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At New Leaders Council, we know that leadership often runs deep through families, and this Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating a story that brings that truth to life. Karen Pandy Cherry, Acting President and CEO of NLC and a 2016 NLC Broward alum, joined her daughters Kytana Phillips (2022 NLC Broward alum) and Kyrsten Phillips (2025 NLC Tulsa Fellow) in service this month at a community event hosted by the Clifford Heart Foundation, an organization Kytana founded to honor her grandfather, Frank Clifford. The event brought together generations of leadership, love, and purpose in action. We asked Karen, Kytana, and Kyrsten to reflect on what it meant to serve together, carry on a family legacy, and lead with heart.

Jamarr Brown’s (NLC Atlanta 2011) leadership journey is a testament to the transformative power of advocacy and community mobilization. From his early beginnings as a 15-year-old confronting the challenges of healthcare inequity, to becoming the first African American Executive Director of the Texas State Democratic Party, Jamarr has continuously championed justice and equity. Now, as the Executive Director of Color Of Change’s Political Action Committee (PAC), he leads the charge in holding elected officials accountable and advancing systemic change.

Black leadership is about legacy, resilience, and the ability to create lasting change. Few embody this as powerfully as Kamilia K. Landrum, the youngest and only the second woman to serve as Executive Director of the Detroit Branch NAACP, the largest NAACP branch in the nation. With deep roots in Detroit’s civil rights community, Kamilia has been a champion for civic engagement, voter rights, and social justice, ensuring that the NAACP remains a force for progress.

When leadership sparks more than just civic change, it can create lifelong partnerships. Clare Oumou Verbeten and Garrison McMurtrey’s story is a testament to how shared values, community commitment, and a little bit of fate can weave love into the fabric of leadership. As members of the 2017 NLC Twin Cities cohort, their connection blossomed from shared aspirations to serve into a partnership rooted in purpose. In A Match Made in Movement – NLC Love and Leadership, they reflect on how NLC not only shaped their leadership journeys but also led them to each other.

NLC Facilitators aren’t just delivering a weekend of programming; they are leaving a lasting impact, creating space for Fellows to thrive, and ensuring that the cycle of learning, support, and leadership continues for years to come. After graduating from the NLC Institute, Fellows are equipped to choose their own paths to drive progress in their communities—and for some, that journey leads to running for office.

This month, New Leaders Council alumni from across the country were sworn into office, whether beginning their first terms or continuing their service through re-election. After graduating from the NLC Institute, Fellows are equipped to choose their own paths to drive progress in their communities—and for some, that journey leads to running for office.