By Claire Magee Ferguson & Alicia Morris Rudd
The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) joined the Association of Junior Leagues, International (AJLI) in 1926 and since then, the two have been inextricably linked. Here’s a look at what the AJLI has given us – and the wonderful Charlotteans we have given them!
AJLI AWARDS THE JLC & ITS MEMBERS
In 2003, JLC member Martha Bedell Alexander was awarded the Mary Harriman Award for her work in women’s health. As a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Alexander advocated for issues as far-ranging as child daycare standards and racial justice, to the creation of a Patients’ Bill of Rights and the issue of chemical dependency and mental health. Her example of direct service and political activism encouraged others to embrace the tradition of community service. AJLI noted upon giving her the award, “she is a local hero who has had a national impact.”
The JLC was awarded the 2011 Vision Award for its Healthy Child Initiative (HCI). Launched in 2006, HCI focused its advocacy on the issue of childhood health and fostering the development of long-term solutions. In the six years the AJLI was tracking it for this award, 5,578 immunizations were given to 2,667 children through the Big Shots Saturday program. Since then, the program has grown 10 times that size.
In 2019, our Communications Council was awarded an Honorable Mention for Marketing and Communications. Specifically, AJLI lauded the JLC’s reorganization of the Communications Council to boost satisfaction, success and interest in Communications liaison roles; increase transparency around JLC operations, processes and procedures; and proactively encourage general members to engage on the League’s social channels in an effort to capture the attention of potential community partners, funders and members. All this work geared toward greater transparency in operations, processes and procedures led to a 200% increase in attendance at JLC training opportunities and an all-time high of 85% of members who understand the League’s nominating process. The JLC got a small monetary award for its efforts.
2020 brought TWO AJLI awards to the JLC. The first was its Membership Recruitment and Engagement Award, for offering such a wide range of training opportunities. “Training Tuesdays” brought GMMs, new member programs, 200+ leadership opportunities and our four signature training programs. 98% of members rate these trainings a four or better out of five. If you’ve not yet signed up for one, you’re missing out – even AJLI agrees!
Our second award that year was the 2020 Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Community Impact Award for our Big Shots Saturdays program. For nearly 25 years, the JLC was the only nonprofit in Charlotte leading efforts to provide children with free immunizations and health screenings so they could enroll and stay in school. The JLC has provided services to more than 25,000 children since the program began.
CHARLOTTEANS INFLUENTIAL WITHIN AJLI
Toni Freeman became President of the JLC in 2003 and didn’t stop there. Fewer than ten years later, Toni was named the President of AJLI, serving from 2012-2014. Toni has been a trailblazer in countless ways, including being the JLC’s first Black president. You can watch her recent vlog here, in which she discusses the “Why of AJLI,” alongside President Kellie Lofton & former President Whitni Wilson-Wertz.
JLC MEMBERS CURRENTLY ACTIVE WITHIN AJLI
Whitni Wilson-Wertz At-Large Board Member, 2018-21. Whitni has been a member of the JLC since 1999 and served as our president in 2012-13. Under her leadership, she established the JLC’s Get On Board program, the Public Policy Institute and the JLC mentor programs. In addition, her work with the JLC received three Emmy Award nominations and earned one Emmy Award for “From the Heart,” a documentary the JLC created to advocate against bullying. In her professional life, Whitni is the Senior Manager of the Contract Logistics Center Project Management Team at United Technologies–Otis Elevator, where she oversees strategic coordination of the company’s high-rise project management team. AJLI recognized that Whitni had a servant-leader heart and tapped her to serve on the Governance Committee and again as an at-large Board Member for 2018-21.
Betsy Alley Conway, Governance Vice Chair and Chair, 2019-21. Betsy’s been a force within the JLC for 15 years, recently serving as the Legacy Foundation President. She’s been involved with AJLI for several years – as a communications committee member for AJLI’s Governance Committee, rising in the ranks to Chair. Professionally, Betsy is the Director of Community Relations at Lowe’s.
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves, At-Large Member of Nominating Committee, 2021-23. Monique is well-known to the women of the JLC, either from her tenure as Nominating Chair or as the creator of the JLC Women of Color Affinity Group. It was no surprise that AJLI asked her to bring her valuable contributions to AJLI’s Board as an at-large member for the 2021-2023 session and we are thrilled she is representing the JLC. In addition to her new board membership, Monique recently accepted a new position as the statewide Executive Director for Teach for America: North Carolina.
JLC MEMBERS HISTORICALLY INVOLVED
Charlotteans have been a part of AJLI’s leadership nearly since it began. Just 14 years after AJLI formed and nine years after the JLC joined, Billy Shaw Howell took the reins as National Vice President. We’ve been representing ever since!
AJLI Board Members & Officers
1932-35 – Billy Shaw Howell, National Vice President, 1935
2007-09 – Toni L. Freeman, Treasurer
2012-14 – Toni L. Freeman, President
2018-21 – Whitni Wilson-Wertz, Member-at-Large
2020-21 – Betsy Alley Conway, Governance Chair
Regional Directors
1945-47 – Mrs. Willis I. Henderson, Jr.
1978-79 – Mrs. J. Alex McMillan
1983-84 – Mrs. Harvey M. Grasty
1994-95 – Mrs. Sallie Lowrance
2004-05 – Mrs. Sharon King
Chair Regional Nominating Committee Members
1965-67 – Mrs. Donald G. Bryant
1985-87 – Mrs. Cynthia Blythe Marshall
1994-96 – Mrs. Sallie Lowrance
AJLI Nominating Committee Representatives
2000-02 – Toni L. Freeman At-Large Member
2005-07 – Sharon King At-Large Member
2010-12 – Antoinette Ellison At-Large Member
2014-16 – Betsy Alley Conway At-Large Member
As with any good relationship, the dynamic is symbiotic: AJLI recognizes the JLC and its profound impact here in Charlotte. Likewise, our members are honored to serve in governance positions to advance Leagues together.
