Momentum, Alabama’s premier leadership organization dedicated to advancing women leaders in the state, has announced the cohort for its second Upward leadership class in Huntsville. The class brings together women from a wide range of industries across the Huntsville area.

“We are excited to launch the second Upward class in Huntsville and continue supporting the remarkable talent and ambition of women leaders in North Alabama,” said Amy Gandy, Momentum’s Director of Programs for North Alabama. “In today’s evolving landscape, investing locally in leadership development is more crucial than ever.”

Momentum’s Upward program is designed for early to mid-career women who are critical to the leadership pipeline but feel overworked, overlooked, or both, at this stage in their careers. The new class will begin with orientation in February 2026, followed by a nine-month program focused on professional and personal development.

Members of Huntsville’s Upward Class 2 include:

Carly Alcala, COLSA Corporation

Ale Alfonso, Huntsville Hospital Foundation

Erika Badwin, Alabama A&M University

Amberly Barnette, Radiance Technologies

Molly Bell, COPT Defense Properties

Lashondria Beverly, Oakworth Capital Bank

Schyler Burney, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Shelby Campbell-Kaman, Radiance Technologies

Katie Crawford, Heart of Huntsville Capstone Realty

Beth Johnson, Warren Averett

Jacki Gil, Jacki Gil Design

Claire Green, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

Shanelle Hamm Giraud, Internal Revenue Service

Ashley Benson, Element Health, Inc.

Abby Kerr, Huntsville Hospital

Morgan McBride, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Mary Kate Moore, ServisFirst Bank

Beth Morell, Leidos

Blair Northcutt, Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation

Megan Owens, Alpha Foundation

Emily Potts, Colliers International

Olivia Purdy, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy

Lauren Reeves, Huntsville Hospital

Kaitlynn Roark, Libertas Technologies

Izzy Thelen, Waggoner

Sarah Zupko, Huntsville Business Journal

“The Upward program goes beyond traditional training by deeply exploring personal experiences, values, and strengths to create alignment with career goals,” said April Benetollo, CEO of Momentum. “This focused investment supercharges the talent pool for women in management and enhances retention of our most capable professional women.”