Stronger Together: The State of Social Cohesion in Houston
2026-06-05 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Houston Texans YMCA, 5202 Griggs Road, Houston, TX 77021, Houston, TX, 77021, US
A data-informed conversation exploring new findings from the Kinder Institute on belonging, connection, and trust across Houston.

What does it really mean for a city to feel connected?
Join the American Leadership Forum, The YMCA Houston, The Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and the Houston Food Bank for a timely and important conversation grounded in new research from the Kinder Institute on social cohesion in Houston. Their latest findings explore how trust, belonging, and relationships shape not only how we experience our communities—but how we thrive within them.
At a time when many cities are experiencing increasing fragmentation, this conversation invites us to pause, reflect, and ask:How connected are we, really—and what will it take to strengthen that connection across Houston?
Together, we’ll explore:

What the latest data reveals about belonging, trust, and social ties in our region
Where Houston is strong—and where there are gaps
How social cohesion impacts well-being, opportunity, and community resilience
What role leaders across sectors can play in building stronger, more connected communities

This won’t be a lecture. In true ALF fashion, this will be a dialogue—bringing together diverse voices and perspectives to deepen understanding and spark new ways of thinking and leading.
If you care about the future of Houston—and the strength of the relationships that hold it together—we invite you to be part of this conversation hosted by the YMCA Houston and catered by the Houston Food Bank.
Who Should Attend:Anyone committed to strengthening connection, trust, and belonging in Houston.
Why This Matters:The data is clear: the quality of our relationships shapes the future of our city. This conversation is an opportunity to learn, reflect, and consider how we each contribute to the social fabric of Houston.

To read the study, follow this link: https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/tight-knit-neighbors-better-lives-how-strong-community-ties-can-help-houstonians-feel

Annual Check on Your Buddy Day
2026-06-17 08:30 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Amegy Building, ALF Leadership Hub, 1801 Main Street Suite 910, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
This day is all about taking a moment to reconnect with your ALF buddy in whatever way works best for you.

Come by the ALF office at 1801 Main street to grab a coffee and a pastry with your buddy! Drop in with your buddy any time from 8:30-11:00am.

Enter the parking garage on Fannin, taking a ticket from the kiosk. Bring your ticket in with you and we can validate your parking. Exit the parking garage and cross the courtyard to get to the front desk. Check in and tag Sarah WIndham as your contact and we will come down and get you!

ALF's New Branded Coffee Reveal
2026-09-03 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St, 1801 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
Join us as we reveal the winning flavor of our branded coffee!

FELLOW & SENIOR FELLOW ONLY EVENT !
This summer Senior Fellow Frank Danna, Class 65, has led ALF on a journey through the world of coffee. The ALF staff and Class Connectors have tasted, considered, and voted. Now we’re ready to reveal our very own signature blend – the ALF Wake Up and Lead Roast! The flavor stays a secret until we pour the first cup together. Come be part of the reveal.

Frank will be guiding us through a mindful tasting of the new roast, highlighting the ways the flavor changes and develops from the first piping hot pour through the cooling and settling in to it’s final flavor.

Start your day in the ALF Way, connecting with your community and with your senses!

Pastries provided!

Parking Information:
Enter the parking garage on Fannin, taking a ticket from the kiosk. Bring your ticket in with you and we can validate your parking. Exit the parking garage and cross the courtyard to get to the front desk. Check in and tag Sarah WIndham as your contact and we will come down and get you!

Kaizen Leadership: The Power of 1% Better Every Day
2026-09-16 11:30 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007, Houston, TX, 77007, US
An interactive Kaizen workshop for leaders committed to getting 1% better every day; practical tools to strengthen teams and culture.

FELLOW AND SENIOR FELLOW EVENT ONLY!

Organizations improve when people improve.
The strongest cultures, highest-performing teams, and most successful organizations are built by leaders who commit to getting just a little better every day. They communicate with greater clarity. They make better decisions. They build stronger relationships. They create environments where people can do their best work.
This interactive workshop uses the principles of Kaizen, continuous improvement, to help leaders unlock greater potential in themselves and the people they lead. Participants leave with practical tools they can immediately apply to strengthen leadership, improve team performance, and create lasting momentum.
What Participants Will Experience
Participants will learn how to:

Develop the mindset of high-performing leaders.
Build habits that create consistency and trust.
Strengthen communication and accountability.
Lead with greater confidence during change and uncertainty.
Help individuals and teams reach higher levels of performance.
Turn daily actions into long-term organizational success.

Elevating Your Leadership Matters Now, More Than Ever
Every organization has goals. Achieving them depends on people.
When leaders invest in their own growth, they create a ripple effect throughout the organization. Teams become more engaged. Collaboration improves. Accountability becomes part of the culture. Performance rises because people are growing, not simply working harder.
Participants leave with greater self-awareness, practical leadership tools, and a renewed commitment to becoming 1% better every day. As leaders grow, teams become stronger, cultures become healthier, and organizations become better equipped to achieve extraordinary results.
Who Should Attend
Executive leaders, leadership teams, boards, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and organizations committed to developing people as their greatest competitive advantage.

Self-Leadership: Leadership Starts with You
2026-09-30 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | 1801 Main St, 1801 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, Houston, TX, 77002, US
Continue the leadership training you began in your Fellowship with Senior Fellow Lindsay Lewis (Class 64), Senior Vice President at YMCA

In this interactive session, Lindsay Lewis, Senior Vice President at the YMCA of Greater Houston and author of Take Your Next Step, invites participants to pause from leading others and invest in leading themselves. Through research, personal stories, reflection, and practical exercises, participants will deepen their self-awareness, clarify their core values, and strengthen their emotional intelligence. Lindsay will guide participants through practical exercises designed to strengthen self-leadership before leading others.

Participants will leave the session with a greater understanding of themselves, practical tools to lead with authenticity and intention, and one clear next step they can immediately apply in their leadership and life.

About Lindsay:
Lindsay Lewis is the Senior Vice President of Programs, Evaluation, and Membership for the YMCA of Greater Houston, where she leads association-wide strategy for membership, programs, evaluation, and member experience across more than 20 YMCA centers. With more than 20 years of YMCA leadership experience, she is passionate about developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and helping people navigate change with confidence.
Lindsay holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a Certified John Maxwell Team Speaker, Trainer, and Coach, and a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum.
She is the author of Take Your Next Step: A Proven Framework for Navigating Personal and Professional Change, where she combines research, leadership experience, and personal stories to help individuals grow in self-awareness and lead with greater authenticity and purpose.
Lindsay lives in Katy, Texas, with her husband, Aaron, and their son, Bradley.

Immigration & Workforce: What's at Stake for Houston
2026-10-14 16:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | Amegy Tower, 1717 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027, Houston, TX, 77027, US
A panel on how immigration policy is shaping Houston's education and workforce — and what we can do about it. Moderated by Linda Lorelle.

A Bridge Houston Collaborative Conversation
As immigration policy continues to shift at the federal level, Houston employers, educators, and workforce leaders are grappling with real questions: How are these changes affecting our talent pipeline? What does it mean for the students and workers already in our systems? And how should our institutions respond?
Join us for a candid conversation sponsored by Senior Fellow Stan Marek (Class 28) and moderated by Senior Fellow Linda Lorelle (Class 62), Co-Founder, Civil Dialogues.
Panelists will bring legal, data and solutions based perspectives on immigration workforce development and education to explore the impact of immigration changes on Houston’s workforce and education pipeline.
Panelists:

Steve Stephens (Senior Fellow Class 22) – CEO, Amegy Bank
Ruth N. López Turley (Senior Fellow Class 59) – Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Kristin Etter – Director of Policy and Legal Services, Texas Immigration Law Council
Loren Steffy – Managing Director, 30 Point Strategies

Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards Dinner
2026-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | The Revaire, 7122 Old Katy Rd, Houston, TX, 77024, United States
This year, we honor the power of courageous leadership.
Courage to listen. Courage to act. Courage to lead with heart—especially when it matters most.
We are honored to invite you to support the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards Event, taking place on Thursday, October 29 at 6:00 PM at The Revaire.
We are proud to center our celebration on the theme of Courage in Action—capturing and elevating stories from Senior Fellows across our network whose leadership reflects the power of courage to shape organizations, communities, and lives. We are incredibly excited to recognize three extraordinary leaders whose work exemplifies this spirit of courageous leadership:
• Bill Boyar, (Class XXVIII) recipient of the Joseph Jaworski Leadership Award, for his enduring leadership and impact across our community.
• Nancy Li-Tarim, (Class XXVIII) and Dr. Soner Tarim, (Class XXX) recipients of the Joseph Jaworski Public Servant Award, for their commitment to service and transformative contributions to the public good.
The Jaworski Leadership Awards Event is a powerful gathering of cross-sector leaders committed to advancing a stronger, more connected Houston. By becoming a sponsor, you are also investing in our mission to join and strengthen diverse leaders to serve the common good.
We invite you to stand with us for this inspiring evening— amplifying stories of courage and helping shape the future of leadership in our region.
