
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Members of the 2019-20 Leadership Vestavia classwork to memorize information on other members of the group during a team building exercise at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church on Sept. 5.
A new group of 20 leaders has begun its journey through the Leadership Vestavia Hills program.
The class offers a chance for leaders in the city to meet people they might not otherwise meet, learn different things about the city and help take an active role in making Vestavia Hills a better place to live, said Shannon Stewart, class facilitator.
Leadership Vestavia Hills has hosted various community events, such as Wing Ding, and helped create Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills, which takes high school students and trains them to be leaders.
Tracy Lemak is one member from this year’s class. Lemak currently works with the Help the Hills coalition, which was formed out of a community project of Leadership Vestavia Hills.
Lemak said she’s most looking forward to meeting other community members and learning more about Vestavia.
Stewart said the first class will be about the history of Vestavia and the Leadership Vestavia Hills program, with the second class serving as a kind of “leadership boot camp.” The classes will become more and more Vestavia-centric and include classes devoted to economic development, education and other topics, she said.
Past participants have said they’ve been able to grow in their professional career with the help of the class, as well, Stewart said. The group can also help counter social media rumors that may spread and damage the city, she said.
Jack Alvey, the rector at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, is in this year’s class and is eager to get to know others in the community. Alvey is in his first year as rector.
“When people come together, exciting things happen,” he said.
He hopes to help maintain a sense of connection as the city continues to grow, as well as help connect Vestavia to other over-the-mountain communities, he said.
Lauren Cooper, vice president of communications for the Birmingham Business Alliance, said while she works for an organization that takes a “regional look” at economic development, she’s excited to “drill down to the community aspect” of economic development.
Cooper said she’s always known about the opportunity, but chose to take part in it when a friend asked her if she’d be interested.
She said she also is looking forward to learning more about how Vestavia operates as a city. Cindy Echols, an assistant principal at Vestavia Hills Elementary East, said she wants to expand her knowledge of the city and make more connections beyond the school building.
Echols said she’s interested in a potential project to bring back the program that helps feed needy children in the city. “I’ve always worked to be a servant leader and meet the needs of others,” she said.
Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman is also part of this year’s class.
“It’s such a valuable experience because you learn about the place you live,” Freeman said.
He hopes to make connections that will strengthen the school’s partnership with the community, he said.
The 2019-20 Leadership Vestavia Hills class consists of:
► Jack Alvey, Episcopal Church of the Ascension
► Brooks Ballentine, Hoar Project Management
► James Barnett, Peoples Bank of Alabama
► Jennifer Brooks, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
► June Clark, Catholic Diocese, Ascension Episcopal Kindergarten
► Lauren Cooper, Birmingham Business Alliance
► Philemon Croft, Adams Brothers Inc.
► Cindy Echols, Vestavia Hills Elementary East
► Todd Freeman, Vestavia Hills City Schools
► Chad Gay, Cahaba Benefits Group
► Shelley Gentle, community volunteer/ stay-at-home mom
► Erin Holtz, Pure Fitness
► Luke Kennedy, Bryant Bank
► Tracy Lemak, Help the Hills Coalition
► Alli McGill, Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church
► Christine McJunkin, Highland Commercial Mortgage
► Beth Moody, The Welch Group
► Chris Simmons, InnerCare Counseling
► David Stanton, Tower Homes
► Tait Stoddard, Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation