On July 11, the 2012 American Express NGen Leadership Award finalists participated in a webinar conversation on on leadership, impact and the opportunities and challenges facing the nonprofit and philanthropic community today. Click here to listen to these distinguished finalists share their story and engage with one another, as well as the NGen Community.

gregg behr, executive director, The grable foundation

Gregg Behr is Executive Director of The Grable Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children. Nationally, Mr. Behr serves as a Fellow to The Fetzer Institute, as immediate past chair of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and as a trustee for GreatNonprofits.  In Pittsburgh, Mr. Behr serves on the honor board of the Mentoring Partnership, as current chair of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, and as a trustee for the Women & Girls Foundation.  Additionally, he sits on advisory councils for the United Way of Allegheny County, as well as the Institute of Politics and the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, both at the University of Pittsburgh. 

In 2003, Mr. Behr was selected as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40.  In 2008, he was selected as Pittsburgh’s representative to the TransAtlantic Cities Network.  In 2010, Phi Delta Kappa honored him with the Lay Leader Award in Education.

Jeff Edmondson, managing director, Strive network

Jeff Edmondson is managing director of the Strive Network, a national cradle-to-career initiative that brings together leaders in Pre-K-12 schools, higher education, business and industry, community organizations, government leaders, parents and other stakeholders who are committed to helping children succeed from birth through careers.
The Strive Network was formed using lessons learned from the development of the partnership, and are currently being applied in cities across the country through a collaborative relationship with Living Cities and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities to help ensure resources in these regions are efficiently and effectively supporting the success of every child.

Edmondson has a bachelor's of science in biology from University of Richmond and a master's in public policy from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, he served as a volunteer and supervisor for three years in Peace Corps Gabon, Central Africa.

Eric Greitens, Founder and CEO, The mission Continues

Eric Greitens is the founder and CEO of The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization that challenges veterans to serve and lead in communities across America. Previously, Eric served as a United States Navy SEAL officer and deployed four times during the Global War on Terrorism to Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, the Horn of Africa, and Iraq. His military awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star.

Eric was an Angier B. Duke Scholar at Duke University, where he studied ethics, philosophy, and public policy. Selected as a Rhodes and a Truman Scholar, he attended the University of Oxford from 1996 through 2000. There he earned a master’s degree in 1998 and a Ph.D. in 2000. His doctoral thesis, Children First, investigated how international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico, India, Bosnia, and Bolivia.

Aaron hurst, president and founder, taproot foundation

Aaron Hurst (@aaron_hurst) is the founder of the Taproot Foundation—a nonprofit organization building a national pro bono marketplace and leading the global service movement—and is a creative force behind the conception of the national Billion + Change initiative and the Service Enterprise model.

Aaron is one of the most recognized social entrepreneurs in the nation and a recipient of the Ashoka and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation fellowships. He has also been formally recognized as a leading social innovator by the Aspen Institute, Social Venture Network, Fast Company, Commonwealth Club, the Manhattan Institute, the State of California, and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. In 2009, he received the LSA Humanitarian Service Award, the highest honor bestowed on University of Michigan alumni.

Abagail Nelson, Senior Vice President for Programs, Episcopal Relief & Development

Abagail Nelson is the Senior Vice President for Programs at Episcopal Relief & Development. She has worked through Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States and with the worldwide Church, responding to disasters, alleviating hunger, fighting disease and reducing exposure to risk. Abagail earned an MSc from the London School of Economics and BA cum laude from Harvard College.