‘Fortify the Bridge’ campaign aims to protect Sacramento’s leadership pipeline
NEHEMIAH EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM HAS EMPOWERED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. BUT SOME FEDERAL POLICY DECISIONS ARE THREATENING ITS FINANCIAL SECURITY. NOW, THE NELP HAS LAUNCHED A COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN. AND THIS MORNING WE WELCOME CEO SHELDON AND BOARD CHAIR SCOTT SYPHAX. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. WE APPRECIATE IT. GLAD TO BE HERE. FIRST OF ALL, EXPLAIN, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW THE MISSION OF THE PROGRAM, YES, EITHER ONE OF YOU CAN JUMP IN. OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO DIVERSIFY LEADERSHIP AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE LEADING THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY ITSELF. SO DO THEY LOOK LIKE, SOUND LIKE, MOVE LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY EMBODY THAT COMMUNITY? WHAT DO YOU ALL BELIEVE HAS BEEN THE GREATEST IMPACT OVER THE LAST 16 YEARS? I THINK THAT THE GREATEST IMPACT HAS BEEN THE DIVERSIFICATION OF THE TABLES OF POWER AND INFLUENCE WITHIN THIS REGION. WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM BACK IN 2009, SACRAMENTO WAS FAIRLY REPRESENTATIVE OF 1950S AMERICA IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL DECISION MAKING AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES. TODAY, BECAUSE OF PROGRAMS LIKE THE NELP PROGRAM, YOU SEE DECISIONS BEING MADE WHERE IT IS THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED. AND WE HAVE MOVED PEOPLE FROM SEEKING OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY BEING IN THE C-SUITES AND LEADING THE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS, BOTH CORPORATE AND NONPROFIT, WITHIN THIS REGION. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND WHAT IT IS THAT PARTICIPANTS ARE LEARNING, AND WHAT ARE THEY ULTIMATELY GAINING THAT LEADS THEM TO THE C-SUITE? YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS CREATED, THE FOCUS WAS REALLY GETTING PEOPLE THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO BREAK THAT GLASS CEILING. AND THAT INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE, THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO WALK INTO A ROOM AND FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE AT HIGHER LEVELS. AND SO WE REALLY DO FOCUS ON THE COMFORTABILITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAM, AND WE TEACH THEM A VARIETY OF SKILLS TO HELP THEM IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. BUT I THINK THE SECRET TO OUR SOURCES, SACRAMENTO IS VERY MUCH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. CAN YOU LEAD THAT COMMUNITY NO MATTER WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE AND WHO YOU ARE? ARE YOU SOMEONE THAT CAN LEAD A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE? LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE FEDERAL POLICY DECISIONS. HOW DO YOU ALL BELIEVE IT’S GOING TO IMPACT YOU? WELL, I THINK THAT THESE FEDERAL POLICY DECISIONS SEND A MARKET SIGNAL TO THE TYPICAL SPONSORS OF A PROGRAM LIKE OURS WHERE IT IS THAT THEY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE’VE SUPPORTED YOU FOR YEARS. WE’VE SENT OUR OWN EMPLOYEES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, AND WE REALLY LOVE THE PRODUCT THAT YOU PRODUCE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE’RE KIND OF SCARED BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE PRONOUNCEMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT SAY THAT, HEY, IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN DOING THINGS REALLY JUST TO CREATE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE, ALL WE’RE DOING IS GIVING PEOPLE A CHANCE NOT ONLY TO BE COMPETE, NOT ONLY TO COMPETE, BUT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WILL NOT DO BUSINESS WITH YOU OR SOMEHOW YOU WILL BE OSTRACIZED. AND SO WE’RE PLAYING THE LONG GAME AND WE ARE STAYING TRUE TO OUR MISSION BECAUSE THAT ACCESS HAS BEEN A FORCE MULTIPLIER, NOT ONLY IN DIVERSIFYING THE TABLES OF POWER AND INFLUENCE, BUT ALSO CREATING ECONOMIC VALUE WITHIN THIS REGION. SURE. REALLY QUICKLY, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN THAT YOU JUST STARTED. TELL ME THE DETAILS REALLY QUICKLY. WE’VE GOT ABOUT 15 SECONDS. YES. FORTIFY THE BRIDGE. SO WE ARE LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY, STRENGTHEN THAT BRIDGE WHERE WE’RE TAKING EMERGING LEADERS TO THE OTHER SIDE. AND SO WE’RE LOOKING FOR A THOUSAND PEOPLE TO GIVE $50 A MONTH TO HELP US FORTIFY THE BRIDGE. AND HOW CAN PEOPLE CONTACT YOU TO DO THAT? NEHEMIAH LEADERS.COM. OKAY.
‘Fortify the Bridge’ campaign aims to protect Sacramento’s leadership pipeline
Updated: 3:46 PM PST Nov 13, 2025
For 16 years, the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) has been a cornerstone of Sacramento’s leadership development — empowering women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQIA+ professionals and individuals with disabilities to drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities.The program’s alumni represent a network of diverse changemakers who embody leadership through equity and inclusion. But now, as federal policy decisions threaten the financial stability of many community-based programs, NELP is facing a new challenge.To ensure the organization’s independence and sustainability, NELP has launched “Fortify the Bridge: For the Next Generation of Leaders,” a new community campaign inviting 1,000 supporters to contribute $50 per month.The goal: to strengthen Sacramento’s leadership pipeline and secure the next 16 years of transformational impact.The initiative coincides with the release of NELP’s 2025 Impact Report, which highlights the organization’s continued success in developing leaders who champion equity across industries and civic spaces.Deneva Shelton, NLP’s Chief Executive Officer and Scott Syphax, Board Chair of Nehemiah Leaders Programs (NLP) joined KCRA 3 this morning. Click the video above to watch the full interview. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
For 16 years, the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) has been a cornerstone of Sacramento’s leadership development — empowering women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQIA+ professionals and individuals with disabilities to drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities.
The program’s alumni represent a network of diverse changemakers who embody leadership through equity and inclusion.
But now, as federal policy decisions threaten the financial stability of many community-based programs, NELP is facing a new challenge.
To ensure the organization’s independence and sustainability, NELP has launched “Fortify the Bridge: For the Next Generation of Leaders,” a new community campaign inviting 1,000 supporters to contribute $50 per month.
The goal: to strengthen Sacramento’s leadership pipeline and secure the next 16 years of transformational impact.
The initiative coincides with the release of NELP’s 2025 Impact Report, which highlights the organization’s continued success in developing leaders who champion equity across industries and civic spaces.
Deneva Shelton, NLP’s Chief Executive Officer and Scott Syphax, Board Chair of Nehemiah Leaders Programs (NLP) joined KCRA 3 this morning.
Click the video above to watch the full interview.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel