🗞️🌺 Spring News, Features, and Updates 👋🏽
April 9, 2024
Spring News, Features, and Updates
Nominations for LA Class XXXIV – WOW!
We are thrilled to announce that we received 183 outstanding nominations for LA Class XXXIV! 
Thank you to the many of you who submitted so many excellent candidates. As always, it will be a very difficult process to evaluate everyone since it is such a stellar group of nominees. As a reminder of how classes are chosen, the process is outlined below.
- Nominations will be considered by the Regional Councils throughout the state, and each council will prioritize the nominations for its specific region.
- After all regional council meetings are conducted, Leadership Alabama’s Executive Committee will review the prioritized lists from the regional councils and select 65 – 70 individuals for the class and then present this “final” list of nominees to the Board of Directors for its approval at the May meeting.
- All nominations are given thorough consideration, but not all will be selected to participate in the class. The Leadership Alabama Board of Directors will approve the final class roster, as noted above. Consideration will be given to building a class that represents Alabama’s diversity, both professionally and geographically, as well as in the areas of age, gender and ethnicity.
- Following the May board meeting, Leadership Alabama will email those selected for membership and copy the nominators. For those not selected, Leadership Alabama will contact only the nominators.
Class XXXIV will be announced in July, so stay tuned!
“Connecting Engaged Leaders and Establishing Lasting Relationships”
As boldly noted in the heading on the home page of LA’s website, Leadership Alabama is dedicated to “Challenging, motivating and engaging Alabama’s proven leaders,” and Deborah Bell Paseur (LA Class XII and LA Board Member) of Florence personifies those actions in all areas of her life. She steadfastly connects leaders throughout our state, whether pertaining to legal, humanitarian or educational issues, and her efforts continue to be met with great results and high praise. Last month, the Shoals Chamber of Commerce named her “Citizen of the Year 2023” in recognition of her exemplary leadership and engagement in her community and noted many of her achievements, as we are honored to share –
- Served as Lauderdale County District Judge for 28 years, the first woman elected district judge.
- Co-founded Safeplace Domestic Violence Shelter and Counseling Program.
- Serves on the Alabama Law Institute’s Children’s Code Committee, Adoption Committee and Standing Committee on Family Law, all in support of statewide policies and safeguards for children throughout the state.
- Served on several committees appointed by the Governor and Chief Justice regarding civil and criminal law, children’s cases and judicial administration.
- Served as president of the Shoals Scholars Dollars Board of Directors, a program created to give every student in The Shoals the opportunity to continue education beyond high school.
- Serves as a member of Florence Rotary Club; Past Assistant District Governor & Past President; Graduate, Rotary Leadership Insitute; Recipient of the Rotary International District Vocational Service Award.
- Serves as co-chair of Shoals Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
- Serves as a Registered Mediator for the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution.
- Chaired Leadership Alabama’s Shoals Regional Council for three years.
Congratulations, Deborah Bell Paseur! Thank you for motivating and engaging leaders in the Shoals and in the state of Alabama.
LA Class XXXIII – Huntsville Retreat March 7 – 9, 2024
Just as Leadership Alabama’s Board of Directors met in Mobile prior to the January retreat, the March meeting in Huntsville was planned with the same objective in mind – to provide another opportunity to network with members of Class XXXIII and Huntsville/NE Alabama LA members before the retreat commenced. On Wednesday evening, the Honorable Tommy Battle (LA Class XXIII), hosted an “Early Bird” cocktail reception at Mars Music Hall, the Von Braun Center’s most recent expansion venture that is changing the landscape of Huntsville’s music scene.
On Thursday morning, the entire class was “officially’ welcomed by David Nast (Immediate Past Board Chair & LA Class XX) and the Honorable Tommy Battle, and both offered an excellent introduction to the area and the many partnerships that fostered such dynamic growth in the region. During lunch, officials from Redstone Arsenal and the FBI presented a briefing about the upcoming afternoon activities, which was informative and “set the stage” as background information about the areas within Redstone that the class would be visiting. The afternoon session included a missile firing at the Redstone Test Center, a K9 and fire demonstration at the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and a briefing and site visit to NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center for the International Space Center. The class was exposed to factions within Redstone that only a few individuals ever experience, and it is always an honor to be able to take the Leadership Alabama classes to this intriguing “city within a city.”
The day concluded with dinearounds in area members’ homes, and as with past retreats, they were exceptional, scoring a 4.96 on a 5.0 scale on the evaluations. The class always appreciates the opportunity of being in small, intimate groups where the dialog is lively, the food is fabulous and the hosts are amazingly gracious.
Friday morning, the class started at the Redstone Federal Credit Union with coffee and breakfast, 
and then the session launched with an update about the Alabama Legislative session from a panel of three class members who are currently serving our state – the Honorables Will Ainsworth, Lt. Governor and Senate president; Jamie Kiel, AL House of Representatives District 18; and Kelvin Lawrence, AL House of Representatives District 69. The interactive and engaging conversation was moderated by Chuck Holmes (LA Board Member and LA Class XXX), and as shared on the evaluations, “Our classmates did a good job of providing current updates on difficult topics within an environment of varying opinions.”
Everyone noted that they enjoyed hearing from classmates, listening to the various perspectives and interacting with one another through Q&A. Afterwards, the class traveled to the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering and was welcomed by Matt Massey, ASCTE’s president, who presented an excellent overview of the school’s purpose, processes and results, followed by a school tour with students. “Very informative, very impressive, a must visit, a unique facility, fantastic!” were just a few of the comments offered by the class. Continuing with the theme of serving children and students, Lee Marshall (LA Class XXIX), shared the genesis of her nonprofit, Kids to Love, and its mission of meeting the needs of children in foster care through a presentation entitled, “Serving Children Through Every Step.” This is the fourth consecutive year that Lee has been included on the Huntsville agenda, and her message continues to be powerful and enlightening.
After a relaxing lunch break, the class immersed in “Great Schools for Every Child in Alabama” and heard presentations 
from another incredibly strong panel of classmates – Mark Dixon, president of A+ Education Partnership; Melvin Brown, superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools; Dennis Coe, superintendent, Dothan City Schools; and, Jeremiah Newell, CEO, Mobile Area Education Foundation. The class thought it “was great to see the impact and discussion of classmates” and that the “program was very informative with very honest points of view given.” Chuck Holmes closed the program day by leading the class through another thoughtful and reflective caucus before everyone gathered for a casual and fun dinner “under the Saturn V Rocket” at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and its incredible leaders were the closing session on Saturday morning, and once again, Neil Lamb (LA Class XXIX) and Danny Windham (LA Class XXIII) wowed everyone with an engaging, exciting presentation about HA’s work within the state, its global impact and its educational component through creating challenging, STEM curriculum for schools throughout Alabama. We all know what a HUGE success the DNA extraction experiment always is, and true to form, the class thought it was an “awesome activity!” It was an excellent exercise for concluding the retreat and bidding goodbye to everyone.
Following the Huntsville retreat, LA Class XXXIII member Helena Duncan, president and 
CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, shared her response to the following questions…
“Leadership Alabama is a storied organization with a 35-year legacy of challenging, motivating and engaging Alabama’s proven leaders.” What have you gained from being in the current LA class?”
“Lifelong friends! Working for Business Council of Alabama, I get the privilege to travel the state and learn about all the amazing things going on to improve our economy. However, being a part of LA, I’m continuing to grow my knowledge of the state and seeing it through the eyes of others that aren’t experiencing it daily as I do. Our great state never ceases to amaze me. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
“How does Leadership Alabama continue to serve our state with relevance and momentum?”
“Exposing our state and all that she has to offer will provide relevance and continue the momentum. We have to know it exists to be a part of it. The momentum is alive and well in Alabama. It’s important to expose business leaders to it to continue to generate excitement about our state and allow us to begin writing our own narrative. Business leaders across this state should all share in the responsibility of creating an environment for people to want to live here, raise their families here and work here. The exposure Leadership Alabama gives us will allow that to happen.”
LA Class XXXIII will convene in Birmingham for its last retreat of the program year on May 9 – 11, and the next newsletter will include all of the great things that the class experienced, especially the graduation dinner and celebration, so stay tuned!
ALI CLASS VI April 24 – 25, 2024 – Birmingham
ALI Class VI will gather in Birmingham in late April for its final session of its year, and a terrific program has been planned chock-full of engaging speakers and site visits.
The next newsletter release will salute this incredible program and remarkable young leaders as they graduate and continue their great work for our state.
“On the Boardwalk” featuring LA Board of Directors…
Beginning with this release, future newsletters will feature two or three members of LA’s Board of Directors in order to share a closer glimpse of those who diligently serve our organization through their steadfast commitment to Leadership Alabama’s mission and objectives. As such, we are thrilled to take a stroll “on the boardwalk” with Gordon Martin (LA Class XVII, Birmingham) and Jody Singer (LA Class XXVIII, Huntsville), and each was asked the following question.
Gordon, a native of Birmingham, serves as the inaugural director of the James C. Kenemer Center for Innovation and Social Impact in the Honors College at The University of Alabama and is an operating partner at Redmont Capital, a private investment bank.
Jody, a native of Hartselle, recently retired from NASA, where she served as the director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, having been appointed in September 2018. She was the first female director and managed one of NASA’s largest field installations.
“As you know, Leadership Alabama is a storied organization with a 35-year legacy of challenging, motivating and engaging Alabama’s proven leaders. During the past five years, including the current year, a record number of nominations, well beyond the class capacity of 65 – 70 individuals, has been received for each upcoming Leadership Alabama class. Why do you think the interest in Leadership Alabama continues to escalate on such a large scale?”
Gordon’s response – “The record number of nominations for Leadership Alabama is a testament to its stellar reputation, its world-class programming, its high-quality participants, and its fantastic staff. I think leaders recognize that Leadership Alabama provides them a unique chance to learn about the opportunities and challenges facing our state, as well as a chance to interact with, learn from, and develop friendships with other leaders who are committed to making Alabama the best it can be.”
Jody’s response – “The key to Leadership Alabama’s success is a product of the demonstrated commitment by its diverse and dedicated members from all over the state to create a better Alabama. Visionary leaders want to be informed on problems and priorities facing us and find proactive ways to help shape our future. Leadership Alabama provides a unique opportunity to build lasting networks and friendships, learn from each other, and gain new perspectives.”
The end of the fiscal road is near…
As the end of Leadership Alabama’s fiscal year draws near (June 30, 2024), if you haven’t had a chance to 
submit your annual dues (based on this fiscal year) of only $175, it is not too late! Please remit your annual dues via the link below or by sending a check/printed invoice to the office.
Click here to pay your dues online for July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.
Click here to print an invoice to mail your dues check.
When planning for this year, we hoped 650 members would submit their annual dues, and as of today, 638 of you have done so. As we have shared so many times, we are extremely grateful, for the steady flow of membership dues enables us to plan more membership engagement activities and informative sessions.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Questions? Contact us by phone or email.
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Leadership Alabama is thrilled to welcome Lydia Barnett to our team as the Membership Engagement and Alabama Leadership Initiative (ALI) Director on March 1. Lydia comes to LA from The Hope Institute, where she served as the program coordinator, supporting, planning and executing the Hope Leadership Academy sessions as well as other Hope Institute events. Additionally, she has 13 years of teaching experience, starting with Teach for America in Memphis, TN and including public/charter school classrooms in four states.
ALI Class VI recently convened in Dothan/the Wiregrass, and Leadership Alabama was thrilled to host the class in this region (a first for ALI and the first time in 33 years for LA). The class gathered at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce and was enthusiastically welcomed by Linda Young (LA Class XXII and LA Board Vice-Chair). Mayor Mark Saliba (LA Class XXV) offered insights into Dothan and living in the Circle City, followed by a presentation from Phil Clayton (LA Class XXXII) and Melody Lee, Grow Southeast Alabama, about the growth in southeast Alabama and the accompanying career opportunities. The morning session concluded with Trisha Black’s presentation of “Main Street Alabama: Community Engagement, Revitalization and Investment.”
Friday’s session was dedicated to delving into all aspects of Alabama’s agricultural environment, including being welcomed by Chris Walker, Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, and learning from Dean Mitchell (LA Class XXVII) about HudsonAlpha’s research, education and development initiatives in the Wiregrass. Since Dothan is the “Peanut Capital of the World,” it was only natural for Libbie Johnson, Alabama Peanut Producers, and Emmanuel Bankston (ALI Class V) to present “Peanuts in Alabama: Did you know?”
and five PHF fellows, all recent college graduates who chose to spend two years in rural Alabama working with an organization that is changing lives, improving living conditions, assisting with health issues and providing young students rewarding opportunities. The class was enthralled by everything that PHF had been able to accomplish in such a disadvantaged area of our state and asked a myriad of questions. One class member especially intrigued by PHF’s mission and outcomes was Cathy De La Garza, SVP and chief development officer at Uniti in Mobile.
Once Cathy returned to her office, she contacted John about the possibility of volunteers from Uniti performing service work Greensboro with PHF. As John shared at the time, “It was a wonderful surprise and an incredible blessing.” In spring of 2022, the Uniti team traveled to rural Alabama and had a great workday filled with energy, fellowship and of “getting things done.” As Cathy expressed, “Uniti was thrilled to be involved with PHF, a truly amazing organization.” Through funding and relationships, in addition to a passionate, committed team of professionals and caring fellows, PHF continues to achieve remarkable milestones as it continually focuses on the immediate and long-term needs/objectives of those it serves. A financial gift from Uniti helped fund positions for two fellows.
Cathy was honored to present PHF with a $15,000 check in additional support of its work in and for Alabama’s rural communities.
and close on Friday, February 23, 2024, so be sure to watch for future reminders as January nears and start thinking about qualified candidates who you would like to submit for consideration. All program information – dates, program overview, cost, online application – will be sent via a Constant Contact email on January 16.
Tribal Chief Stephanie Bryan (LA Class XXVIII), Vice Chair Robbie McGhee (LA Class XXX), Tribal Council Member Keith Martin (LA Class XXXI) and Attorney General Lori Stinson (LA Class XXXII) invite you to hear about what’s happening with the tribe and its many business ventures. The afternoon will include a special welcome and cultural performance, tour of the Poarch Creek community and reservation and a tour of Muskogee Technology. The program will begin at 1:00 p.m. and conclude at 5:00 p.m., and we would be thrilled for you to join Class XXXIII and us for this engaging and fun afternoon. Watch for more details and sign up information to come soon!
The Birmingham Regional Council, chaired by Donna Smith (LA Class XXVIII) and Kennon Walthall (LA Class XXV), in partnership with Leadership Birmingham, will soon send details about an event on Thursday, January 18, 2024 featuring Mr. Ron Blatman, executive producer of “Saving the City: Remaking the American Metropolis” documentary series. Be sure to watch for updates and registration information in the next few weeks.
Birmingham District Attorney Danny Carr, to expand upon and manage the work she originally implemented for his office. She has been a wonderful addition to the team, and we will miss her positive spirit and “can do” attitude with everything she tackled. However, we certainly understand her desire to oversee and nourish the programs that she created to address juvenile justice reform for Jefferson County, and we wish her every success on her journey.
Moving forward, it is our hope to share great news/updates/announcements about Leadership Alabama’s incredible members – YOU – but we need your help to do it. Please send us news about career changes, promotions, honors, recognitions, deaths, etc. so that we can include it in future newsletters. Simply email to Ashley Kaplan, 
we were honored to have so many incredible speakers present to the class. The class convened at the Alabama League of Municipalities office, where they were welcomed by LA Board Chair Melissa Morrissette (Class XXI) and Greg Cochran (Class XXXII). Dr. Ed Bridges (Class XIII) offered his extremely important, “stage-setting” presentation, “Alabama’s History: How Who We Were Shaped Who We Are.”
Seven of Alabama’s Big 10 mayors joined us for a very engaging panel session –
The day concluded at Montgomery’s newest outdoor recreational destination, Montgomery Whitewater, with a lovely cocktail reception with area LA members and a welcome from Leslie Sanders (Class XXV), chair of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District. It was a wonderful venue and evening for Class XXXIII’s introduction dinner.
where the class heard from the Honorable Keith Watkins (Class XXI), Thomas Rains, the Honorable Teresa Pulliam (Class XXX), Bennet Wright (Class XXIX), Kimberly Boswell and Houston Smith, with the second day of the retreat ending with the ever-popular dinearounds in the homes of Montgomery members. Saturday included an impactful and interactive poverty simulation facilitated by Chandra Scott of Alabama Possible and a very thought-provoking, candid caucus session orchestrated by Chuck Holmes.
During last year’s program year, LA Class XXXII visited Kids to Love, a nonprofit dedicated solely to meeting the needs of children in foster care. Its dynamic founder and LA member Lee Marshall (Class XXIX) presented an engaging and very comprehensive view of the many initiatives that are Kids to Love’s foundation, from training and licensing foster care parents, to providing a communal home for young girls and a community of houses for those who age out of the system, to providing backpacks for 5,600 children, to facilitating “shopping” for families during the holiday season to creating one of the most successful training programs, KTECH, for connecting students to jobs in the Huntsville area.
being accomplished – all through donations and gifts without any government subsidies – that he invited Lee to Mobile so that he could introduce her, her team and their incredible work to USA’s School of Social Work and to a wide spectrum of Mobile leaders and potential partners. He hosted an informational breakfast in the President’s boardroom at USA and invited area LA members and other community leaders. Ken Brown, South Alabama Market president of First Horizon Bank and a XXXII classmate of Jo’s, orchestrated a Business After Hours event at the Gulf Quest National Maritime Museum to share the critical need and accompanying services targeted for Mobile to support children in foster care and to recruit, train and license foster families. Graciously hosting the event were The Honorable Sandy Stimpson (Class II)/City of Mobile, Ken Brown/First Horizon Bank, Jeb Shell (Class XXXI)/Hargrove Engineers & Constructors, Eliska Morgan (Class XXXII)/Thompson Engineering and Jo Bonner/University of South Alabama.
One of LA’s most storied traditions is hosting Welcome Receptions and Luncheons throughout the state to introduce the new LA class members to regional members. The celebrations always provide an excellent opportunity for networking and visiting with old friends in addition to meeting those who will be experiencing Leadership Alabama for the first time. 
Following is the schedule of events, and Constant Contact event invitations will be emailed to you, as well. We hope to see as many of you as possible at these events, for your attendance and enthusiastic support always mean so much to the class members.
