Leadership Shelby County celebrates graduating class of 2025
Published 12:02 pm Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Leadership Shelby County celebrated the completion of another successful year and honored the graduating class of 2025 during a special ceremony on Tuesday, May 13 at the Shelby County Services Building on U.S. 280. (Reporter photos/Alec Etheredge)
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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor
HOOVER – Leadership Shelby County celebrated the completion of another successful year and honored the graduating class of 2025 during a special ceremony on Tuesday, May 13.
The 30 members of this year’s class gathered at the Shelby County Services Building on U.S. 280 on May 13 and enjoyed a private dinner followed by a reception and ceremony in which they received their certificates in front of guests and LSC alumni.
“I think the program has really become a cornerstone in Shelby County,” said Kendall Williams, executive director of Leadership Shelby County. “It has fostered community leaders and business leaders throughout every corner of the county.”
During graduation night, the graduating class enjoyed a private dinner to themselves with an opportunity to celebrate, fellowship and share personal anecdotes of their journey through the program. Afterward, the class of 2025 was joined by family, friends, coworkers, the LSC Board of Directors and the LSC Alumni Association, who celebrated the graduates receiving their diplomas.
“Graduation has become such a special night,” Williams said. “It really is just a night that they get to celebrate each other.”
This year’s graduating class marked an extra special milestone for the program as Leadership Shelby County celebrated its 30th anniversary. A special dedication was held on March 13 in Alabaster with LSC alumni gathered together to recognize the major milestone.
Leadership Shelby County is a nine-month program that begins each year in September and ends in May that develops major stakeholders in Shelby County and introduces them to community decision makers. The program gives participants hands-on experience and better equips them with knowledge of the inner workings of Shelby County.
Throughout the duration of the program, the class engages in a series of days themed around various topics such as government, education, justice, health and community services, economics and more.
“Overall, it was an excellent year,” Williams said. “I think each class has its own personality and even if we, in the planning committees, feel like the agenda is repetitive of the last year, it’s still new and fresh information to each class which in turn, actually rejuvenates all of us to be even more invested in the class days.”
Due to the program’s comprehensive and complicated nature, each Leadership Shelby County class contains a limited number of participants that are chosen by nomination by the Leadership Shelby County Selection Committee on their merits and applications.
Dr. Wesley Hester, assistant superintendent and principal of Thompson High School, said that it was an honor to be selected to be a part of the class of 2025 and to be surrounded by professionals and leaders from across the county.
“It was an honor to be a part of that (and) to be a part of those experiences because it is a really well-planned program across the board,” Hester said. “You really get to experience and see how things work in our county.”
Hester said the program was a great experience and the various programs offered during the event provided a full spectrum of perspectives on the county.
“It was a really great learning experience for me as a leader,” Hester said. “It really opened my eyes and it certainly built my network of people that I know and that I can call on and work with moving into the future.”
Pelham City Schools Athletic Director Trey Simpson said he didn’t truly understand the benefits of Leadership Shelby County until he was accepted as a member of the class of 2025 and saw the program’s inner workings.
“It’s a great network, but I think what makes it so great are the people that have went through it truly do utilize the relationships that they forged in the program to help serve the people that they are… leading,” Simpson said.
Simpson said the program was valuable on many levels and that the networking that comes from participating in Leadership Shelby County was invaluable.
“They did a great job of identifying all the different ways that the county operates and how all the different entities work together,” Simpson said. “I found a lot of value in the different educational days and activities that were provided through Leadership Shelby County.”
With this year’s class now members of the LSC alumni, the program looks forward to the next year as it gathers nominations for the class of 2026.
“As we are celebrating the class of 2025, we’re already looking forward to the class of 2026,” Williams said.
Applications are now open for the Leadership Shelby County class of 2026. Nominations can be filled out online at Leadershipshelbycounty.com/form.php?form_id=18&fbclid.
The Leadership Shelby County class of 2025 includes:
- Alesha Smith
- Angelica Melendez
- Anna Roberson
- Austin Brooks
- Brooke McKinley
- Courtney Bentley
- Daniel Phillips
- Douglas White
- Jason Dickerson
- Jason Picklesimer
- Jesslan Wilson
- Jody Tallie
- John Beatty
- Jud Barnes
- LeAnn Streetman
- Maranda Johnson
- Marisa Pinchin-Polk
- Mark Endfinger
- Meribeth Gilbert
- Michelle Grill
- Nedra Moore
- Reid Knight
- Scott Gossett
- Shaun Styers
- TiJuana Halsey
- Trey Simpson
- Tyrus Kidd
- Val Crofts
- Watson Hughston
- Wesley Hester
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