Lily Leitner is a sophomore majoring in economics and finance and currently serves as deputy chief of staff for the 114th SGA administration. She is running uncontested to be the vice president for external affairs.
Q: Why are you running as the VP for external affairs?
A: I am running because this campus has raised me, challenged me, and given me opportunities that I could have never imagined. Through SGA and my work in relational leadership roles, I’ve seen firsthand how external relationships directly impact student life. Serving as deputy chief of staff this past year has shown me how ideas turn into action, and I feel called to strengthen the bridge between students, the University and the broader Tuscaloosa community. At the end of the day, I want to ensure that students are not just heard on campus, but where decisions are actually being made.
Q: Why do you think you are the best candidate for the position?
A: I think that I’m the best fit because I’m confident that every part of my college experience thus far has shaped how I view leadership. Serving on executive cabinet showed me how much structure and clarity matter behind the scenes and gave me an internal understanding of how ideas really turn into action. Serving as a Culverhouse ambassador for the Culverhouse College of Business has taught me the importance of clearly communicating vision and progress, and through the Witt University Fellows Program, I have learned how meaningful change happens when organizations work together toward a shared goal. Those experiences led me to a platform that I’ve created which is focused on strengthening what already works, thoughtfully innovating and building systems that endure. This is how I believe that external affairs can best serve our student body.
Q: What are your campaign’s key platforms?
A: External affairs is about more than just what’s happening on campus. It’s about where students are being represented when decisions are being made and how those decisions affect our daily lives. My platform, “Be Legendary with Leitner,” focuses on three core pillars: accessibility, alignment and sustainability. Accessibility through simplifying legislative engagement with initiatives like Lobby Board 101 or my civic-ready campaign. Alignment through formal collaboration with the University of Alabama Systems Office of External Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama to strengthen advocacy at the state level. And finally, sustainability through community based initiatives such as expanding existing campus traditions, like the Battle of the Bands which benefits the Joe Espy Scholarship. My platform is all about ensuring that external affairs is operating strategically and not just symbolically.
Q: How do you plan to expand on the work of the past vice president for external affairs?
A: I’ve had the opportunity to work with Freddie briefly during my time on executive cabinets so far, and I’ve really admired his commitment to representing the best aspects of SGA and his goal of making SGA more accessible. I hope to continue his focus on creating lasting impact and expanding the reach of SGA. Particularly, I want to do this by formalizing relationships with the University of Alabama Systems Office of External Affairs, as I briefly mentioned, as well as making Lobby Board engagement more approachable and student-centered. At the core of everything, I want students to understand how local decisions are affecting them, how they can be involved and how staying engaged locally can translate into meaningful career and civic opportunities. Right here in the state of Alabama, we have such an incredible student body, and I want to ensure that all of our students feel that they have a platform and that their voices are being heard.
Q: What are two specific initiatives you want to accomplish, and what time frames do you hope to accomplish them in?
A: First, I want to expand the reach and accessibility of Lobby Board through those initiatives I mentioned earlier, like Lobby Board 101 and the Civic-Ready Campaign. At the core of this, these initiatives are designed to show students how advocacy works and how they can actively participate. These initiatives will essentially work to make legislative engagement more accessible rather than intimidating.
Secondly, external affairs must operate in alignment with the University’s broader advocacy efforts. This is why I’ve developed the UA External Affairs Alignment Initiative, where I want to continue developing formal relationships with the System Office of External Affairs, as well as local groups in the Tuscaloosa community.
In order to do this, we’ll be able to identify where SGA and Lobby Board can support higher education advocacy, which is super important to my campaign. I’m really, really eager to serve the student body, so if presented this opportunity, I would work diligently with my team to implement these initiatives as quickly as possible.
Q: How do you plan to adapt if your initial plan for achieving those goals doesn’t go how you hope?
A: I pride myself on being an adaptable leader. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that life doesn’t always go as you planned, and it’s important to respond with intention and with clarity. If I run into issues, if things don’t go according to my plan, I want there to be clear avenues for feedback and redirection, whether this is through structured listening efforts, open forums or direct engagement with the student body. I want to take setbacks and feedback seriously and assess whether this was a gap in communication, a misalignment of priorities or simply just an opportunity to refine an initiative. Leadership isn’t about avoiding disagreement or conflict or setbacks. It’s about responding to it with clarity and intention.
Q: Your position this year is uncontested. Knowing this, how will student voters be able to hold you to your campaign promises?
A: I’m grateful for the opportunity to be running uncontested, but I don’t view being uncontested as something that should reduce any scrutiny or engagement. I still believe that leadership is something you earn through clarity, but more specifically, through follow-through. I want students to fully understand my platform and feel confident in knowing how I would represent them beyond campus. Accountability matters to me, because I’ve seen how frustrating it can be when communication breaks down. In my past SGA role, I really prioritized transparency so that people understood what was going on behind the scenes. I want to carry the same approach and intention into external affairs by being accessible, clear about my priorities and open to feedback so that students can hold me accountable throughout the year, not just at the beginning of my term.
Q: What does an improved relationship between the University and Tuscaloosa communities look like to you, and how do you plan on creating said improvements?
A: My vision to improve these relationships is all rooted in intentional partnership. So, through initiatives centered around educational partnerships with the city of Tuscaloosa, UA’s Division of Community Affairs, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and the University of Alabama Systems Office of External Affairs, I want students to understand how these decisions being made at higher levels are directly affecting them, and I want to provide them a platform to have their voices heard. By formalizing these relationships, I want students to have a clearer understanding of what the UA Systems’ priorities are, and I want to be able to identify ways that SGA can align our interests and help to support education advocacy.
These connections would not only strengthen student representation, but also help to reduce brain drain by showing students that they really can build meaningful and impactful long term relationships and opportunities within the community that they already call home. Strong relationships, I feel, should be collaborative and not transactional, and that’s what I hope to build within the Tuscaloosa community.
Q: What experiences have you had on campus that you believe will help you in the role if elected?
A: My start in SGA wasn’t necessarily traditional. I started at the end of my freshman year when I joined the 114th administration’s executive cabinet as deputy chief of staff. This has been an incredible opportunity to have an inside look at what exactly Executive Council and cabinet was doing. I had the opportunity to represent The University of Alabama at a state level, collaborating with other universities such as Auburn and the University of Alabama Systems at Better Relations Day and the first ever University of Alabama Systems Leadership Summit. But I also had the opportunity to work directly with President Lucy Bonhaus. I worked to help her, scheduling her events and moderating her calendar, and I also worked diligently to increase transparency efforts throughout the entire broader SGA community. Aside from my involvement in the Student Government Association, I’ve also had the opportunity to serve as a Culverhouse Ambassador, which has taught me the importance of clearly communicating vision, values and progress. I’ve seen how powerful it is when an organization can articulate not just what it stands for, but the steps that it’s taking to turn ideas into action. In addition, through the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program, I’ve worked with external partners to address real community needs. This experience has taught me that meaningful change happens when organizations align strengths and build sustainable partnerships. I truly feel that these experiences have given me the skills necessary to be successful as vice president for external affairs.
Q: What’s one last thing you want voters to know about you?
A: This campaign is deeply, deeply personal to me. I was raised in Tuscaloosa, and I have loved this university since I was a child. My commitment isn’t just about a title. It’s about stewardship. I care so much about this place and the people that are in it, and I want voters to know that I will show up with intention, humility and the discipline to follow through. I humbly invite you to be Legendary with Leitner on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on myBama. Thank you.
