A local nonprofit leadership development group will have it’s annual alumni luncheon later this week, giving their current class a chance to meet with others who have already graduated from the program.

Leadership Selma-Dallas County is set to host their annual alumni luncheon beginning at 12 noon this Thursday at the Central Alabama Farmer’s Co-Op. Tickets are $10 per person.

Beth Wilson, Executive Director of Leadership Selma-Dallas County, said she is looking forward to this year’s luncheon because it gives her a chance to catch up with past graduates of the program.

“It’s usually a nice time to catch up with people who have been through Leadership before and it’s really just a coming together of past and present while looking toward the future,” Wilson said.

This year’s luncheon will feature a catered meal and a guest speaker, Daniel Jenkins, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Concordia College Alabama.

Jenkins said he would be speaking about a range of topics during Thursday’s event.

“I’ve been asked to share some information about what Concordia is doing and to talk about the value of leadership in a community,” Jenkins said. “This is something I’ve personally been very passionate about. Leadership is truly pivotal; with the transition the country is going through and the economy and everything we are going through in Dallas County, it’s important to have new, young leaders of every shape and style come forward across the board.”

Wilson said she believes Jenkins’ speech will open the eyes of many Leadership members to the importance of having a college like Concordia within the city limits.

“Over the past year I have learned about how much Concordia has to offer their students and the city of Selma, and I want that word to get out,” Wilson said. “We want to teach our class members about different areas of Selma and Dallas County in order to make them better-rounded leaders and to stop all the negativity we hear out there and can start promoting Selma.”

Leadership Selma-Dallas County meets one day a month, and program participants learn about different aspects of the city and county during those meetings. Before Thursday’s luncheon, Wilson said members would be meeting with city leaders, and they would meet with county department leaders following the luncheon.