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🎉 35th Anniversary and LA Class updates 🗞️

April 9, 2025

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Celebrate #35withLA

this summer!

We are planning another fabulous celebration to toast Leadership Alabama’s 35th anniversary!

Come join us this summer as we gather at the Grand Hotel to enthusiastically commemorate its storied history and impact on our state.

We are so grateful to our loyal supporters and sponsors!

Anniversary Sponsors as of April 9, 2025

Lead Sponsors
Bank Independent

Thursday Keynote Speaker and Luncheon Sponsors
Barvette and Michael Patterson

Wednesday Evening Cocktail Dinner / Party Sponsors
PowerSouth Energy

Thursday Evening Cocktail Dinner / Party Sponsors
First Horizon Bank

Thurday Morning Breakfast / Speaker Sessions Sponsor
Jones Walker

Friday Morning Breakfast / Speaker Session Sponsors
Thompson Tractor

Click the link below to learn more, register, and book your room at the Grand Hotel!

https://www.leadershipalabama35years.org

Nominations/Class Selection for LA Class XXXV

Leadership Alabama members,

Thank you for nominating so many qualified and respected leaders from throughout the state.  Due to your efforts, we received 171 outstanding nominations for LA Class XXXV!

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.
  •  There are ten regional councils, and review meetings have already been conducted in three cities, and the remaining seven sessions are scheduled for the next several weeks.
  • After all 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 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 LA 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 XXXV will be announced in July, so stay tuned!

LA Class XXXIV – Huntsville Retreat March 6 – 8, 2025

As was done prior to the Mobile retreat, Leadership Alabama’s Board of Directors met in Huntsville prior to Class XXXIV’s March retreat for another opportunity to visit with members of the class and Huntsville/NE Alabama LA members.  Everyone gathered on Wednesday evening for an “Early Bird” cocktail reception at the brand new Huntsville City Hall, sponsored and hosted by the Honorable Tommy Battle (LA Class XXIII). As noted on the class evaluations, “The cocktail gathering is always a great way to get back into the swing of Leadership Alabama!”

Click here to play video of Huntsville retreat highlights!

Once again, the program agenda involved fantastic speakers and interesting, state-of-the-art venues, as noted below (in order of appearance), and it is always our pleasure to showcase their involvement and commitment to LA and its stellar programming. Comments from the evaluations are noted in italics.

Welcome and Overview of Huntsville/NE Alabama Region –
David Nast, State President, United Community Bank, LA Class XX/Past Board Chair
The Honorable Tommy Battle, Mayor, City of Huntsville, LA Class XXIII
“It is always helpful to have the visit be framed up by leaders of the city.”  

Redstone Arsenal Welcome/Briefing
Colonel Erin Eike, Garrison Commander, Redstone Arsenal
Martin Traylor, Deputy to the Garrison Commander, Redstone Arsenal
“This was my first visit to Redstone Arsenal – what a wonderful experience!”

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Briefing
Joseph Pelfrey
, Director, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, LA Class XXXIV
“The guy was a rockstar! The knowledge and impact are incredible.”

International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Integration Center
Paul Hintze
, Branch Chief, Environmental Control & Life Support Systems, NASA
Nicole Pelfrey, Manager, Payload & Missions Operations Division, NASA
“This was an exceptional experience.  The best part of the day.”

FBI in Alabama Overview/Kinetic Cyber Range Tour
Dave Beachboard, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist, FBI
“This is definitely a highlight of the Arsenal tour. The tour enhanced the presentation, made it real.”

U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Special Agent Canine Handler Dave Wiley and K9 Derby
Special Agents/Certified Fire Investigators Jimmy Panos and Walt Shaw
“Interesting and hands on! I appreciated the effort they put into creating the demos for us.”

 Dinearound Dinners
“Dinearound was awesome, as always. Our hosts were very gracious, and I love the ability to get to know our classmates better.”
“A special part of Leadership Alabama.”    

AL Legislature in Session – Discussion Panel
Moderated by Chuck Holmes, Executive Director, AL Humanities Alliance, LA Class XXX/Board Member
Hon. Will Ainsworth, Lt. Governor and Senate President, State of Alabama, LA Class XXXIII
Hon. Anthony Daniels, District 53 Representative, AL House of Representatives, LA Class XXIX
Hon. Garlan Gudger, District 4 Senator, Alabama State Senate, LA Class XXI
“Such a privilege to have this time with members of our legislative leadership.”
“Best session of the two days. Hearing the thought-provoking discussion from our state leaders made the time spent well worth it.”    

AL School of Cyber Technology & Engineering Tour with Students
“Very impressed.  Very impressive young adults. Amazing facility and a great asset to the state.” 

AL School of Cyber Technology & Engineering Welcome and Overview
Matt Massey, President, ASCTE, LA Class XXXIV
“Exceptional presentation and vision.”

Tour of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
“This was good to hear what their purpose is and the impact they can have.”

The HudsonAlpha Story – The Power of Genomics
Dr. Neil Lamb, President, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, LA Class XXIX
“Really good. I learned much more about biotechnology and genomics.”

DNA Extraction Experiment – Genomics Education
Kelly East, Vice President for Educational Outreach, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
“Entertaining.  I appreciate the hands-on experience.”

Class XXXIV Dinner with Huntsville area LA Members at MartinFederal Consulting, LLC
“It is wonderful to see LA members extend themselves on behalf of new class members.” 

Kids to Love: Serving Children Through Every Step
Lee Marshall, Founder & CEO, Kids to Love Foundation, LA Class XXIX
Hon. Frank Barger, Judge of Probate, Madison County
Doug Bachuss, Attorney, Nowlin, Bachuss & Gray Law, LA Class XXVI/Board Member
Hon. Paul Finley, Mayor, City of Madison, LA Class XXIX
“Wonderful to discuss issues. Great insight and discussion.”
“Fantastic organization and very motivating to get more involved.”  

Class Caucus
Moderated by Chuck Holmes
“Exchange with the group is the best part, and I feel more would be great.”
“This is always the favorite part of the retreat, as we get to hear our classmates’ perspectives.”

LA Class XXXIV will convene in Birmingham for its last retreat of the program year on May 14 – 16, and the next newsletter will include all of the great things that the class experienced, especially the graduation dinner and celebration, and an update about the anniversary celebration.

Be sure to watch for it!

The end of Leadership Alabama’s fiscal year road is near…

As the end of Leadership Alabama’s fiscal year draws near (June 30, 2025), 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 dues online.

Click here to print an invoice to mail your dues.

Questions?? Contact Us…

Ashley Kaplan -ashley@leadershipal.org

Lydia Barnett – lydia@leadershipal.org

Kate Cotton -kcotton@leadershipal.org

🎊 LA's 35th Anniversary Registration and Hotel now OPEN 🌟

March 10, 2025

We are planning another fabulous celebration to toast
Leadership Alabama’s 35th anniversary,
and we hope you are planning to join us this summer as we gather at the Grand Hotel to enthusiastically commemorate its storied history and impact on our state.  If so, it is time to register!

In addition to being with friends and colleagues from throughout the state, the celebration will include fabulous cocktail hours, delicious meals, a terrific dance band, and the opportunity to hear from four dynamic speakers!  Check out registration and hotel reservation information/links below and read further down to learn more about the anniversary keynote speakers.

Wednesday, August 6 – Friday, August 8, 2025

0001-2408758781451327794.jpg Click here to register for the anniversary celebration!

Click here to book your reservation at The Grand Hotel!

IMPORTANT — Please note that registration requires two (2) SEPARATE steps.

1. Register with Leadership Alabama for the event.We need to know you are coming so that we can have everything ready for you, from gift bags, to name tags, to class lists of attendees and beyond. By registering with LA, you are helping us plan for you. Registration is open for LA Member + Spouse/Guest. Each registration ($500) is separate and covers ALL events – speakers, programs, and meals. A la carte registration for separate evenings/events is not offered.
*We love our children, but all anniversary events are for adults only!*

2. Make a hotel reservation with the Grand Hotel.
Registering with Leadership Alabama (1. above) does not secure a hotel room for you.  To reserve a hotel room at the Grand Hotel for the event, you MUST make a hotel reservation with the Grand Hotel apart from anything you do with LA. The reservation link is provided directly with the Grand Hotel/Marriott.

Anniversary Celebration Speakers

Proof Positive Visionary Success
Fawn Weaver

Serial entrepreneur, two-time New York Times bestselling author, groundbreaking business mogul, powerhouse investor, and Uncle Nearest, Inc. Founder and CEO
In riveting conversations, Fawn Weaver offers key insights and impactful takeaways about cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and what it takes to succeed across business and life industries. Fawn Weaver’s remarkable journey has seen her rise from dropping out of high school to becoming a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama’s class of 2023.

Click here to learn more about Fawn Weaver.

Inspire and Impact
Monty Criswell

Producer, award-winning, thirty-one year veteran hit songwriter, and stage three cancer survivor Monty Criswell takes the audience on a journey of how he became a hit songwriter and faced cancer with grace, courage, and an unbelievable dose of humor. Born and raised in the small town of Satsuma in south Alabama, Monty Criswell has accumulated hundreds of songs cut, numerous awards, CMA, ACM, Dove, NMPA, and Grammy nominations, and Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum certifications.

Click to learn more about Monty Criswell.

Disruptive Demographics
Dr. James H. Johnson, Jr.

William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship and Director, Urban Investment Strategies Center at UNC Chapel Hill
Dr. Jim Johnson’s study of demographics in an era of turbulence and enormous uncertainty continues to change minds and lives. We are thrilled to welcome back one of LA’s favorite presenters!

Click to read more about Dr. Jim Johnson.

 

Demystifying AI
Joshua Jones

Entrepreneur and Futurist and CEO at QuantHub
Josh Jones presents a compelling presentation on AI in an inspiring and innovative way to help us understand where we are today and where we are headed!

*Josh is a member of LA Class XXXII.

Click here to learn more about Josh Jones.

Don’t forget…
LA’s 35th Anniversary Celebration registration requires two (2) SEPARATE steps.

We look forward to being with you at our state’s beautiful Gulf Coast this summer!
Wednesday, August 6 – Friday, August 8, 2025

Questions? Contact us!

Ashley Kaplan – ashley@leadershipal.org

Lydia Barnett – lydia@leadershipal.org

Kate Cotton – kcotton@leadershipal.org

 

Happy Holidays from Leadership Alabama!

December 19, 2024

We are so thankful for another incredible year with Leadership Alabama and offer cheers to each of you for your steadfast engagement, support and friendship. Wishing you peace and good health this holiday season and always!

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Leadership Alabama Class XXXV Nominations open on Tuesday, January 21, 2025!

All program information – dates, program overview, cost, and link to the online nomination form – will be sent via Constant Contact email on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

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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 2024 – June 2025.  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.

Click to pay online.
Click to print an invoice.

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We look forward to being with you in 2025!
Ashley, Lydia and Kate

🌠Class XXXIV Kick Off and Membership Dues Renewal📮

October 25, 2024

Welcoming LA Class XXXIV and Connecting with Area LA Members

Click here to play a slideshow of events.

September brought a whirlwind of engaging regional activities to introduce upcoming class members to our Leadership Alabama family and catch up with area members across the state in nine regions.  We are extremely grateful to our regional hosts and sponsors!

2024 Regional Event Sponsors (for Class XXXIV)

Auburn/East Alabama Regional Luncheon

  • David Hedges and Lolly Steiner, AuburnBank

Birmingham Regional Reception

  • Scott Reed and Jenifer Kimbrough, Oakworth Capitol Bank

Cullman Regional Luncheon

  • Brian Dove, Cullman-Jefferson Gas District

Huntsville/Northeast Alabama Regional Reception

  • DeMarco McClain, Bank Independent
  • David Nast, United Community Bank
  • Michael Kirkpatrick

Mobile/Baldwin Regional Reception

  • Rebecca Byrne, Community Foundation of South Alabama
  • Henry O’Connor, Jones Walker
  • Jay Watkins, Maynard Nexsen

Montgomery Area Regional Reception

  • Carl Barker and Delbert Madison, ServisFirst Bank

Shoals/Decatur Regional Dinner

  • Kim and Macke Mauldin, Bank Independent

Wiregrass Regional Reception

  • Greg Henderson, Southeast Alabama Gas
  • Mark Pugh, CDG Engineers
  • Forrest Register, Register Realty Company
  • Bob Woodall, Bob Woodall Air Care Systems
Leadership Alabama Class XXXIV
Kicks Off in Montgomery

Class XXXIV “officially” launched in Montgomery last week, October 16-18, and we were thrilled to greet 76 statewide professionals to our revered organization. The class convened at the Alabama State House and was welcomed by  LA Board Chair Dr. Linda Young (Class IX) and Amanda Senn (Class XXXIII). As in past years, we were fortunate to have Dr. Ed Bridges (Class VIII) present Alabama’s history relative to today’s issues and economic challenges, which is always the perfect platform for gaining a better understanding of the issues addressed throughout the Montgomery retreat. As shared on the evaluations, “It was a great perspective of our state’s history.”

Afterwards, Bill Poole (Class XXXIII) provided an update on Alabama’s state budget and the future economic outlook, which was cited as a “very good discussion of Alabama’s two budget system.”  The program day concluded with Alabama’s public information director, Clay Redden, leading the class in a mock vote about the gambling issue, and the class voted just as the Alabama legislature did – not “for” or “against” gambling but in favor of putting the issue on a statewide ballot for the electorate’s vote.  Additionally, a straw vote of the upcoming presidential election was conducted, and the results of the 66 ballots cast were — Trump 53%, Harris 42% and neither/write-in 5%.  The day concluded at Montgomery Whitewater with the traditional introduction dinner with fellow classmates, which was preceded by a wonderful cocktail reception with LA area members.  “It was wonderful to meet some LA alumni and a fantastic opportunity to get to know our classmates in a relaxed setting.”

 

 

The next day, the class traveled to The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Courthouse. Dr. Ryan Hankins (Class XXVIII) started the day with an insightful presentation on recent PARCA research, “Data and Democracy,” which several in the class noted as “an excellent discussion.” Moving to the historic courtroom where Judge Johnson presided over many notable civil rights cases, Joyia Davis of The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute offered a historical overview of the courthouse, followed by the Chief Judge Honorable Emily Marks (Class XXXI), who shared some of the poignant history and outcomes of Judge Johnson’s cases, along with a captivating Q&A conversation. “Judge Marks was extremely interesting and a very impactful speaker.”  Thomas Rains (Class XXXIV) then explained the creation of The Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute and its mission of sharing stories of our Constitution and our Judiciary, and everyone thought it was “incredible to learn about this history.”

The afternoon was focused solely on the Equal Justice Initiative, and the class participated in self-guided tours through the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial  for Peace and Justice.  The most compelling comment on the evaluations was that the tours were “life changing and impactful.” That evening ended with the forever popular dinearounds in the homes of Montgomery members and local restaurants.  As always, everyone raved about the dinners – “Loved the intimacy the dinearound provided.  This is a great LA tradition!”  During the final morning together, Kathy Boswell of the Alabama Humanities Alliance and Chuck Holmes (Class XXX and LA Board Member) facilitated an interactive presentation, “Healing History: A Shared Experience Through Common Ground,” and the feedback stated it was very good and an eye-opening session.  “It was a great way to engage on the tough issues and questions.”  Afterwards, the retreat concluded with Chuck leading a class caucus centered on candidly discussing the issues and experiences presented throughout the retreat.

Click to Pay Online                                                    Click here to print invoice