On November 29 and 30, the American Leadership Forum National Board of Directors met in Tacoma, WA, for its annual board retreat. We are thrilled to welcome to the fold new Board Members Ronnie Bryant (ALF Charlotte, NC), Melody O’Neal (ALF Waccamaw, SC), and Juanita Saffold (ALF Great Valley, CA).
The board also elected a slate of officers for 2024. ALF Houston/Gulf Coast CEO Nory Angel will serve another year as Chair. ALF Oregon CEO Sarah Greenman has stepped into the Vice Chair role. ALF Tacoma Pierce County CEO Beth Boggs will stay on as Treasurer, and Mountain Valley, CA CEO Bonnie Ferreira will serve another term as Secretary.
An Evaluation and Impact Task Force was assembled to work on overhauling the Fellows program evaluation tool in order to match the revised ALF National Cornerstones, which were adopted by the board in late 2022. In addition, chapters will be collecting class and network collaboration and impact stories annually to share with the network and potential funders.
“The board is energized and committed to building a national network that is positioned to create spaces for bridging across difference and preserving our democracy.” Nory Angel, ALF National Board Chair
“The relationships built through the ALF Fellows program have a positive ripple effect in our communities that is impossible to deeply measure,” shares St. John-Crane. “We are going to be more intentional about collecting stories of Senior Fellows making a difference in their communities, thanks to the relationships they have built through ALF.”
A big thanks to longtime ALFN and ALF Tacoma / Pierce County Board Member Lyle Quasim and his wife Shelagh for hosting a dinner for the board at their home, where many members met for the first time in person.
“Our 2023 retreat helped our board gain clarity on the work at the center for moving the national organization forward and executing on a bold new vision,” ALF National Board Chair Nory Angel reflects. “The board is energized and committed to building a national network that is positioned to create spaces for bridging across difference and preserving our democracy.”
ALF Silicon Valley CEO Suzanne St. John-Crane and VP of Operations Mark Tolley continue to press ahead with fundraising efforts to fully implement the ALF National strategic plan. St. John-Crane is leading the work to garner support from foundations across the country, and Tolley is managing Phase One of implementation: Launching ALF Connect, an online platform that will allow over 5,000 Senior Fellows from across the country to connect with each other for the first time in ALF’s history. ALF Connect is set to launch by March 2024.
