Who should attend?
Participants in the program come from natural resource agencies, Tribes, and NGOs from across the West with emphasis in the Pacific Northwest. Many participants are approaching mid-career and have managed specific initiatives, sub-programs, and projects.
Fresh insights and skills gained through the Executive Seminar Program help participants build their leadership portfolios and prepare for agency- and organization-wide leadership roles. Past ESP alumni have gone on to senior and regional leadership roles, including agency directors, policy advisors, and program managers.
Here's a link for more information about program content.
Continuing Legal Education Credits
Successful completion of the Executive Seminar Program in Natural Resources Leadership 2026-27 provides qualified participants with 35.5 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits through the Oregon State Bar.
What do participants say about the program?
"ESP was one of the most rewarding training experiences I have ever participated in. It challenged my assumptions about leadership in public service and helped me identify goals for improvement as well as cultivate leadership skills in my staff. I learned the value of establishing relationships and maintaining communication with stakeholders and others because they had direct ramifications on the success of natural resources outcomes. ESP provided me with the opportunity to meet and develop long-lasting friendships with other natural resource agencies, whom I will continue to learn from and seek partnerships."
"There is tremendous value ESP brings through the selected case studies, the participants, and the reflections. Thinking about the issues and the intersection of the collective knowledge and experiences is invaluable. ESP allowed us to learn through that sharing."
"I enjoyed a very thorough, educational, dynamic, and fun week learning about the Mexican Wolf reintroduction efforts in the region. This week reaffirmed the importance of connection with the people we serve. I also took away the value [of] procedural and rational trust in maintaining long term positive relationships and collaboration. Particularly how consistency and just doing a good job help bolster the hard work of relationship building."
"I appreciate you really making students think outside the box. We got to be in a comfortable and safe space to really speak freely but respectfully. The nature of our jobs is inherently challenged and polarized, but the group provided such a welcoming atmosphere that it wasn't uncomfortable to share our thoughts."
Past and Current Participating Organizations
- Bonneville Power Administration
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District
- Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
- Columbia Slough Watershed Council
- Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
- Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
- Environmental Protection Agency
- International Paper Company
- Hancock and Lone Rock Timber Companies, Montana State Forester Office
- National Marine Fisheries Service
- National Park Service
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Oregon Forest Industries Council
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
- Port of Portland
- Portland Water Bureau
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- U.S. Forest Service
- Washington Department of Ecology
- Washington Department of Natural Resources
- Willamette Partnership
Executive Seminar Program Faculty & Staff
Elizabeth Holmes Gaar, Program Director
Elizabeth Holmes Gaar brings more than 42 years of public service in natural resources management, environmental law, and collaborative leadership to her role leading Portland State University's Executive Seminar Program in Natural Resources Leadership. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in fisheries science, earned her Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School, and is a member (inactive) of the Oregon State Bar. Elizabeth began her career with the U.S. Forest Service as a fisheries biologist before joining NOAA Fisheries while in law school. Over a 35-year career with NOAA, she held several senior leadership positions, including founding Chief of Endangered Species for the Pacific Northwest, where she helped establish NOAA's West Coast Endangered Species Act program for salmon and steelhead, and Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat Conservation. Throughout her career, she worked closely with Tribes and emphasized the federal government's tribal treaty and trust responsibilities. During the final four years of her federal service, she co-facilitated NOAA's Emerging Leaders Development Program in partnership with Portland State University's Center for Public Service. A longtime resident of Oregon's upper Hood River Valley, Elizabeth remains active in conservation and leadership initiatives, including serving on the board of the Mt. Adams Institute, a nonprofit that connects military veterans and recent college graduates with careers in natural resources stewardship.
elizabg@pdx.edu | 503-341-4019 for program questions and general questions
Paul Manson, Academic Lead
Paul is a Research Professor with the PSU Center for Public Service. For the past decade, he has combined his research interests in environmental policy with education and pedagogical skills to provide training for natural resource professionals across the US. Paul’s research focuses on public opinion and governance challenges around critical issues facing the West, including wildfire, disaster resilience, and coastal and marine management. Paul is committed to a co-production model of training - a model that recognizes the power of academic research and practitioner experience to create opportunities for innovation. Paul holds a PhD in public affairs and policy and a Master of Public Administration from PSU.
mansonp@pdx.edu
Brandon Kurtz, Program Administrator
Brandon Kurtz serves as the Professional Programs Administrator for the Center for Public Service. In this role, he coordinates the Executive Seminar Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Emerging Leaders Development Program. In addition, he supports various projects with CPS, such as the Oregon Agricultural Labor Standards Study. Brandon is a lifelong Oregonian and has worked in education since 2010. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in history from Portland State University, as well as a master's degree in education from Marylhurst University. Before joining CPS, he was the Academic Manager at Pacific International Academy, a non-profit language school in the Portland area. In that role, he taught English classes, mentored teachers and students, and maintained procedures. In his free time, Brandon enjoys sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy, traveling, pub trivia, and board and video games.
brandonk@pdx.edu | (503) 725-5190 for program details, logistics questions, and general questions
Dr. Craig Shinn, ESP Emeritus
shinnc@pdx.edu
Social Media
instagram.com/psu_esp