ALA BA M A STAT E B A R L EA D E R S HI P F OR U M 2011
STATEMENTS FROM CLASS 7 ALUMNI John DeMarco In my view, the Leadership Forum program represents the best of our state bar. I believe everyone in the forum class came away with a better understanding of the challenges we face and inspired to make positive practical steps to improve our state and state bar.
First row, left to right, are Clay Lanham, Jennifer Clark, V.J. Graffeo, Charlie Shah, Hope Cannon, Beau Brown, Jr., and Kelvin Howard. Second row, left to right, are John DeMarco, David Johnston, Jr., Angie Cameron, Kira Fonteneau, Candi Peeples, Allison Taylor, and Dana Grimes. Third row, left to right, are David Conner, Stephen Hall, Desiree Alexander, Tiffany Johnson-Cole, Ben Goldman, and Janine Smith. Back row, left to right, are Jeremy Taylor, Sherrie Phillips, Chess Bedsole, Annette Irons-Parker, Marc Ayers, Elizabeth Mills, George Newton, II, Chris Williams, Matt Beam, and Chris Comer.
PA RT I C I PA N T S Desiree C. Alexander
Alexander Law Firm
Birmingham
Marc J. Ayers
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Birmingham
Matthew Y. Beam
Matthew Y. Beam LLC
Montgomery
Chris Comer While I knew that the Leadership Forum was a wonderful experience, based upon the testimonials from past graduates, I’m glad that I went into it with no preconceptions about what the class was really about. Personally, I found the experience to be well-conceived and thoughtfully presented. As a person who was not born in the South, but who has called it home for the last 25-plus years, it was a great opportunity to become better educated about our state. It also served to remind me that we, as lawyers and leaders, need to be actively involved in shaping Alabama’s future.
Chess Bedsole
sole practitioner
Birmingham
Benjamin Goldman
Hand Arendall LLC
Birmingham
Jeremy Taylor The program was absolutely top notch. I have raved regarding it, not only to other lawyers, but to others outside the legal realm. It presented us not only with an opportunity to learn from excellent speakers, but it also gave us the opportunity to have access to contacts in that regard. I am certainly proud to have been a member of the Leadership Forum, and I feel it a true honor and privilege to have been able to have this wonderful experience. I certainly will recommend this program to other lawyers, and I will be an advocate for it in the future.
V. J. Graffeo
Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker LLC
Birmingham
Dana Grimes
sole practitioner
Fort Payne
Stephen H. Hall
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Huntsville
Kelvin W. Howard
Thomas, Means, Gillis & Seay PC
Annette Irons-Parker
Parker & Parker PC
Tiffany Johnson-Cole
Law Offices of Robert Simms Thompson PC
Tuskegee
David L. Johnston, Jr.
Brooks, Harmon & Curran LLC
Anniston
Clay A. Lanham
Vickers, Riis, Murray & Curran LLC
Elizabeth H. Mills
Inzer, Haney & McWhorter PA
George E. Newton, II
Starnes Davis Florie LLP
Birmingham
Candace Peeples
Shaw, Anderson & Peeples LLC
Birmingham
Sherrie L. Phillips
Sasser, Sefton, Tipton & Davis PC
Montgomery
Charlie Shah
Christian & Small LLP
Birmingham
Janine L. Smith
Burr & Forman LLP
Birmingham
Allison Taylor
Office of Public Defender
370
September 2011
Jeffery Brown
Tuscaloosa County D.A.’s Office
Birmingham
Angela Cameron
Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose LLP
Birmingham
Hope T. Cannon
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Birmingham
Jennifer H. Clark
Balch & Bingham LLP
Birmingham
Chris M. Comer
Wilmer & Lee PA
David J. Conner
Blackburn & Conner PC
John A. DeMarco
St. Clair County D.A.’s Office
Kira Y. Fonteneau
Fonteneau Firm LLC
Jeremy P. Taylor
Carr Allison
Chris J. Williams
Maynard, Cooper & Gale PC
Huntsville Bay Minette Pell City Birmingham
Birmingham Cullman
Mobile Gadsden
Tuscaloosa Daphne Birmingham