09/02/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jubilee Community Center Announces Caryl Lawson as New Executive Director of The Sanctuary
Montgomery, Alabama - September 2, 2026
Jubilee Community Center (JCC) is pleased to announce Caryl Lawson as its new Executive Director, bringing more than two decades of experience in community leadership, arts advocacy, nonprofit organizing, entrepreneurship, marketing, and community-centered programming to The Sanctuary.
A Montgomery native, Lawson has built her career around a simple but powerful mission: bringing people together and creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and connected.
She most recently served as a co-founder and leader of Prattville Pride, helping build the organization from the ground up and creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ people and allies to gather, connect, learn, and be visible. During her tenure, Prattville Pride navigated significant opposition and legal challenges while earning national recognition from GLAAD with a Special Recognition Award presented on Good Morning America.
Lawson's community leadership extends beyond LGBTQ+ advocacy. She has served on the Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council and spent more than two decades as an entrepreneur and creative professional, building photography businesses centered on storytelling, empowerment, relationships, and connection. Her experience includes marketing and communications, public relations, partnership development, volunteer coordination, event planning, and community outreach.
That combination of community-building and creative leadership was central to the Board's decision to select her.
As Executive Director, Lawson will lead JCC's day-to-day operations and work with the Board, artists, volunteers, community partners, and stakeholders to strengthen The Sanctuary's programs, visibility, relationships, and long-term sustainability.
Her leadership philosophy is grounded in listening, collaboration, and connection.
“I don't claim to have all the answers, but I know how to listen. I know how to build relationships. I know how to rally people around a shared vision and create spaces where they want to show up and invest their time and talents,” Lawson wrote in her application for the position.
The woman who learned to build LGBTQ+ community from the ground up—under pressure, in the face of opposition, and with limited resources—is now bringing that community-building expertise to an established sanctuary, with the opportunity to help build the systems, relationships, and sustainable future that allow community to thrive.
About Jubilee Community Center / The Sanctuary
Jubilee Community Center, home of The Sanctuary, is a Montgomery-based arts and community organization dedicated to creating a welcoming gathering place where people can connect through creativity, culture, community, and shared experiences. Located in Montgomery's historic Cottage Hill neighborhood, The Sanctuary provides space for artists, performers, community organizations, events, and individuals from across the River Region.
Media Contact
Jubilee Community Center / The Sanctuary
Cherisse Prater
[email protected]
334-245-4546
safeplaceforart.org
Photo credit: Neo Greene III
