Nancy Drozdek: Redefining Leadership Through Community and Environmental Conservation
Discovering a Different Kind of Leadership
Growing up as the youngest of eight siblings, Nancy Drozdek was accustomed to playing a specific role. “In Polynesian culture, it’s like, know your place,” Nancy reflected. “And the one that’s the last in the eight has to be the one that just listens.” Given her upbringing, Nancy had a difficult time seeing herself as a leader. The term “leader” brought to mind a traditional top-down model—a single figurehead directing others and making decisions.
Despite her doubts, Nancy developed a deep passion for the West Valley community and a desire to make a meaningful difference. Looking for a structured way to better understand and address community needs, she took a leap of faith when she learned about the Westside Leadership Institute (WLI). “I wanted to develop more skills to approach my community in the most beneficial way possible,” she explained.
Building Skills and Confidence Through WLI
Nancy embraced the opportunity, completing all three WLI offerings: Startups, Fundamentals, and Workshops. The experience proved transformative, changing her understanding of what leadership could look like.
“The moment they said that there’s different types of leadership, I was blown away,” she said. “I was like, hey, maybe I do have something.”
Realizing that leadership could be collaborative rather than hierarchical marked a turning point. Through WLI, Nancy gained practical skills in launching and managing community initiatives, from writing grants to navigating the administrative responsibilities of running an organization. Just as importantly, the program fostered relationships and partnerships that would become the foundation for future projects.
Creating Change Through Breathe for Trees
Armed with new knowledge and confidence, Nancy co-founded and became CEO of Breathe for Trees, an organization that emerged from a team formed during her first WLI class.
Drawing on her background in Urban Planning, Nancy focused on addressing environmental inequities and related health challenges in West Valley, where residents experience disproportionately high rates of asthma. For her, the issue was deeply personal.“With that knowledge comes power, and you gotta do what you gotta do,” she said.
Motivated by a desire to ensure that her daughter and future generations can breathe clean air, Nancy envisions a greener, healthier, tree-lined West Valley. Today, Breathe for Trees serves as a collaborative community organization that brings together diverse residents—including many members of the local Polynesian community—to improve the physical landscape and environmental health of their neighborhoods.
Leading Through Collaboration and Community
Nancy’s work reflects a leadership style rooted in empathy, collaboration, and shared decision-making. She views her team as a family and prioritizes collective wisdom over individual authority.
She builds her board by recognizing and valuing each person's unique strengths, whether analytical, strategic, organizational, or relationship-based. “Everyone has a voice and everyone has their specialty to it. It really makes our group so dynamic,” she explained.
Her leadership approach centers on asking questions, listening carefully, and maintaining transparency. Beyond large-scale tree planting initiatives, Nancy extends this spirit of community-building through creative and educational activities. She coordinates summer hikes for children and leads watercolor painting sessions with local senior citizens, using art and outdoor experiences to foster deeper connections with nature.
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Nancy’s transformation from a quiet listener to an award-winning community advocate has been remarkable. Her journey culminated in receiving Utah’s Heart of Excellence Award, recognizing her dedication to service and community leadership.
Overcoming her initial doubts required stepping far outside her comfort zone, a process she credits in large part to the supportive environment she found through WLI. The program provided not only practical skills but also validation that her voice and perspective mattered.
As a self-described “functioning introvert,” Nancy jokes about the relief of sitting quietly in her car after public events. Yet she continues to show up, lead, and serve. Along the way, she often recalls advice from her father: “My dad would say, ‘Don’t be the weakest link.’ So I’d say, ‘Okay, I’ll just make sure I’m not the weakest link.’”
By redefining what it means to lead, Nancy is mentoring the next generation, creating a lasting environmental legacy, and demonstrating that a leader’s true strength lies in the communities they help uplift.
This profile was researched and written by Utah Valley University student Riley Wolfgramm based on interviews conducted as part of the WLI Alumni Profile Series. The series explores how WLI graduates apply leadership skills developed through the Westside Leadership Institute to strengthen their communities. The project is led by Dr Stacy Harwood and supported by funding from the College of Architecture + Planning Research Incentive Seed Grant Program and the University Neighborhood Partners Community Scholar in Residence Program at the University of Utah.
