Podcasts Culture Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Chad Ellis - On Leadership, Building Relationships, and Working for the Greater Good

Chad Ellis - On Leadership, Building Relationships, and Working for the Greater Good

Published: Jan. 25, 2024, 11:10 p.m.

Chad Ellis is the CEO of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT), which is one of the nation\u2019s leading ag-focused conservation organizations. TALT\u2019s mission is \u201cto conserve the Texas heritage of agricultural lands, wildlife habitats, and natural resources,\u201d but at its core, TALT\u2019s work is built on the foundation of long-term, trusting, mutually respectful relationships.

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Given the small proportion of public lands in Texas compared to other western states, much of the responsibility for landscape-scale ecological health falls on the shoulders of private landowners. And since 2007, TALT has helped these landowners find ways to not only protect their family legacies, but to improve the overall quality of grasslands, water, air, and wildlife for all Texans.

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Chad was raised in rural Texas, and from a very early age, he felt a deep connection to land, agriculture, and wildlife. While his entire career has been devoted to thoughtfully and effectively stewarding natural resources, you\u2019ll quickly realize that at his core, Chad is a relationship builder. During his tenures at the NRSC, the Noble Research Institute, and now as the leader of TALT, Chad has implemented many cutting-edge conservation solutions\u2013 but, as you\u2019ll hear him explain, none of these projects would be successful without solid, trusting relationships between all stakeholders.

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Longtime listeners will recognize Chad from an earlier appearance on Mountain & Prairie\u2013 back in 2023, he was one of the panelists in an episode called \u201cLandscape-Scale Management in a Private Land State,\u201d which was recorded live at the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society\u2019s annual meeting. In this episode, we dig more into Chad\u2019s personal and professional journey in conservation\u2013 why he has devoted his career to such a challenging-yet-critical cause, and how he approaches his work from both practical and philosophical perspectives. We discuss his love of entrepreneurial approaches, his leadership style, mentors, the storied legacy of TALT\u2019s founder Blair Fitzsimons, supporting the next generation of conservationists, his favorite books, and much more.

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If you haven\u2019t already, I\u2019d encourage you to check out TALT\u2019s website and follow its work on social media\u2013 TALT is a constant source of inspiration for me and all of the Western conservation community. Thanks for listening!

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:30 - Where Chad grew up

7:45 - Chad\u2019s work with PERC

10:15 - Where Chad\u2019s entrepreneurial background came from

16:15 - How Chad moved up in the NRCS ranks

18:45 - Chad\u2019s time with Mobil Foundation

21:45 - Chad\u2019s personal vision

24:30 - Chad\u2019s motivation to strengthen people\u2019s connection to the land, instead of just supporting the land itself

27:15 - How Chad hires for a passionate team

29:15 - Chad\u2019s work securing federal funding

32:45 - How Chad thinks about failure

34:45 - How Chad presented his vision for TALT to an already accomplished director, Blair Fitzsimons

40:30 - Chad\u2019s goal to support the next generation of conservationists

44:30 - How Chad interprets the threats facing conservation in Texas

51:30 - How Chad prioritizes his allocation of resources

58:45 - Exploring Chad\u2019s level of patience, as well as the various ways that people learn and work

1:03:30 - The importance of relationships

1:07:45 - Chad\u2019s book recommendations

1:09:15 - Chad\u2019s parting words of advice

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