership roles at Milliken & Company, where she made significant contributions to the company’s sustainability and marketing initiatives. These roles included Global Customer Experience Manager, Marketing Operations Project Manager, Sustainability Marketing Lead, and Advanced Sustainability Engagement Specialist. In these positions, Emily led corporate sustainability reporting efforts, managed impactful marketing and communications projects, and led a variety of corporate events aimed at engaging both internal and external stakeholders around sustainability. Emily is also a proud SLI Class 3 Alumni, further demonstrating her commitment to driving sustainable growth in South Carolina.
In her current role as Marketing and Events Director at Sustain SC, Emily plays a key role in advancing Sustain SC’s mission to create a more sustainable future for South Carolina through strategic marketing, effective stakeholder communication, statewide reporting and designing and executing impactful events.