Finding Her Voice Andrea Smith reflects on the gift of perspective Andrea Smith (’12) recalls that her Leadership Birmingham group project was “all about preserving perspectives.” She and fellow members created a presentation in which they narrated stories from Birmingham’s civil rights movement. But many of the voices they featured weren’t the familiar ones from history books.
FINDING HER VOICE Page 2
COVID’S CRITICAL DECISIONS Page 2
COVID’s Critical Decisions The unprecedented challenges of a pandemic have led to tough choices for many alumni. Mark Wilson (’13), Jefferson County’s health officer, and Bobbie Knight (’06), Miles College president, walk us through their most consequential decisions.
WISDOM AND LAUGHTER Page 2
Wisdom and Laughter Remembering Elise Penfield When Leadership Birmingham’s second executive director passed away in July, alumni recalled her passionate energy, high expectations, and ability to command a room and connect people. They also celebrated her warm smile, kindness and openness, and her quick wit.
WORDS WITH FRIENDS Page 2
Words with Friends Alumni continue a conversation about Birmingham’s challenges and opportunities A judge, a priest, a provost, a president, and a management consultant walk into a room. It sounds like the beginning of a funny story.
Program Day Series Page 2
VIRTUAL PROGRAM DAY SERIES Join Leadership Birmingham alumni for lively and engaging discussions on timely topics in a new Leadership Birmingham event series: each month, the virtual Program Day Series will feature experts and innovators to discuss critical issues and challenges we face. These events are free and open to any Leadership Birmingham alumni.
2020-2021 Program Year Postponed Page 2
A group of Leadership Birmingham board members and alumni met last week to discuss the launch of our next Leadership Birmingham class. They considered a number of issues including personal safety and health, program quality, space availability, and uncertainty remaining around the fall COVID case count. After deep discussion, we unanimously made the tough decision of postponing the class launch until September, 2021.
Leadership Birmingham Moving Forward Page 2
MOVING FORWARD Please join us in an important and inspiring discussion with members of the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2020 on the inequalities we are challenged to address and the ways we can use our power and position to change them. Inspired by the Class of 2020’s closing session, this is an opportunity for Leadership Birmingham alumni to discuss how we can move forward and take action, individually and collectively, to break down systemic and institutional racism.
Tributes to Elise Penfield Page 2
Elise Penfield Executive Director of Leadership Birmingham 1994-2004 “I fondly recall how easily I could know her mood from the way she called my name: sometimes hastily, meaning act or speak now; endearingly out of genuine respect; quietly when facing a dilemma; loudly out of eager anticipation; laughingly to say can you believe that?!; and gently meaning another good day coming to a close. Those were 10 years of our lives inextricably interwoven into the fabric of Leadership Birmingham.
What will you do? Page 2
Remember and revisit the actions and stories of people who changed the world in Birmingham…
January 2020 E-News Page 2
January 2020 E-Newsletter