When Alvena “Al” Heggins joined Melwood Community Services nearly two years ago, she was drawn to an organization that embodied innovation in action. Today, as Senior Professional Development Trainer for abilIT, she’s helping scale that innovation nationwide through the launch of abilIT Across America.

The national expansion brings Melwood’s proven 14-week tech training program—which prepares people with disabilities and injured veterans for IT careers—to partner organizations coast-to-coast. For Heggins, a U.S. Army veteran who served in military intelligence from 1981-1998, the mission is deeply personal.

“abilIT Across America demonstrates that hope is still alive,” Heggins said. “Neurodivergent participants blossom and grow during this program, and it is humbling to play a role in planting these seeds across the United States and seeing hope grow exponentially.”

Heggins brings considerable leadership credentials to the role. As Salisbury, North Carolina’s first Black female mayor, she championed inclusion and equity, hosted White House officials to discuss opportunity zones —federally designated areas that offer tax incentives to spur investment in economically distressed communities—and was instrumental in the city’s 2019 resolution of reconciliation addressing racial injustice. Most recently, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein appointed her to the state’s Veterans Affairs Commission.

But her approach to leadership extends beyond titles. Through her work with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Links, Incorporated, as well as her focus on succession planning and grooming emergent leaders, Heggins has built a career around creating pathways for others—making her uniquely suited to expand abilIT‘s reach.“The abilIT Program is the epitome of innovation and setting the example for others to follow,” she said. As abilIT Across America grows, Heggins continues to embody her personal philosophy: “It’s not about the titles. It’s about public service.”