45 Graduate from Leadership Tuscaloosa; Class Project Raises Over $80K
May 9, 2025
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Tuscaloosa Class of 2025 on Thursday evening, May 8. The program, facilitated by The Chamber and presented by Shelton State Community College, equips participants with the tools and connections needed to drive positive change in West Alabama.
Forty-five individuals completed the 9-month leadership program: Daniel Barnett of RTR Pro Entertainment; Mary Bell of Kentuck Art Center; Dave Berney of JMF Capstone Wealth Management; Chris Billings of Bryant Bank; Ashley Blalock of Northport Police Department; Kristen Bobo of Shelton State Community College; Karen Burklew of Alabama Power Company; Matt Carney of BF Goodrich; Jonathan Coleman of Discover Financial; Lauren Collier of West AlabamaWorks!; Brian Davis of Tuscaloosa County PARA; Tesney Davis of Tuscaloosa City Schools; Naytalia Douglas of Visit Tuscaloosa; Nicole Dugat of Schoolyard Roots; Jack Gerus of ApartmentsForLegends; Romel Gibson of Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa; Nathan Glassco of Harrison Construction Company, Inc.; Neicy Hardy of Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs; TJ Harris of Edward Jones Investments; Jennifer Hayes of The University of Alabama; Briana Houston of DCH Health System; Brad Johnson of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc.; Claude Lake of Shelton State Community College; Jennifer Lee of Alabama ONE; Briana Lipkin of The Westervelt Company; Brandy Martinez of Turning Point; Alex Miles II of Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office; Whitni Molden of American Heart Association; Joseph Northington of Bama Exterminating; Ashley Olive of The University of Alabama; Carrie Peck of Hampton Inn Tuscaloosa – University; David Rezai of Amazon; Brandon Ringer of Ringer Wilks Co.; Litsa Rivers of Tuscaloosa Academy; Ally Roberts of Five Horizons Health Services; Huey Rudder of City of Tuscaloosa; Tony Sheffield of The Westervelt Company; Mark Simpson of Schoel Engineering; Maggie Spencer of Buffalo Rock – Pepsi; Terria Steele of BMSS, LLC; Jennifer Taylor of DCH Health System; Aretha Thomas of Whatley Health Services; Diana Torres of Jalapenos Mexican Grill; Monica Watts of The University of Alabama; and Chelsea Winters of Capitol Park Title.
The class’s project, New Hoops 4 New Heights, focuses on providing a basketball court for New Heights Community Resource Center and positive recreational outlets for local youth. To date, the class has raised $80,810—and counting—for the project. There’s still time to give and help them reach their goal. Donations can be made online at https://givebutter.com/RTZvxF.
The class voted Briana Houston of DCH Health System as class president. A new tradition introduced during last year’s ceremony was the presentation of a class-voted award to an individual tasked with keeping the cohort connected as they transition into the Leadership Tuscaloosa Alumni Association.
Former Chamber President and CEO Jim Page, a 2013 Leadership Tuscaloosa graduate, delivered the keynote address, reflecting on the transformative impact of the program and encouraging graduates to continue investing in the community’s future.
Alyson Baxter of The University of Alabama, a 2022 graduate of the program, served as the 2024–2025 Chair. Baxter said, “Leadership Tuscaloosa Class of 2022 changed my life. My entire experience of living in Tuscaloosa took a huge turn. I learned more about my community during this 9-month program than I did the prior 17 years I lived here. I’m forever grateful for all the amazing people I’ve met through The Chamber and the friendships formed that make Tuscaloosa home.”
Shay Lawson of Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors, a 2007 graduate of the program, served as a co-chair alongside Baxter and will serve as the Chair for the 2025–2026 Class.
Applications for the next Leadership Tuscaloosa class are open now through June 4. Those interested in joining this transformative experience can apply at leadershiptuscaloosa.com or westalabamachamber.com/LT.
For more information, contact Alicia Gregory at alicia@westalabamachamber.com.