Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition Environmental Justice Fellows

These positions are part of the NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program, supporting the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) projects. The fellows will support the project: Building Resilience to Extreme Weather in Northeast Ohio.

Host Organization: Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Location of Position: Cleveland, Ohio
Duration of Position: Two years (June 2025-June 2027)
Annual Salary: $44,180
Benefits: Medical insurance, 11 paid federal holidays per year, 15 paid personal days per year, professional development training, travel funding, relocation allowance
Note: Two positions are available.

Work Environment: The fellows will work a hybrid schedule of remote and in-office.

Fellowship Position Description:

The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition seeks coastal resilience fellows from historically underrepresented groups in the northeast region of Ohio, specifically focused on engaging with the underserved, predominantly African American residents in the cities of Lorain, Elyria, Akron, Youngstown-Warren, and the Cleveland metropolitan area. Specific counties covered by the fellowship align with the project area and include Summit, Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Mahoning, and Trumbull. The fellows will conduct the duties described below across the geography, with the first fellow primarily focusing on Ashtabula, Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, and Summit counties and the second fellow focusing on Trumbull, Geauga, Lake, and Mahoning counties.

The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition has long recognized the need for a program to identify and train students representing communities of concern to work in environmental justice sectors focused on coastal resilience.

The Coalition is seeking Environmental Justice Fellows who are interested in careers focused on environmental justice looking at the cumulative impact of racism on economic, environmental, structural, and social justice inequities on education, employment, housing, and health. The fellows are future leaders and decision-makers in the rapidly changing fields of conservation, justice, equity, and resilience. We are looking for fellows who

• want to broaden their environmental knowledge and perspectives;
• want to build their leadership and communication skills;
• want to gain valuable work experience;
• are passionate about diversifying the environmental field;
• are committed to supporting and advocating for the principles of equity and inclusion;
• are interested in learning about coastal resilience and its impacts on local, national, and international environmental work; and
• want to be a part of an emerging network.

The fellows will:

(1) ensure that research, training, education, technical assistance, and decision-support work undertaken will support and inform our project, Building Resilience to Extreme Weather in Northeast Ohio, and especially support people in under-resourced and disproportionately affected communities to help them thrive in a region that will be exposed to fluctuating environment due to climate change;

(2) serve as program experts in the coastal resilience and environmental justice topic areas and work with the community outreach team to bolster current programming and modify and develop new efforts in the coastal resilience and environmental justice areas;

(3) play a leadership role in the northeast Ohio community promoting data-driven research and results to inform behavior, policy, and management decisions related to coastal resilience;

(4) develop programs and materials that serve a broad audience including engaging communities (especially those underserved), state and federal agencies, elected officials, businesses, educators, students, nongovernmental organizations, etc. and works closely with agencies such as the NOAA to leverage capacity;

(5) cultivate existing partnerships and forge new partnerships throughout the region;

(6) identify leadership opportunities within the program and seek outside leadership roles within partner programs while also serving as a valuable team player;

(7) assist with development of proposals for additional funds and serve as key personnel on grants that address local needs and the needs of the target audiences;

(8) conduct research based on knowledge gaps and community needs;

(9) have the ability to explain complex issues to non-scientists;

(10) collaborate to enhance the outreach and education portions of their projects;

(11) lead frequent education and outreach projects including presentations at conferences, outreach and community engagement events, workshops, luncheons, webinars, dinners, etc.;

(12) develop new opportunities to expand outreach programming in the state, region, and nation;

(13) evaluate the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition’s products and programs to assess their value, measure their impact, determine how to improve them, and fulfill requirements for annual reporting;

(14) increase public recognition of Building Resilience to Extreme Weather in Northeast Ohio and serve as an understandable source of information on Great Lakes policies and issues;

(15) increase public understanding and knowledge regarding Lake Erie and Great Lakes issues;

(16) participate in professional development activities to stay current in coastal resilience and environmental justice topic areas, as well as general Lake Erie science;

(17) join and actively serve as members of relevant professional societies;

(18) serve as a representative of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition on regional advisory boards and planning committees; and

(19) work largely independently in a position located in northeast Ohio.

Potential Deliverables: 

• Summary report of research findings on knowledge gaps and community needs 
• Completed community assessments for each community-based organization, county, and selected municipality (scale to be determined)
• Presentation(s) for the Advisory Board on key topics

Anticipated Travel:

The fellows should have the ability to travel in the communities and counties within the project service area. As noted above, one fellow will focus on Ashtabula, Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, and Summit counties; the second fellow will focus on Trumbull, Geauga, Lake, and Mahoning counties.

Fellows are required to attend the peer-to-peer sharing event in 2027. The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition will budget for fellows to participate in professional development opportunities.

Desired Qualifications:

• Minimum education: high school graduate with community engagement experience in the fields of coastal resilience or environmental justice 
• Experience and knowledge of Lake Erie and Great Lakes coastal resilience and environmental justice issues
• Experience desired in community organizing and creation of program materials 
• Presentation experience desired 
• Ability to apply industry knowledge and thorough understanding of concepts, principles, and technical capabilities to perform tasks and projects 
• Ability to work on complex projects of large scope 
• Ability to complete work independently 
• Ability to build consensus and facilitate productive dialogue 
• Strong experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work flexible hours with minimal supervision 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Experience interacting and collaborating with a variety of interested parties and communities 
• Able to manage multiple projects, including meeting budget, objective, and deliverable goals 
• Successful completion of required background check 

Fellow Mentoring:

Dr. Lashale Pugh will mentor the fellows. She will describe the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition’s work and share the project goals with them. Sharon Spruill, environmental justice coordinator, will serve as the fellows’ supervisor.  

To apply, please upload the following materials in one PDF file:

• Resume (two-page limit)
• Statement of interest, where the candidate describes what they hope to gain from the fellowship experience and what they can contribute. Candidates should also highlight any connections to or special interests in the region, including Indigenous or local knowledge and relevant life experiences (500-word limit)
• Unofficial academic transcripts to show coursework (or joint services transcript for veterans)
• Two professional or academic references (names and contact information)