City officials meet new leadership class

City officials met the new Leadership Mountain Brook class at a reception on Aug. 25.

The program introduces a class of Mountain Brook High School juniors and seniors to the city behind the scenes and then allows them to design and implement projects to improve the city. This is the program’s fifth year.

“The program connects them to the city in a way that no other residents are,” said Hannon Davidson of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, who co-leads the program with MBHS teacher Amber Benson.

 The program’s leaders spoke to its long-lasting impact.

“We hope that these leaders come back and in the long term lead our city,” MBHS Principal Amanda Hood said. “One of my favorite parts of the program is watching how you grow from this day to the end of the year.”

During the reception, city leaders introduced themselves to the students and provided them an overview of how they will work together. The first semester, the class will tour the fire and police department as well as meet with other city officials to learn more about what they do.

“You will definitely look at things through a new lens,” City Planner Dana Hazen told them.

In the spring, the class will plan the second annual Little Leader Day in conjunction with Taste of Mountain Brook along with other projects that will be determined later.

Class members are: Ansley Balough, Arthur Barnes, Murphy Barze, Virginia Beasley, Lindsey Brakefield, Harris Crews, Sarah Beth Daniel, Mary Margaret De La Torre, Kate Dodson,  Anne Raines Doidge, Creagh Goings, Mary Margaret Grammas, Hadley Hitson, Annie Hughes, Sarah Tate Kelly, Henry Kilpatrick, Harris McCullough, Anne Marie Perri, Patrick Trammell and Drew White.