Prominent business leaders in the Charlotte area talk candidly about the special friendships they forged through their shared experiences as American Leadership Forum – Charlotte Region (ALF) alumni. Each year, ALF selects up to 20 established leaders from Charlotte and surrounding regions to participate in a year long, life changing event.
American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow, Emily Zimmern, President – Levine Museum of the New South, underscores the programs success at creating a seamless region working collectively. Zimmern states, “We are not Charlotte, we are not Shelby, we are not Winthrop, Concord or Statesville, and unless we work collectively, we cannot solve the issues in front of us.” Senior Fellow, John Papadopulos, President – Wells Fargo Retirement, credits ALF for bringing leaders from various regions together, leaders who would, otherwise, not have an opportunity to problem solve together.
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Bringing leaders together to find creative solutions is the basis of American Leadership Forum. “Asking what if questions is how big things happen.” says Jason Broadwater, President – RevenFlo Web Team. Broadwater is confident that the bond he has with Senior Fellow colleagues allows him to ask those ‘what if’ questions without concern for any potential negative impact. ALF Senior Fellows do share a unique bond; one that affords them a deeper level of trust and openness. “We are a collaborative community…committed to a cause”, claims Raquel Lynch, Director Strategic Initiatives at Crisis Assistance Ministry. The cause centers around finding solutions to issues like economic growth and environmental concerns. The life changing experience of the ALF Fellow program provides a pathway to a greater understanding of these issues, and their solutions.