Published on October 13, 2020 by Morgan Black  
Adams Cassandra

Samford University Cumberland School of Law Assistant Dean Cassandra Adams has been included in the list of the “2020 Women to Watch” published by the Birmingham Business Journal.
 
Adams was selected from more than 200 nominations for this year’s list. Honorees were chosen based on their career accomplishments, contributions to their organization and their potential to shape the future of the Birmingham business world, among other factors.
 
At Cumberland School of Law, Adams oversees the public interest and externship programs and also serves as the director of Cumberland’s Community Mediation Center. 
 
In addition to her leadership roles in the law school, Adams contributes her time and talents to numerous entities in Birmingham and across the state of Alabama. Recently, she accepted an appointment from the speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives to serve on the Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. She is also the chair of the Alabama State Bar President’s Council for Unity and Diversity and serves on the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s Board of Directors.
 
In spring 2020, Adams was one of a few leaders elected to serve on Governor Kay Ivey’s Alabama United initiative. The group was created to hold conversations about the root of challenges facing African American communities in Alabama, including those related to economic development, health care and criminal justice reform.

“Dean Adams’ ability to live out the university’s mission on a daily basis has struck me since the day I met her almost five years ago now," said Allison Nanni, director of community engagement for Samford's Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership. "Although her talent as an instructor, administrator, mentor, advocate and leader in her profession has always impressed me, it is the consistent practice of humility and faith  that make her an incredible asset to the university, city, state and all who have the opportunity to meet, learn from and collaborate with her.”

Adams and the other honorees were recognized at the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2020 Women's Summit, held on Oct. 28-30.
 
See the Birmingham Business Journal's feature on Adams and the full list of honorees.

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.