Exceptional Foundation Sign
The Exceptional Foundation is located on Oxmoor Road next to Homewood Central Park.
The Exceptional Foundation has announced that Sara Newell has been named the next President & CEO of the Foundation, effective Feb. 14.
In her early career Sara worked as a grants manager and fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy in Los Angeles and New York City. In 2006, she returned to Birmingham to join United Way of Central Alabama to run United Way's agency relations and campaign allocations. In that capacity, she oversaw the distribution of approximately $28 million each year. She was later promoted to her current position as Senior Vice President of Community Impact. During her time at UWCA, she has successfully distributed more than $270 million to worthwhile organizations and causes in Central Alabama.
Today, she is also UWCA's lead organizer for the Bold Goals Coalition of Central Alabama, a community-wide collaborative effort that has brought together more than 200 organizations aimed at creating positive, measurable, and community-level change in health and education. Sara was recognized in 2018 as a "Top Influencer Under 40" by Birmingham magazine and has served on the Boards of Directors for the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, Hands On Birmingham, and is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham. She currently serves on the board of the Birmingham Promise. In 2019, she was recognized as a member of "Who's Next? The Future Generation of Local Women Leading the Way" and as a "Trailblazer" (2022) by About Town magazine.
"I am thrilled by the opportunity to build on the incredible work of so many committed people who are already making such a big difference in the lives of people with disabilities and their families," Newell said. "The mission of the Exceptional Foundation is just that -- exceptional -- and it will be my honor to serve in this new capacity."
Sara will be replacing Tricia Kirk, The Foundation's long-time President & CEO, who recently announced her retirement plans.The executive search was conducted by Pangburn International LLC from Washington, DC.
-- Submitted by The Exceptional Foundation
