Mission: The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) exists to encourage members from diverse groups to get involved in leadership opportunities within the organization; outfit participants with the skills and tools necessary to pursue leadership positions within NACADA; increase the number of leaders from diverse groups, and encourage and assist members of underrepresented populations to attend state, regional, or national conferences.

Function: The ELP Advisory Board's role is to

• assist the Executive Office in identifying members from diverse backgrounds and encouraging them to apply to become an Emerging Leader or Mentor
• make recommendations to the Executive Office regarding policies and procedures related to publicizing the program, the selection of ELP Classes, and funding of program participants
• assist the Executive Office with development and implementation the programming/curriculum for the ELP Orientation sessions that take place at the Annual Conference
• review Program progress on a regular basis and make recommendations to the Executive Office for changes or improvement

Membership: Most ELP-AB members have taken part in the program as an Emerging Leader and/or Mentor and are dedicated to utilizing their experience of the program to assist with its continuance and help improve it for future class members. ELP-AB members serve a two-year term and meet on-site yearly at the NACADA annual conference. Online meetings via the Zoom platform take place as needed throughout the year.