Nathan Lojewski is a Forest Manager for Chugachmiut, a non-profit organization that represents the Chugachmiut tribe and provides technical assistance to Alaskan Tribal Councils, Village, and Regional Corporations. Nathan joined the Peace Corps after graduating college and did volunteer work for remote villagers in The Gambia. On the show, Nathan discusses his Peace Corps experience, how he builds trust as an outsider, and what makes a person really thrive in a leadership role.
Key Takeaways:
[:45] A quick intro about Nathan’s background.
[2:15] How did Nathan first get started in forestry?
[5:35] What was it like volunteering for the Peace Corps?
[7:20] How did Nathan learn the language while in The Gambia?
[8:35] Nathan discusses what his time was like in The Gambia and how he helped improve the villager’s lives.
[13:50] How did Nathan build trust as a foreigner and a stranger in this village?
[17:30] Nathan discusses another fun project he did for this village where he taught a woman how to write.
[22:00] Did Nathan have culture shock when he came back to the U.S.?
[23:55] What does Nathan do for Chugachmiut?
[31:10] What has Nathan learned along the way about leadership?
[35:15] What’s the difference between being an informal leader vs. a formal leader?
[41:05] What advice does Nathan have for young professionals?
[44:05] When Nathan first joined the profession and SAF, he did not understand how valuable networking was for him.
[48:40] Nathan highly recommends you watch Only the Brave.
Mentioned in This Episode: