Shawn Barney, managing director of CLB Porter Development, LLC in New Orleans, was named to the inaugural class of the Civil Society Fellowship.
The Fellowship is a partnership of the Aspen Institute and the Anti-Defamation League, building a “next generation of leaders” in a belief that in an era of rising intolerance and partisanship, “our nation’s next generation of community and civil society leaders, activists and problem-solvers would greatly benefit from the opportunity to refine and hone their leadership skills while building relationships across movements.”
The 23 Fellows were selected from a pool of over 200 nominees from across the country. They are between the ages of 25 and 45, “proven leaders with a broad array of concerns who have reached an inflection point in their lives where they are ready to apply their talent and skills to build a more civil society.”
The Fellows reflect “a diverse mosaic representing a broad geographical, political and ideological swath of the United States.”
Aaron Ahlquist, ADL’s South Central Regional Director, said the region is excited that Barney is in the inaugural class. “He has already made considerable contributions in our region and his commitment to improving our community and the lives of others are so deserving of this recognition and inclusion. We are excited to see what he brings back from this experience and how our community will benefit from his participation in the Civil Society Fellowship.”
CLB Porter is a real estate development and public finance advisory firm. Barney is also a Partner with Faubourg Properties, a real estate partnership focused on opportunities in Northwest Arkansas. He has structured or developed over $1billion in projects.
Barney co-founded the Campaign for Equity New Orleans, conversations for systems leaders and influencers about racial equity. The effort is ongoing with over 1,000 leaders having participated to date and has led to similar initiatives in other communities, including Kansas City, Cleveland, and Northwest Arkansas as well as corporations such as Walmart Corporation hosting their own internal dialogues about race.
Barney serves on various civic boards including New Orleans Startup Fund and Prospect New Orleans, U.S. Triennial. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, where he was nominated to the Public Private Partnership Council. He is also a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.