American Leadership Forum Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter

10/08/2026

What does courageous leadership look like when the stakes are real?

As Co-Chairs of the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards, Mustafa Tameez and Selma Tameez remind us that courage can look like listening with intention, acting with purpose, and keeping the common good at the center.

On October 29, we’ll gather at The Revaire to celebrate three leaders who bring that spirit of Courage in Action to their work and communities.

We hope you’ll be part of an evening centered on connection, celebration, and the kind of leadership that helps move Houston forward.

Thursday, October 29, 2026
6:00 PM at The Revaire

Reserve your seat: https://jae2026.givesmart.com/

10/07/2026

We want to tell you a little more about who's leading this training.

Judy Le is the CEO of TakeRoot, LLC and an ALF Senior Fellow of Class XLVII. She's spent over 20 years in leadership development across the for-profit, nonprofit, and higher education worlds. She teaches the full leadership certificate curriculum at Rice's Glasscock School. And she's trained in adaptive leadership through Harvard Kennedy School's master class program. She's ALF’s Lead Facilitator, and we're so glad to offer her expertise to the Bridge Houston community.

Join us on November 18 for a full day of Adaptive Leadership Training, open to Bridge Practitioners and their teams. Subsidized tickets at $50, lunch included. 🍽️

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2000643591839

10/07/2026

What is a Collaborative Conversation, anyway? 💬

It is not a debate. Nobody wins. It is a room full of people who care about Houston, listening to perspectives they might not hear otherwise, and asking what we can do together.

That is the spirit we are bringing to Immigration & Workforce: What's at Stake for Houston on October 14. A banker, a researcher, an immigration attorney, and a strategist. One moderator who knows how to hold space: Senior Fellow Linda Lorelle (Class 62), Co-Founder of Civil Dialogues.

Free to attend thanks to Senior Fellow Stan Marek (Class 28). 🙏

Wednesday, October 14 | 4:00 to 6:30 PM | Amegy Tower, 1717 West Loop South

Save your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/immigration-workforce-whats-at-stake-for-houston-tickets-1995693008511

Come curious. Leave connected.

A panel on how immigration policy is shaping Houston's education and workforce — and what we can do about it. Moderated by Linda Lorelle.

10/06/2026

Who will be in the room when Houston comes together to celebrate Courage in Action?

On October 29, ALF Houston will gather leaders from across sectors for the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards.

We will honor Bill Boyar, recipient of the Leadership Award, and Dr. Soner Tarim and Nancy J. Li, recipients of the Public Service Award, while celebrating the courage to listen, act, and lead with heart.

But the evening is also about the people around the tables.

Houston moves forward when leaders build trust, strengthen relationships, and work across differences toward the common good.

The countdown is on. Bring a colleague. Gather your table. Be part of the room.

Thursday, October 29, 2026
6:00 PM at The Revaire

Reserve your seat: https://e.givesmart.com/events/PkJ/

10/05/2026

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Kristin Guiney, Criminal Justice Class 5, passed away this past weekend. Her passing is a tremendous loss for her classmates, the ALF family, and our broader community.

Please see the funeral and memorial service information below.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kristin’s family, her loved ones, and each of you as you grieve and remember her.

10/01/2026

Leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice in the room—or all the answers.

It is about staying curious, making room for dialogue, strengthening others, building trust, and showing up in service to the common good.

On October 29 at The Revaire, we will celebrate Leadership and Courage in Action at the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards.

Join other Senior Fellow leaders: https://e.givesmart.com/events/PkJ/

09/29/2026

How do you lead when fear is part of the decision?

For Dr. Ruth Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and ALF Senior Fellow, Class 59, courage is not the absence of fear.

It is facing fear and choosing to do what is right anyway.

In her leadership, that courage is required every day. Her decisions can have real consequences for people and communities, making reflection, responsibility, and purpose essential.

Dr. Turley also credits ALF with giving her the space to think more deeply about what it means to lead, especially when the decisions are difficult.

That is Courage in Action.

On October 29, join us for the 2026 Joseph Jaworski Leadership Awards as we celebrate leaders who choose courage when it matters most.

Join us: https://e.givesmart.com/events/PkJ/

09/28/2026

Houston, mark November 18 on your calendar. 📅
Bridge Houston is hosting a one-day Adaptive Leadership Training, open to Bridge Practitioners and their teams.
This is a full day of real work. We'll practice distinguishing technical problems from adaptive challenges, explore what it means to lead with resilience in the middle of rapid change, and leave with practical tools for confronting our difficult realities.
It's led by Judy Le, CEO of TakeRoot, LLC and ALF Senior Fellow of Class XLVII. She brings 20+ years of experience and trained at Harvard Kennedy School in adaptive leadership.
Subsidized tickets: $50. Lunch included. 🍽️
Wednesday, November 18 | 10am - 4pm
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2000643591839?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/28/2026

ALF Class 66 spent the day at Galveston Urban Ministries (GUM) this past Friday, hosted by Fellow Brandon Williams.

GUM is a faith-based nonprofit serving Galveston's North Broadway community since 2010. Their work centers on holistic poverty alleviation through three core values (Engage, Equip, and Empower) offering job readiness training, financial literacy classes, youth programs, and long-term relational support for neighbors. They believe lasting change happens through relationships, not quick fixes.

The class explored the topic of bias and reflected on how it shows up in their own leadership, a powerful conversation made even richer by the context of GUM's community-centered work.

Thank you to Brandon and the GUM team for hosting Class 66!

09/26/2026

We got to be in the room for this one, and it was everything. 🧡

Thursday we joined Amegy Bank's Hispanic Business Resource Group to celebrate Ileana and Michael Trevino, and honestly, our hearts were full the whole night. Seeing the community come together to honor two people who have given so much of themselves was exactly the kind of evening that reminds you why this work matters.

Thank you for letting us celebrate alongside you. Felicidades, Ileana and Michael!