Our Leadership

Jennifer E Gowers, CMP, CSEP is President / Owner of GoPro Event Solutions which has been operating as a leader in the events industry since 2007. Prior to starting her own company, she had been involved with special event planning since her first year in college which was 1989. Jennifer specializes in logistics and event production management and is considered to be one of the top corporate event planning companies in the area. Gowers is passionate about tourism and hosting guests in and around Birmingham’s city center and throughout the state. She continues her event education through ILEA, MPI, PCMA, and annual event education opportunities. Gowers loves to teach and network with students and other fellow event planners so everyone’s events in our area are truly successful.

Sonja Smith is the Program Manager for the UAB Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and the District 8 Birmingham Board of Education Representative.

A Birmingham native, Damon Treadwell currently serves as District Manager for Hyundai Capital America. He is also a non-traditional entrepreneur. With a natural affinity for the automotive industry, and a default for providing value to customers, after 13 years in the automotive industry, Damon began an automotive consulting company, MLAB.

Blair Minyard is a Sr. Mechanical Engineer with over a decade of experience in the construction industry. She specializes in designing and managing complex building systems and is currently contributing her expertise at Stantec.

A retired Birmingham City Schools educator, Mrs. Gwendolyn Amamoo is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, and a graduate of A. H. Parker High School and Miles College. She also holds a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Blaine A. Brownell, a teacher and scholar specializing in U.S. urban history and international education, is author or co-author of 7 books 22 articles or book chapters and has held significant leadership positions in U.S. universities and other non-profit and for profit organizations. He was the 12th president of Ball State University.

Lifelong Birminghamian. Graduated UAB with full scholarship and honors 1980. Graduated Cumberland Law School 1983 with scholarship. Member Alabama Bar since 1983. Worked 35 as an Assistant to the Mayor of Birmingham (served with 8 Mayors). In those years was in charge of many different areas, Youth programs, public safety, Arts and Museums/Cultural events and Economic Development and in charge of Sister Cities and International programs.

Marty is the principal of M.J. Connors Consulting, which offers contract services representing corporate clients to industry and governments in the area of marketing, governmental affairs and strategic planning.

Stanley M. Erdreich, Jr., a native of Birmingham, Alabama, is a graduate of Washington and Lee University
where he received a B.S. degree. For over twenty years he was associated with AmSouth Bank, N.A. and
served as Senior Vice President and director of the bank’s international activities; also Chairman and CEO of
AmSouth Bank International, an Edge Act subsidiary.

The Rev. Dr. Christopher M. Hamlin serves as pastor of Birmingham’s 138-year-old Tabernacle Baptist Church. For 23 years he worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, serving two years as an Assistant to the Provost, directing an arts education program in partnership with Birmingham City School. Beginning in 2003, he served as Chaplain/Education Specialist at UAB’s 1917 Clinic, the HIV outpatient clinic treating more than 3,400 patients until his retirement in 2024. Chris is a native of Macon, Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia; Master of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester/Crozer Theological Seminary in Rochester, New York; and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio where his dissertation focused on the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church as an open-door, memorial church. Chris served as pastor of the historic church from 1990-2000.

Shia Hendricks currently serves as Director of Category Management and Insights for Walmart/Sam’s. She is not only a corporate change-maker, she is also a fervent civic and servant leader. Ms. Hendricks earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Spelman College and her Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University of Charlotte.

Jestina R. Howard, a Birmingham, AL native, has been a professional makeup artist for over 30 years, working across print, TV, video, and live events. She founded Aware Cosmetics to better serve her clients and has spent the past decade as special events manager at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Jestina holds degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Communications, graduating with honors, and has worked in public relations and special events at Parisian/SAKS Inc. She served as an AmeriCorps program coordinator and completed FIT’s Beauty Industry Essentials program in 2020. Civically active, she has served on multiple boards and is a member of the I.A.T.S.E. Local 798 union. In her free time, she enjoys travel, the arts, live music, salsa dancing, and time with loved ones.

Stephanie Hunter is a Senior Trial Referee with the Jefferson County Family Court, Birmingham Division. Prior to that appointment, Stephanie was a solo practitioner with Hunter Law Firm, P.C. where she focused on all aspects of family law, probate, arbitration, and mediation. Stephanie is a trained arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the National Center for Dispute Settlement (NCDS).

Drew is an Alabama native and a graduate of Samford University. He has a deep passion for data visualization, transportation and outdoor media. Drew is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of StreetMetrics, a graduate of the 2019 Techstars Atlanta Accelerator and a graduate of Praxis’ Emerging Founders Program.

Indya Johnson, an accomplished International Program Analyst, boasts an extensive career of over 7 years dedicated to Humanitarian Assistance and Foreign Development. Specializing in program management and strategic planning, she has demonstrated a consistent ability to align projects with organizational missions. Indya currently serves as an Administrative Officer in the US Agency for International Development’s Africa Bureau, Office of West African Affairs.

T. Marie King is an Emmy and NAACP Image Award-nominated film producer, Director of Youth Pathways at Jones Valley Teaching Farm, and a consultant focused on equity. A powerful facilitator and speaker, she sparks dialogue and reflection to inspire change. With expertise in empathy, racial healing, and inclusion, she helps individuals and organizations build a more just future.

Holding degrees in Urban Development, Leadership, and Divinity, T. Marie blends practical insight with spiritual depth to drive transformation. Through creativity, education, and action, she leads with compassion and purpose.

Byron “BP” Perkins is an attorney in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Perkins’ practice areas include catastrophic injury, wrongful death, medical mal-practice, gender and race discrimination cases, class actions as well as individual cases, sexual harassment, and commercial litigation.

Leda Summer has over 30 years of experience in hardware and software engineering, holding a B.S. in Electronic Engineering and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She has dedicated nearly two decades to community service, joining the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission in 2008.

Leda served as President of the Chinese-American Business Association of Birmingham (2007–2013, 2018–2020), introducing business networking initiatives and organizing the world-renowned Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe charity performance in Birmingham. She also consecutively served as Vice President and President (2007–2009) of the Birmingham Chinese Association, helping unite local organizations for Sichuan Earthquake relief efforts. As President (2009–2010), Vice President (2016–2018), and a long-time board member of the Birmingham Chinese Festival Association, Leda promoted international cultural exchanges. In addition, she served as Vice President of the Alabama Asian Culture Center Foundation (2005–2009 and currently) and volunteered with the Vestavia Hills Mayor’s Diversity Committee (2008–2012).

A dedicated Rotarian since 1998, Leda has achieved over 20 years of perfect attendance while actively serving the Vestavia Hills community.

Commissioner Sheila Tyson, a Birmingham native and former Army accountant, turned a pivotal moment in the 2008 election into a lifelong mission for voter rights—helping 500 inmates cast ballots and advocating for justice ever since.

Beyond voting, she’s tackled youth alcohol access, food insecurity, and healthcare—building gardens, preserving Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, and fighting for fair sewer rates. Her honors, including from the NAACP and SCLC, reflect decades of hands-on service.

From Kenyan villages to Birmingham streets, Tyson leads with passion and purpose. She’s not just making change—she is the change.