By Alexandria Leatherberry
The Truth Reporter
The African American Leadership Council (AALC) of United Way of Greater Toledo hosted its second annual “I Invest in ME” Leadership Conference on November 13, bringing together professionals, students and emerging leaders for a full day dedicated to developing authentic leadership and expanding community impact.
Held as part of AALC’s ongoing commitment to elevate African American leadership across the region, the conference blended keynote inspiration, workshop learning and engaging panel discussion.
Doors opened at 9:00 a.m., giving attendees time to network before the program began. AALC Chair Amanda Davis and former Chair Marcus Harrison opened with a welcome introducing keynote address by Patrice McClellan, PhD, widely known as “The Leadership Coach.” Her address focused on Resilient Leadership, “Your resilience is in the work” stated McClellan, setting the tone for the day with themes of endurance, self-awareness, and leading with purpose.
Rodney Eason of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP took the stage to deliver a presentation on reflective and subjective decision processes. During The Future is You: Unlock Vision, Courage, and Creativity presentation, Eason stated: “You’re paid by the size of problems you solve.” He encouraged attendees to embrace innovation while leaning into firm decision-making as they shape their personal and organizational futures.
During lunch, catered by Bridgett Be Cookin,’ attendees were offered time for more connection while a DISC Assessment Workshop was held facilitated by Sheila Eason of Elevate People Solutions. Participants gained individualized insight into communication and leadership styles, adding a personalized development layer to the day.
As the workshop participants engaged in discussion of results Sheila Eason said “understanding yourself and being able to identify others helps not only adjust but better communicate what you need from them.” The workshop concluded when the lunch hour ended returning the participants to the main event reassured of assessment use for HR purposes.
The afternoon continued with Beyond the Title: Influence Reimagined, presented by Shayna Duke, founder of People First Solutions. Duke challenged participants to move beyond positional authority and cultivate influence through relationship building with intentional action.
That value was reflected in the shared experiences of the panel on Servant Leadership, featuring Dr. Sidney Childs, Lisa McDuffie and Reginald Temple. The discussion was moderated by Alissa Mauter of groundUP Creative Agency and she discussed with the panel their navigation of community-centered leadership, values-based decision-making and the responsibility of leaders. McDuffie spoke to her spiritual foundation being the push into and sustainment in leadership. “I knew I needed to go into prayer often because of the things I was going through, but I also knew that those things were preparing me for where I am now,” stated McDuffie.
The event concluded with Mauter and Davis emphasizing the lasting impact of investing in personal growth and collective leadership. “We are calling on the next generations of leaders to merge who is leading now,” said Mauter, “All the speakers today are members, people that you can connect with as a part of AALC.”
The AALC Chair and Invest In Me Conference Committee Chair raffled some giveaways that further supported the mission. By hosting its second annual conference, AALC continues to build momentum in its mission to cultivate leaders who drive progress, foster equity and strengthen the Toledo community.
