History of ALF and The Lee Institute

American Leadership Forum (ALF) was founded in 1980 by Joseph Jaworski, who left his Houston law practice to address what he saw as a serious national problem – the country’s leadership crisis. After a year of meeting with leaders from across the country, he developed a clear vision of what he wanted to create - a national organization dedicated to bringing together leaders from various sectors, developing their leadership skills and capacity, and strengthening their commitment to work together on public issues. In 1999, The Lee Institute became a catalyst for the development of this leadership capacity by launching the Charlotte Region Chapter of the American Leadership Forum. More than 300 leaders in our 13-county region, encompassing both North and South Carolina, have participated in the program. The Charlotte Region Chapter is one of 9 chapters across the country with more than 4,500 total graduates—called Senior Fellows—who continue to work together for the common good.