🌟 Holiday Greetings from Leadership Alabama
December 19, 2023
Wishing you peace this holiday season and cheers to a happy new year!
Looking ahead …
Join Leadership Alabama for a special field trip to Atmore for the opportunity to visit the Poarch Band of Creek Indians community!
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Poarch Creek Reservation, Atmore
More details will follow in the next few weeks. Until then, please plan to join us and Class XXXIII members for another incredible experience to see and learn about what’s happening in Atmore with the tribe. For planning purposes, please RSVP by Friday, January 5, 2024.
Click here RSVP or learn more details.
Nominations for LA Class XXXIV
(Program Year – October 2024 through May 2025)
It is hard to believe that the nomination process for LA Class XXXIV will soon begin. Nominations will open on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and we will send an email with all the information and online application at that time. The nomination process will close on Friday, February 23.
Additional reminder emails will be sent before January 16. We simply wanted you to be aware of the date so that you have plenty of time to gather your thoughts about qualified candidates whom you would like to submit.
2023 – 2024 Leadership Alabama
Membership Dues & Contributions
Your support has been absolutely amazing, and we are profoundly grateful for your dues and contributions!
For those who haven’t had a chance to do so, we humbly ask you to submit your annual dues of only $175 for this fiscal year, July 2023 – June 2024. You can make an immediate and secure payment online by utilizing the pay online button below. Or, if you prefer a printed invoice for mailing a check, please click the invoice button. Simply print and mail with your check to Leadership Alabama, P.O. Box 131394, Birmingham, AL 35213.
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.
on a delicious meal and celebrating another terrific programming year for both Leadership Alabama and the Alabama Leadership Initiative (ALI). Melissa Morrissette, LA Board Chair, offered comments about the accomplishments and events of the past several years and then raised a toast to Kate Cotton’s tenure as LA’s Executive Director. Then, the board surprised Kate with a commissioned painting by Vicki Denaburg, a renowned Birmingham artist.
LA Class XXXII recently celebrated its graduation at the concluding retreat in Birmingham. Their retreat started on Wednesday evening, when class member The Honorable Frank Brocato, Mayor of Hoover, hosted a lovely reception at the Hoover Randall Home & Gardens. Area LA members were invited to join the class, and it was a wonderful engagement with “new and old” members. (Inviting area members to class events whenever possible has become a “norm” for Leadership Alabama retreats throughout the state.)
For the first time in LA history, the class visited the Alabama Holocaust Education Center (formerly the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center), where LA Board Member David Silverstein, LA Class XXVI, shared the history of the organization and its mission of eradicating hate and antisemitism through education, while bringing awareness to the heightened threats against the Jewish population.
The class gathered for its graduation dinner at The Club, which overlooks Birmingham’s skyline, and the entertainment was provided by class member and multi-talented Dr. Eric Kirkman, who regaled the class with song while playing a host of instruments. LA Board Chair Melissa Morrissette offered her congratulations on behalf of the entire board, followed by the distribution of obelisks and class comments.
On Friday evening, the class gathered at Regions Field for a Barons game and casual dinner. Rain withstanding, we still gathered under the tent and enjoyed each other’s company. On Saturday morning, LA Board Member Chuck Holmes, Executive Director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance and LA Class XXX, did another terrific job of facilitating a thoughtful and reflective caucus of the program year. Dave Wood, Chair of Wood Fruitticher Grocery Company and LA Class XXX, was THE perfect ending to a fabulous year. He shared his personal involvement with Hero Flights, which flies veterans to medical and rehab care throughout the country, and everyone was amazed by his selfless commitment to those who serve our country.
ALI Class V completed their third session in Mobile in April. It kicked off on Thursday, April 20, with a warm welcome overlooking the waterway of the Port of Mobile (pictured above) from LA Board Chair Melissa Morrissette, LA Class XXI, and Anitra Belle Henderson, ALI Class I and LA Class XXXII, followed by a graduation lunch where each member recapped highlights from their program year together. After lunch, the class learned about the history of Clotilda from Karlos Finley, LA Class XXIII, and the impact the Africatown revitalization will bring to the state of Alabama. The class also participated in a lively round table/small group interview discussion session about the ALI program that resulted in a consensus of ideas to keep their connections and engagements ongoing. We celebrated this last session with a fun evening in true Mardi Gras style at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
On Friday, April 21, we were joined by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, LA Class II, as he shared thoughtful ways to achieve economic and community success through leadership and relationships (pictured left). ALI Class V member Jeremy Gray provided his classmates with an informative and transparent legislative update from the Alabama State House. The session ended with a trip to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Helene Hassell, LA Class XXIV, planned an exceptionally interesting day to learn more about the state’s ecosystem and the impactful programs and research happening on Alabama’s coast. The afternoon on Dauphin Island included a welcome by DISL Executive Director John Valentine, LA Class XXIII, tours of the fisheries and shellfish labs, a water vessel trip in Mobile Bay and a beach dune walk. Many class members remarked it was their first visit to Dauphin Island and enjoyed learning more about this significant asset to our state.
With the completion of Class V, we were pleased to welcome 50 new graduates into the Alabama Leadership Initiative family. Since the expansion of ALI in 2017, we have brought together five classes, except for 2020 – 2021. The classes, comprised of 50 exceptional young professionals from across the state of Alabama, have created lifelong friendships and professional partnerships.
In May, we hosted members from all five classes for the first ALI Reunion at the Jones Valley Center for Food Education in Birmingham. We had a wonderful evening reconnecting and catching up with so many ALI members from across the state, and we look forward to planning more reunions and ALI events in the future.
The Alabama Leadership Initiative (ALI) program offers young professionals the opportunity to develop personal leadership skills and to establish ongoing relationships with other young leaders across the state. The six-month program is comprised of three two-day retreats that exposes participants to the decision makers in Alabama who are sensitive to the challenges we face as a state and provides the unique opportunity to step inside the circles of those who mold the future of our state.
As some of you may know, Kate Cotton’s husband John has been battling Parkinson’s disease for the past four years. As such, Kate has decided to step down as Leadership Alabama’s Executive Director as of June 30, the end of our fiscal year. I know you join me in thanking her for everything that has been accomplished during the past 5½ years. Her infectious spirit, commitment to professionalism, attention to detail and passion for Leadership Alabama’s mission have fostered record-breaking growth, operating and financial efficiencies, enhanced retreat programming and expanded membership engagement opportunities.
Kate joined Leadership Alabama in January 2018 after a long and successful career at Protective Life Corporation in Birmingham. She was a member of LA Class XVII and was serving as a LA Board Member when chosen to be the Executive Director. During her tenure, Leadership Alabama has reached some incredible milestones. With a staff of only two until the recent addition of Melissa Sherer in October of 2022, the dynamic duo of Kate Cotton and Ashley Kaplan has:
Ashley, who is known by all of you for her remarkable knowledge of our organization, is well positioned and ready to lead Leadership Alabama in this new role. She has been with Leadership Alabama for 15+ years and has been instrumental in every aspect of our organization as she has practically grown-up in LA.
THANK YOU to our 543 members who have paid their annual dues this year and to the many who made a contribution with their membership dues!