Nehemiah Leaders Programs Releases Impact Report, Highlighting Influential Progress Over the Last 16 Years

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 29, 2025--

Today, the Nehemiah Leaders Programs (NLP), released its 2025 Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) Impact Report. Established in 2009, NELP addresses a critical need for diverse community leadership in the Sacramento region. Despite Sacramento being recognized as one of the most diverse cities in America in 2002, there was a significant underrepresentation of veterans, people of color, women, LGBTQIA+, and those living with disabilities in leadership roles at corporations, government agencies, non-profit boards, commissions, and within the offices of elected officials.

“Sacramento is routinely listed as one of the most diverse cities in the country, yet this had never been reflected in the senior ranks of our region’s employers and boards,” said Scott Syphax, Board Chair, NLP; Founder, NELP. “I am proud to say that is no longer the case. Over the last 15 years, NELP has worked tirelessly to bridge access gaps and ensure our community’s talent was given the tools and support they needed to rise to the level they long-deserved – a level guiding capital, policy, and culture.”

NELP’s 2025 Impact Report highlights what’s possible when programs are specifically designed to prepare individuals for civic involvement and equip them with valuable leadership and problem-solving skills for use in their workplaces and communities. From managing billions of dollars in budgets, to leading thousands of employees, to representing the breadth of Sacramento’s diverse community in the rooms where decisions are made, NELP has trained hundreds of individuals to lead from wherever they are to drive positive change – not just for themselves but for the community at large.

“In a time when the values of equity, inclusion, and representative leadership are being challenged—we remain steadfast. While some systems resist change, we continue to be the change,” said Deneva Shelton, CEO, NLP; NELP Class IX. “Our Fellows are not just participating in conversations about power, they are leading, transforming, and building new venues where all voices are valued. Collectively, we are creating more inclusive leadership landscapes and driving meaningful change within our region’s organizations and communities.”

Founded in 2000 as the Nehemiah Community Foundation, NLP delivers programs, including NELP, that expand community leadership to ensure regions are led by the diversity they embody. Since its launch, NELP has graduated more than 230 professionals drawn almost evenly from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Alumni now steward multi-billion-dollar operating budgets and direct workforces that number in the thousands, translating education, experience and insight into regional economic strategy.

“NELP alumni have been and will continue to break barriers and influence myriad spaces for generations to come because they are intentional, passionate and willing to serve and positively impact their communities and this region,” said Melissa Gear, Deputy Director of Legislative & Government Affairs, California Department of Health Care Access and Information; NELP Class I.

To read the 2025 Impact Report, please visit this link.

About Nehemiah Leaders Programs

NLP’s mission is to change the world for the better by developing a network of empowered,diverse leaders with the skills and passion for leading and for achieving catalytic changewithin their organizations, communities, and lives. Learn more viaNehemiahLeaders.com.

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CONTACT: Laramie Hunter

[email protected]

(916) 833-9919

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DEI (DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION) THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONSUMER LGBTQ+

SOURCE: Nehemiah Leaders Programs

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PUB: 10/29/2025 10:45 AM/DISC: 10/29/2025 10:45 AM

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