Leadership Hoover group forms with aim to move city forward

A new group called Leadership Hoover has formed to bring leaders from all walks of life together to tackle issues facing the city, improve the quality of life and develop new leaders.

The effort is an initiative spearheaded by the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at the request of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato.

The Leadership Hoover group will operate much like other geographic-based leadership groups throughout the state and country, said Joe Thomas, a former president of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce who is serving as chairman of the organization as it gets started.

Each year, a “class” of leaders will be selected to meet together once a month to learn about different aspects of Hoover, including education, health care, public safety, nonprofits and government, Thomas said.

Each class will be a diverse group representing different sectors of the community, including leaders in government, nonprofit agencies and small, medium and large businesses, he said. Preference will be given to people who live or work in Hoover, but that will not be a requirement, he said.

The leaders will learn what all Hoover has to offer and look for ways to move the city forward, Thomas said. Each class will tackle at least one project to try to improve the city, he said.

A 12-person steering committee organized by the chamber has sent out invitations to form the first class, which will have 30 members, Thomas said. After that, people who have gone through the process will nominate others for future classes, he said.

The first class should be selected by early September, with a kickoff retreat slated for Sept. 25-26 that includes a team-building exercise at the Red Mountain ropes course, Thomas said. The class will meet monthly through May, likely including a trip to Montgomery to meet with legislators who represent parts of Hoover and learn more about how state government operates, he said.

“It’s going to be a high-impact type of thing, with engaging speakers, not lectures,” Thomas said.

The steering committee studied similar leadership groups in Shelby County, Birmingham, Dothan, Tuscaloosa, Vestavia Hills, Auburn and Huntsville to help determine how to set up the Hoover group, he said.

The Leadership Hoover group incorporated July 27 and already has hired Shelby County Commissioner Mike Vest as its part-time executive director.

The Hoover City Council allocated $50,000 in start-up money for Leadership Hoover. That amount should decrease over time as the organization finds revenue streams, City Administrator Allan Rice said. Class members must pay $900 to participate, Thomas said.