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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoover
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 pose for a photo while handing out snacks to people in a Hoover neighborhood as part of Love Your Neighbor Day on April 6, 2024. From left are Kathy-Ann Alexis, Sean Monte, Michael Pepper, Wynell Gilbert and Julian Grant.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Leadership Hoover Vice Chairman Kenneth Cox, right, presents a graduation gift to Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 member Steve Johnson during a graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Porsha Young, a member of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024, holds her graduation gift on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 poses for a photo after their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Leadership Hoover Secretary Terri Coleman presents a graduation gift to Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 member Raven Holloway during a graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People take part in a litter cleanup at Loch Haven Park in Hoover, Alabama, as part of an Earth Day project initiated by members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about the Love Your Neighbor Day they started during their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. From left are Nina Monosky, Kathy-Ann Alexis and Steve Johnson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a litter cleanup project they led at their Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a project to bolster economic activity and share fun things to do during the SEC Baseball Tournament at a Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. From left are Kacy Wood, Jeremy Vice and Jackson Pruett.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Leadership Hoover Vice Chairman Kenneth Cox, at right, presents a graduation gift to Donna West, a member of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 at the group's graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about the Love Your Neighbor Day they started during their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. From left are Wynell Gilbert and Julian Grant.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato speaks to the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 at their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a scholarship program they started at their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Leadership Hoover board member Tynette Lynch speaks at the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a litter cleanup project they led at their Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. From left are Vida Boyd and Eric Terrell.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Leadership Hoover Executive Director Jennifer Whisenant welcomes people to the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a Hoover City Schools electric car challenge they helped support during their Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. from left are Sean Monte, Megan Seaton, Raven Holloway and Dil Uswatte.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Fourth graders from Deer Valley Elementary School race their Goblin Cars in a slalom race at the south parking deck of the Riverchase Galleria through the Hoover City Schools S.T.E.A.M program, in partnership with Greenpower on Friday, April 26, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about the Love Your Neighbor Day they started during their graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoover
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 pose for a photo while handing out snacks to people in a Hoover neighborhood as part of Love Your Neighbor Day on April 6, 2024. From left are Julian Grant, Kathy-Ann Alexis, Sean Monte and Wynell Gilbert
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Jeremy Vice, a member of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024, talks about a project to bolster economic activity and share fun things to do during the SEC Baseball Tournament at a Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 talk about a Hoover City Schools electric car challenge they helped support during their Leadership Hoover graduation ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
Leadership Hoover celebrated the graduation of its seventh class Tuesday with a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel.
There were 30 graduates in the Class of 2024, representing many parts of the community, from education and government to banking and finance, health care, retail, restaurants, media, law and public utilities.
This group spent the past nine months learning about various aspects of life in the city, including city government, public safety, education, small businesses, economic development, community amenities, nonprofits and diversity.
They also divided into five groups to tackle projects to help improve life in the city.
One group established a scholarship program for the new Ignite Hoover youth leadership program, while another started what they hope will become an annual effort to promote acts of love and kindness.
A third group launched a campaign to stimulate interest in the SEC Baseball Tournament and connect people attending the tournament to Hoover businesses and other things to do in Hoover while in town for the tournament.
A fourth group held a litter cleanup effort at Loch Haven Park in conjunction with Earth Day, and the fifth group helped support an electric car competition for fourth graders in Hoover City Schools in collaboration with the school system.
INVESTING IN YOUTH LEADERS
The “Mission Possible” team that established the scholarship program set a goal of raising $5,000 each of the next five years to fund a $1,000 college scholarship for a graduate of the new Ignite Hoover youth leadership program each year in the future. If the initial $25,000 goal is achieved, it should be enough to become a self-sustaining scholarship fund, team members said.
An initial $1,500 was donated by members of the Leadership Hoover group and their guests at Tuesday’s graduation ceremony. The public can donate to this scholarship as well at this QR code:
Photo by Jon Anderson
The “Love Your Neighbor” group established the first Saturday in April as Love Your Neighbor Day in Hoover, encouraging people to do something special to show love to other people in the community that day.
On April 6 of this year, people participating did a variety of things, including cutting down trees for their neighbors, helping paint, doing household repairs, taking flowers to their neighbors and making cookies for them, team member Wynell Gilbert said. The Hoover Police Department got involved and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for people in the community, and some residents of Lake Wilborn set up a snack station in their community to give snacks to people as they drove by.
“What the world needs now is love,” Gilbert said. “There are so many people struggling and suffering in different capacities. It was just our drive to think of a way that we could share love.”
Fellow team member Julian Grant said people may move to a community because of businesses or amenities there, but they stay in a community because of the people and culture there.
Leadership Hoover’s “Get in the Game” team created a website — welcometohooveralabama.com — that informs SEC baseball fans of fun things to do in Hoover. The group also encouraged restaurants and other businesses to offer special promotions or events for SEC baseball fans and catalogued those things on the website. Some of the things on the list include live music, meal specials, happy hours, a guided hike at the Moss Rock Preserve nature park and the summer reading kickoff at the Hoover Public Library.
The SEC Baseball Tournament last year drew more than 171,000 fans, and while people say they enjoy coming to the tournament, one of the complaints has been that there aren’t enough other things for visitors to do while here, team member Jackson Pruett said.
This project will help both visitors and local businesses seeking to reach those visitors, he said. The website will be shared with visitors through a QR code.
A QR code directs people to a web page with information about things to do in Hoover, Alabama, during the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament.
The Leadership Hoover group that organized a litter cleanup effort chose Loch Haven Park, which includes 17 acres with a dog park, playground and open play area and 27 acres of woods and parking across the street.
The group partnered with multiple entities for the cleanup, including the Cahaba River Society, Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, Hoover Beautification Board, The Home Depot, Riverchase Career Connection Center, Jefferson State Community College, Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Jefferson County and RSM Accounting. Most of the cleanup focused on the wooded area that is slated for nature trail development in the near future.
Team member Vida Boyd said about 75 volunteers picked up more than 3,000 pounds of trash over about three hours.
The fifth team supported the Hoover school system’s Greenpower USA Electric Car Challenge, a new program (for Hoover) that allowed fourth graders to design and build small electric cars (similar to go-carts) and then race them in a parking deck at the Riverchase Galleria in late April.
Technology coaches in Hoover schools established and implemented the curriculum in the schools, allowing students to use science, technology, engineering, arts and math skills, in addition to critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity, Rocky Ridge Elementary Principal Dil Uswatte said.
The Leadership Hoover team, which called itself the “pit crew,” supported the challenge through fundraising, marketing, volunteering and identifying supplemental curriculum.
Eight Hoover elementary schools took part in the challenge at the Galleria, and some of the Hoover students raced their cars against students from other systems at another competition at the Talladega Superspeedway on May 3. The cars will be disassembled so that next year’s fourth graders can have a similar experience and build cars as well, Uswatte said.
MOVING CITY FORWARD
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato thanked each of the 30 graduates for spending the past nine months learning about the city and how various facets of the city work together to move the city forward.
His goal in initiating the creation of Leadership Hoover in 2017 was to bring leaders in the city together to help move the city forward, build new leaders and make Hoover a welcoming place for everyone from all facets of life, he said.
Leadership Hoover board member Tynette Lynch, who helped create the organization, said she has enjoyed watching each group of people form relationships and create projects to better the city.
“You allowed yourselves to be vulnerable. You dropped your armor, and you all shared parts of yourselves with individuals who were total strangers,” Lynch said. “Hearts and minds were opened, and bonds were strengthened. What an amazing organization you have become a part of.”
Kathy-Ann Alexis, a Jefferson County district court judge in the Bessemer division of the county who was a member of the Class of 2024, said it was a great experience and enabled her to get a bird’s eye view of the city and behind-the-scenes look at what makes Hoover what it is. “We just had a great time,” she said.
Jayst Dorian, a 21-year-old Hoover firefighter who was the youngest member of this year’s graduates, said going through the Leadership Hoover program gave him a better understanding of things like the school system, the people who put the city of Hoover together and the importance of supporting small businesses.
It also was a great networking opportunity to get to meet so many people from different facets of life he may not have met otherwise, he said. “This is definitely something anybody should do,” he said.
Members of the Leadership Hoover Class of 2024 were:
- Leroy Abrahams, vice president and consumer systems support manager, Regions
- Kathy-Ann Alexis, Jefferson County District Court judge
- Michael Alford, student services coordinator, Hoover City Schools
- Vida Boyd, vice president of human resources, Books-A-Million
- Neil Buffington, general manager, Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel
- Zebbie Carney, owner, Eugene’s Hot Chicken
- Jayst Dorian, firefighter and emergency medical technician, Hoover Fire Department
- Scott Ford, chief operations officer, Passport Inc.
- Stanley Funches, president and owner, Intelus Wealth Management
- Wynell Gilbert, president and CEO, Tutor Nation-Tutoring Solutions
- Balagee Govindan, founder and CEO, HiTech Health Solutions
- Julian Grant, director of program development, Streemline
- Raven Holloway, owner, Wellness Worx
- Matina Johnson, fine arts manager, Hoover Library Theatre/city of Hoover
- Steve Johnson, account executive, Birmingham Christian Family Magazine
- Lori Martin, director of research services, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
- Nina Monosky, lieutenant, Hoover Police Department
- Sean Monte, director of regulatory policy and planning, Alabama Power Co.
- Michael Pepper, parks and recreation manager, Hoover Parks and Recreation Department
- Justin Petrusson, vice president and mortgage banker, SouthPoint Bank
- Joe Prokop, certified financial planner, Edward Jones
- Jackson Pruett, economic development coordinator, city of Hoover
- Megan Seaton, associate relations manager, Regions
- Eric Terrell, program integrator, U.S. Army Defense Contract Management Agency
- Dil Uswatte, principal, Rocky Ridge Elementary School
- Jeremy Vice, assistant vice president for client engagement, Prime Therapeutics
- Yolanda Washington, senior client strategy consultant, CBRE
- Donna West, executive director for employee experience and team building, Buffalo Rock
- Kacy Wood, private banking officer, ServisFirst Bank
- Porsha Young, claims processing manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
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Tomiko M. Essix
Leroy Abrahams, vice president and consumer systems support manager, Regions
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Kathy-Ann Alexis, Jefferson County District Court judge
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Photo courtesy of Tiffanie Page
Michael Alford, student services coordinator, Hoover City Schools
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Vida Boyd, vice president of human resources, Books-A-Million
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Neil Buffington, general manager, Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Zebbie Carney, owner, Eugene’s Hot Chicken
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Jayst Dorian, firefighter and emergency medical technician, Hoover Fire Department
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Scott Ford, chief operations officer, Passport Inc.
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Stanley Funches, president and owner, Intelus Wealth Management
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Wynell Gilbert, president and CEO, Tutor Nation-Tutoring Solutions
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Balagee Govindan, founder and CEO HiTech Health Solutions
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Photo courtesy of Phil Free
Julian Grant, director of program development, Streemline
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Raven Holloway, owner, Wellness Worx
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Matina Johnson, fine arts manager, Hoover Library Theatre/city of Hoover
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Steve Johnson, account executive, Birmingham Christian Family Magazine
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Photo courtesy of Phil Free
Julian Grant, director of program development, Streemline
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Raven Holloway, owner, Wellness Worx
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Sean Monte, director of regulatory policy and planning, Alabama Power Co.
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Michael Pepper, parks and recreation manager, Hoover Parks and Recreation Department
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Justin Petrusson, vice president and mortgage banker, SouthPoint Bank
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Joe Prokop, certified financial planner, Edward Jones
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Jackson Pruett, economic development coordinator, city of Hoover
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Megan Seaton, associate relations manager, Regions
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Eric Terrell, program integrator, U.S. Army Defense Contract Management Agency
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Dil Uswatte, principal, Rocky Ridge Elementary School
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Jeremy Vice, assistant vice president for client engagement, Prime Therapeutics
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Yolanda Washington, senior client strategy consultant, CBRE
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Donna West, executive director for employee experience and team building, Buffalo Rock
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Kacy Wood, private banking officer, ServisFirst Bank
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Photo courtesy of Leadership Hoo
Porsha Young, claims processing manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
