Leadership Hoover first class
The Leadership Hoover group named its first class, which has 34 people in it. Among those are, top row from left, Hoover City Schools Foundation Executive Director Janet Turner, Birmingham Islamic Society President Ashfaq Taufique, Birmingham Airport Authority Chief Legal Counsel Kem Bryant, and, bottom row from left, Hoover Councilman Derrick Murphy, 2016-17 Hoover Parent Teacher Council President Shelley Shaw and Capstone Financial Group Partner Joe Thomas.
The new Leadership Hoover group today announced its first class, which includes 34 leaders in government, nonprofit agencies and small, medium and large businesses.
The business leaders come from a variety of industries, including real estate, law, finance, energy, automotive, media, hospitality, communications, computer software, engineering and architecture.
The group will meet once a month over the next nine months to learn about different aspects of Hoover, including education, health care, public safety, nonprofits and government, said Joe Thomas, chairman of the board of directors for Leadership Hoover and a member of the first class.
They’ll use this knowledge to tackle issues facing the city and look for ways to improve the city’s quality of life, Thomas said.
The effort is an initiative spearheaded by the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at the request of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato.
Here are the members of the first class:
- Tim Aho, president, Aho Architects
- Matthew Allen, sales director, Starnes Media
- Dan Blackman, president, Edmonds Engineering
- Kem Bryant, chief legal counsel, Birmingham Airport Authority
- Tom Chelewski, vice president, Iberia Bank
- Susette Clark-Walker, Realtor, RealtySouth
- Jessica Coates, government affairs director, Birmingham Association of Realtors
- Jammie Cowden, director of real estate, U.S. Steel Realty
- Paul Dangel, director of sales and marketing, Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel
- April Danielson, attorney, Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt
- Khristi Doss Driver, director of compliance and concerns, Southern Nuclear
- Josh Etress, business development, Wildsparq
- Toni Herrera-Bast, public relations and marketing manager, Birmingham Airport Authority
- Nathan Hinds, captain, Hoover Fire Department
- Sarah Johnson, marketing manager, High Cotton
- Melinda James Lopez, chief financial officer and information officer, City of Hoover
- Charles Lewis, principal construction manager, FFG Strategic Consulting
- Tynette Lynch, CEO, Aldridge Gardens
- Shannon Maze, news director, WBRC Fox 6
- Van Moody, pastor, The Worship Center Christian Church
- Jerome Morgan, president, Oncort Professional Services
- Derrick Murphy, Hoover City Council and civil engineer, Gresham, Smith & Partners
- Lynn Ray, president, Business Telephones
- Michael Ray, project manager, Plexamedia
- Nathan Reed, program manager, CB Richard Ellis
- Wayne Reid, senior sales director, ABC 33/40
- Lori Salter-Schommer, public information officer, City of Hoover
- Shelley Shaw, 2016-17 president, Hoover Parent Teacher Council
- Michael Staley, principal, Chain Link Solutions
- Ashfaq Taufique, president, Birmingham Islamic Society
- Joe Thomas, partner, Capstone Financial Group
- Janet Turner, executive director, Hoover City Schools Foundation
- Brandon Ward, vice president for business services division, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
- Jennifer Whisenant, president, Birmingham Automobile Dealers Association
Members of the first class were selected and invited by a 12-person steering committee organized by the chamber. Class members must pay $900 to participate. The group is scheduled to have its kickoff retreat on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 25-26, including a team-building exercise at the Red Mountain Park ropes course, Thomas said.
