Montgomery, AL—Leslie Sanders was named the 2022 YMCA Person of the Year. Leslie Sanders is the Vice President of the Alabama Power Southern Division. Sanders is responsible for the company’s external and community development activities in parts of 19 counties in south-central Alabama, including Montgomery. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Sanders joined Alabama Power Company in 1986 and has since worked in staff and management positions including Constituency Relations Director, Public Information Representative for the Company’s Southern Division and as a Marketing representative in Montgomery. A 36-year veteran of Alabama Power Company, she previously served as Vice President of Governmental Relations, where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of governmental affairs for the company at the state level.
Prior to joining the company, she was a public relations assistant with Humana Hospital and a media buyer for Cunningham, Black and Farley in Montgomery. Among her civic and professional activities, Sanders served as the chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation. She was recently appointed to serve as a representative of Congressional District 2 on the Board of Trustees of the Department of Mental Health by Governor Kay Ivey.
She also continues to serve on the boards for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Central Alabama Community Foundation, Marion Bank, Marion Military Institute, YMCA of Greater Montgomery Association Board, Montgomery Area Committee of 100, Montgomery Junior League, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Military Stability Foundation, MGM Smart City/Smart Base Strategy, Family Sunshine Center, 100 Women Strong, and the UAB Montgomery Regional Medical Campus. Sanders also served as the 2016 -2017 representative for Air Education Training and Command.
Sanders has completed the International Women’s Foundation Fellowship. She served as the coordinator of the 45th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott with the City of Montgomery and the Montgomery Improvement Association.
Leslie and her husband, David, live in Montgomery. Brittany, her daughter, is married to Ralph Norman and they have a beautiful daughter, Lucy. Blake, her son, is a student at St. Louis University School of Law. For 71 years, teens of the Montgomery Student YMCAs have shown their appreciation to the men and women dedicated to serving youth in the community by planning and executing the YMCA’s Person of the Year annual program held on the first Monday of December at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
At the banquet, students pay tribute to the nominees, one of whom is selected as Person of the Year. This year’s program was co-chaired by Brooke Bender, of St. James School and Kareena Singh, of The Montgomery Academy. The featured guest speaker was Nancy Dennis, The YMCA of Greater Montgomery’s 2021 Person of the Year.
For more information about the YMCA of Greater Montgomery’s student YMCA program, please contact Jessica Owens, Program Director, [email protected]
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