Business
John Littles is the Executive Director for Mcintosh Sustainable Environment Economic Development. He provides technical assistance to grassroots organizations and asset-based economic development, food systems, education systems, land preservation and retention, and so much more! In his role, John has generated over $8 million dollars in funding for the organization and works as an outreach provider for the United States Department of Agriculture for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. On the show, John shares his expertise and experience working with landowners in rural communities! Key Takeaways: [1:35] A message from Leadership Nature. [2:20] A quick intro about John’s background. [4:15] How did John get started in this field? [9:50] John relies heavily on volunteers and partnerships to help keep these community projects going. [10:35] What lessons has John learned about leading volunteers? [12:15] How did John first find out about the SFLR program and how has it helped the community so far? [14:45] By introducing diversity into the forestry industry, it has helped make an impact in the communities John and his team serve in. [15:25] John shares an example of how he helps landowners with their property. [17:30] How has John been able to build trust in the community? [19:20] The landowner always comes first! [19:45] What kind of partnerships has John been able to develop, so far? [20:40] John is in the third year of phase one for the SFLR program. What will phase two look like? [21:40] How have John and his team made the transition from serving people on a local front to a national front? [24:25] John shares a story about a young landowner he was able to help. [27:25] Trust takes time to build but once it’s built, you can really move mountains with it. [31:10] Can John help people clean up their title and getting ahold of the property’s farm number? [33:20] Why is this work so important to John? [34:40] What kind of advice does John have for landowners? [36:45] John shares his final thoughts about the importance of educating rural African American communities. Mentioned in This Episode: Website for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Usendowment.org More information on the SFLR Program: Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) More information on USDA NRCS: Nrcs.usda.gov Danielle Atkins on Leadership Nature Forestfoundation.org