When it comes to civic clubs, Birmingham, Alabama is the big winner! The city features the largest Kiwanis club, Rotary club, and Rotaract Club in the world.
But that’s not all. All three clubs have a woman for a leader: Leigh Davis leads the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, Brenda Hackney leads the Rotary Club of Birmingham, and Cameron Shevlin leads the Rotoract Club of Birmingham.
“The mission of the Rotaract Club of Birmingham is to Learn, Socialize, and Serve,” Shevlin said. “We meet twice a month and feature different speakers. We also have networking social events. The Rotaract Club of Birmingham has been around for 35 years with a thriving membership. Our members are deeply involved in the community.”
The missions of the Rotary Club of Birmingham and the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham also center around service.
“Our mission at Rotary Club of Birmingham is Service above Self. I’ve been a member since 1998, and I have served in various positions. We just celebrated 100 years. Being involved with the Rotary Club of Birmingham has been a tremendous honor,” Hackney said.
The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham enjoys 540 members, and focuses on service as well. “We are proud to have 540 members at the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham,” Davis said. “Our mission is to Build by Serving. We handle various projects, including the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame, Reading is Fundamental, and many others. All of these service projects will only strengthen and fortify our club.”
Having thrived for 100 years, The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham has served as a catalyst for growth in the city starting with Birmingham’s Park System in 1920.
“For the past 100 years, we have recruited a new generation of citizens and leaders,” Davis said. “We continue to find ways for members to feel included in the community, and we have specific programs that target women. Many of our valuable members have been our most prominent supporters. We are constantly talking about engaging our membership and how we can improve it.”
For Hackney, being the leader of the Rotary Club of Birmingham is beyond her dreams. “It is a great honor to be here, and it makes me very proud to see these tremendous women leading these clubs. It’s a good bit of work. We have 48 weeks, and we provide a program every week. This responsibility has elevated my love for this community, our clubs, and our members.” Hackney said.
In the Rotaract Club of Birmingham, the age limit for members is 35. So the younger Shevlin looks up to Davis and Hackney for guidance and advice.
“The exciting thing about being here is seeing the examples of Leigh and Brenda. From a personal standpoint, that’s thrilling and educational. I am learning so much from these amazing women. Our community can only get better with leaders like them,” Shevlin said.
The three women feel the city of Birmingham has embraced them as leaders of its civic clubs. “Birmingham has a rich history,” Hackney said. “When recruiting people to live and work here, we sometimes face reservations. But after they visit our city and see where we are now, they love it and decide to stay. I’ve seen it over and over. Birmingham is the best-kept secret, and it has welcomed us with open arms.”
At the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, Davis agrees. “Many of our members did not grow up in Birmingham, but they embrace it as their own. I love watching people who just relocated here claim the city. We offer so much in the community that Birmingham has become. I feel at home here, and the fact that three women lead these clubs speaks volumes about Birmingham as an innovative and progressive city,” Davis said.
Hackney at the Rotary Club of Birmingham sees hope in the leadership of these civic clubs. “For many reasons, I love that all three leaders are women. The most important reason is to inspire little girls that they can achieve their dreams no matter what,” Hackney said.
Little girls around the country can definitely be inspired by the three women leaders of Birmingham’s civic clubs.
