Newsroom

This Teacher Appreciation Week, New Leaders Council is proud to uplift the changemakers in our network who shape the future every single day, not just through lessons in a classroom, but by modeling leadership, equity, and resilience for the next generation. Across the country, NLC alumni are redefining what it means to be an educator, investing in their communities with purpose, passion, and a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives.

Each April, Arab American Heritage Month gives us a moment to celebrate the rich contributions, leadership, and lived experiences of Arab Americans across the country. At New Leaders Council, we’re proud to spotlight three alumni whose work exemplifies bold, values-driven leadership: Amer W. Rashid (NLC Sacramento 2023), Nada Al-Hanooti (NLC Detroit 2023), and Ghofran Miari (NLC Columbus 2024).

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.