Girls Inc. changes leadership

Dorothy Hyatt announced last year that she would be retiring from her job as executive director of Girls Inc. Columbus after 40 years in the position.

Some of you, I’m sure, have been wondering who would be her replacement, and I finally have some news on that front.

The organization’s new executive director will be Leann Malone, a nonprofit executive who most recently served as program director for New American Pathways, a refugee services agency in Atlanta. On Tuesday, she attended Girls Inc.’s annual “Strong, Smart and Bold” luncheon, held at the St. Luke Ministry Center.

I didn’t make it to the luncheon, but I interviewed both Hyatt and Malone prior to the event. Hyatt said the decision to hire Malone was made by a Girls Inc. steering committee consisting of board members. Malone has been in town since March 1 getting up to speed, Hyatt explained. Her role as executive director officially goes into effect Monday, and Hyatt will remain with the organization as a fundraising consultant until the end of the year.

Malone said she’s a native of Atlanta and her husband is from New York City. They lived in the New York area for several years before moving to Atlanta 10 years ago to be near her parents. She said they have a son completing high school, and the family will move to Columbus when he’s done.

I asked what attracted her to the Columbus Girls Inc. position, and she said it fit with her professional aspirations combined with her passion for girls’ and women’s issues.

“I attended a single-gender women’s college, which was very empowering for me, and I grew in ways that I never would have grown in a co-ed environment,” said the graduate of Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., once an all-female institution. “I’ve always felt that that’s an important part of a girl’s development to have that opportunity to really blossom in a single-gender environment.”

Wanda Amos honored

In addition to introducing Malone at the luncheon, Girls Inc. also honored Wanda Amos, owner of the Columbus Cottonmouths, with a Strong, Smart and Bold award. Amos is a Girls Inc. alum who rose from poverty to become a successful philanthropist and businesswoman.

She and her husband Shelby Amos, the son of Aflac co-founder John Amos, have been major donors to the organization’s capital campaigns, Hyatt said. Amos also served as president of the board and funded many projects and trips over the years.

“She has been an amazing friend to this organization since coming on the board,” Hyatt wrote in an email. “She is an advocate and goodwill ambassador, always asking what she can do for our girls and the organization.”

Also at the luncheon, Kambri Crews, best-selling author of “Burn Down the Ground,” delivered the keynote address, sharing memories of growing up as a hearing child with deaf parents.

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Girls Inc. changes leadership."