Jean Ann Larson, Ed.D., FACHEIn partnership with HSF and the UAB Health System, the School of Medicine is pleased to announce UAB’s inaugural Momentum Executive Leadership Program pilot.
Momentum’s Executive Leadership Program, a competitive nine month program, teaches senior leaders about their own, unique strengths and provides opportunities for networking with other senior leaders. The program provides tools and resources to educate women who serve in leadership roles.
The highly sought-after Momentum Executive Leadership Program is small, and the selection committee is able to pick only one or two individuals from a single business or institution in each new class.
“Some women would never be able to get in,” says Jean Ann Larson, Ed.D., FACHE, senior associate dean of Leadership Development, who is leading UAB’s Momentum pilot program. “So, we [at UAB] wanted to brainstorm: how can we get more people in from UAB? We wanted to provide this experience to more senior women at UAB.”
To solve the challenge, Larson began speaking with women on Momentum’s Board of Directors and Momentum staff, including Department of Radiology Chair Cheri Canon, M.D., (who was president of Momentum’s Board of Directors at that time) about ways to make the curriculum available to more women. “They were very open and creative about ideas,” Larson said.
After several discussions, Larson and Momentum partners decided to pilot a Momentum Executive Leadership Program at UAB, specifically for UAB employees.
UAB is the first institution in Alabama to offer an off-site Momentum Executive Leadership Program. UAB’s program follows the exact content as the Momentum Executive Leadership Program. “My assistant and I manage the logistics, like places to meet, and the Leadership Development Office coordinates the curriculum, which is provided by Momentum.” Larson, who was part of Momentum’s Class Sixteen, is the primary leader for UAB’s inaugural class.
Momentum provides workshops and events. Plus, national speakers are invited each month to speak to the current class. To make an off-site program work, Momentum’s leaders agreed to book their monthly speakers twice—once for the current program’s class and one for the external UAB program.
Larson explains the curriculum as “reflective and engaging.” UAB’s program will host its own retreat, but come together with Momentum’s current class for the annual conference.
For the UAB pilot program, 18 women were selected.
Selection criteria for this year’s pilot program was the same as Momentum’s Executive Leadership Program. Criteria includes:
• Varying backgrounds
• 10+ years of high level or civic experience
• Management experience, not an individual contributor
• Work on high-level projects and initiatives
• Strong commitment to professional and personal growth
Congratulations to the following women who were selected for the inaugural Momentum Executive Leadership Program pilot at UAB!
• Kristi Gidley (Department of Otolaryngology)
• Jill Horton (Financial Management UAB Medicine)
• Kiersten Kennedy, M.D. (Hospitalist Service, General Internal Medicine)
• Catherine Brown, Ph.D. (Advanced Practice Providers)
• Laura Hurst (Cooper Green)
• Erin Yarbrough (HSF)
• Beth Caine (Center of Psychiatric Medicine)
• Amanda Chambers (Nursing Services)
• Cynthia Ransburg-Brown (University Counsel)
• Lauren Graham (Department of Dermatology)
• Cathy Fuller (Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology)
• Rachael Lee, M.D. (Division of Infectious Diseases)
• Angela Medici (Quality and Patient Safety)
• Donna Bailer (Department of Neurosurgery)
• Megann Cain (School of Medicine Development)
• Stephanie McClinton (HSF)
• Paige Dorman (School of Medicine Dean’s Office)
• Cynthia Joiner (Department of Medicine)
Larson says the Leadership Development Office is “very grateful for the support from HSF, the Health System, and the School of Medicine in making this program possible.” She also notes her gratitude for the UAB Momentum Advisory Board, who oversee the pilot program and selected this year’s participants.
UAB Momentum’s Advisory Board includes:
• Cheri Canon, M.D.
• Patricia Pritchett, J.D.
• Dawn Bulgarella
• Terri Poe
• Mona Fouad, M.D.
• Dottie Pak
• Jean Ann Larson, Ed.D.
Larson says the call for next year’s nominations will begin in the summer of 2022. Stay tuned for more information in the School of Medicine newsletter.
For those who do not qualify for the program, Larson says she is happy to direct women to other programs within UAB for professional and personal growth. Email jlarson@uabmc.edu to learn more about School of Medicine programs.