Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program, but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.
ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP
FUSE is a national nonprofit that increases the effectiveness of local governments to build more equitable communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that narrow racial disparities, improve public services, and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.
When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.
Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.
PROJECT CONTEXT
Under the Mayoral guidance, the City of Los Angeles leadership recognizes the pressing urgency of the climate crisis as one of the foremost challenges confronting the city. They view it as a challenge and a remarkable opportunity for Los Angeles to revamp its infrastructure and invest in a more equitable future. The City understands that addressing the catastrophic consequences of climate change entails transforming the economy and rectifying decades of environmental injustices that have disproportionately burden marginalized communities with pollution and neglect. In this endeavor, the City of LA aspires to set an example by prioritizing the interests of communities of color and working-class individuals in its policies and programs.
Residents’ fundamental rights include access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment in their residence, work, and recreation. Unfortunately, many cities, including Los Angeles, fail to safeguard these fundamental rights. While the adverse health effects of toxic air, polluted water, and contaminated soil affect all Angelenos, these harms disproportionately afflict low-income Latino, Black, and immigrant neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Conversely, environmental benefits like open spaces, parks, and tree canopy coverage are significantly less accessible to these communities.
The City has already taken steps toward preparing for a sustainable future, including developing a Sustainable City Plan and the ongoing city-wide vulnerability assessment. The City has also received recognition for its climate protection efforts, thanks to the dedication of a past FUSE Executive Fellow.
The City of Los Angeles will collaborate with FUSE to craft a comprehensive climate resilience plan that spans the entire city and is informed by neighborhood-specific considerations. The FUSE Executive Fellow will chart the current climate resilience landscape, identify gaps for future planning, and establish a hyper-local baseline, primarily focusing on addressing the needs and building capacity in neighborhoods across Los Angeles. The FUSE Executive Fellow will also collaborate on developing department-specific directives, including resource allocation and locally-led innovative designs.