2026 Emerging Leaders for Environmental Equity (ELEE)
Program Overview
The Emerging Leaders for Environmental Equity (ELEE) program empowers the next generation of environmental justice advocates through hands-on training, mentorship, and real-world community engagement. Participants gain skills in policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, strategic communications, and coalition building while developing a capstone project that addresses an environmental issue in their community. Each participant receives a $500 stipend for completing the program and up to $2,000 in funding for their capstone project, helping turn ideas into meaningful action. ELEE is designed for college students, young professionals, and community members passionate about creating healthier, more equitable communities and advancing environmental justice across Virginia.
Cheyenne Combs - Suffolk, Va
Cheyenne Combs is a proud Norfolk native, seasoned organizer, and strategist dedicated to advancing marginalized communities through people-powered change. As the Advocacy Director for Birth in Color, she brings deep expertise in grassroots mobilization, coalition building, policy advocacy, and relational organizing to support families—particularly Black and historically underserved communities—across the South. Her background spans electoral campaigns, legislative offices, and movement-based organizations, where she has led large-scale civic engagement initiatives, managed and trained diverse volunteer teams, and developed digital strategies to expand community participation and policy impact.
From organizing voter registration and turnout efforts on university campuses to coordinating mutual aid initiatives and supporting regional advocacy campaigns, Cheyenne’s work is rooted in equity and collective liberation. She also serves as Outreach Coordinator on the Board of the Underground Performing Arts Collective, helping ensure youth from underrepresented communities have access to creative expression through the performing arts.
Cheyenne is also the proud mother of an active toddler. Her advocacy is deeply personal—grounded in lived experience and a steadfast commitment to securing dignified, culturally competent, and justice-centered reproductive care so that all families and communities can thrive.
Cierra Lewis - Norfolk, Va
Cierra Lewis is a New Jersey native and proud graduate of Rowan University, where she earned her degree in Journalism and a certificate in African-American Studies. A skilled communicator and passionate advocate, Cierra brings a deep commitment to justice, culture, and community empowerment to her work at YWCA South Hampton Roads. For the past three years, she has contributed to advancing equity and creating meaningful impact within the communities she serves.
Erin Joel Moore - Virginia Beach, Va
Erin Joel Moore is a Virginia Beach–based environmental health advocate focused on the intersection of environmental justice, public health, and emerging technology. As Vice President of the Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals, she leads civic engagement, innovation, and economic empowerment initiatives.
Erin’s work explores how infrastructure and environmental policy impact marginalized communities, advancing equity through interdisciplinary collaboration and community-centered leadership.
Laila White - Hampton, Va
Laila White is a graduating senior at Hampton University studying Psychology, with a concentration in Marriage and Family. She is originally from the Poconos in Pennsylvania. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to earn a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, with aspirations of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in working with neurodivergent individuals.
At Hampton University, she holds several executive board positions, including President of the Psychology Club, Vice President of Peer Counselors, and Tamiochus of the Zeta Xi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Laila is deeply committed to giving back to her community in creative and meaningful ways through her work with the Community Psychology HU Path 2 Peace Research Lab. Through these roles, she has led campus-wide initiatives that inspire advocacy, promote awareness, and create lasting change.