Spotlight: Alison Kling

By Lori Boatfield / Photos by Steve Babin

Alison Kling is passionate about helping people and organizations lead with clarity and confidence. As CEO of Free 2 Teach, she and her team equip public school teachers with high-quality supplies so children can thrive. A former educator and nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience, Alison connects identity to impact through her leadership. She holds degrees from Hunter College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Oxford University.

 

Tell about your hometown and what led you to Huntsville.

I grew up on the west coast of Canada and the U.S. – think: PE was learning how to kayak and school trips meant six-hour ferry rides. After high school, I worked in East Africa before pursuing a degree in International Studies. I moved to New York City after being accepted into Teach for America and taught in East Brooklyn. I loved the city and ended up meeting my husband while he was working on Wall Street. We had so much fun exploring NYC together, and eventually moved to Princeton Seminary, where David shifted careers to become a pastor. We moved to Huntsville when David became Associate Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian. He is now their Senior Pastor.

How did you get involved with Free 2 Teach?

Two amazing friends connected me: Linda Brouwer had done incredible work alongside our co-founder and Executive Director, Eula Battle, and was moving on to start her own business. Susan Pendergrass nudged me to explore the possibility of taking over Linda’s role, along with our mutual friend, Beth Vest. I am forever grateful for friends who saw this opportunity and encouraged me to pursue it. I worked for several years with Eula before she passed away. It was such a powerful experience (and very fun) to learn from her. She was someone who knew who she was and that was a great gift that she gave the world. As a former teacher I understand directly the powerful impact of supplies and resources for kids. It is an amazing organization and engine for impact, and I am so honored to work alongside our team, board, volunteers and partners to make a real difference for teachers and for their students.

 

As a wife, mother, and a leader in your profession and your church, what advice would you give women about work/life balance?

At the core, I think it’s about being yourself. Knowing who you are and what brings you joy. It’s so easy to feel pulled in multiple directions or like time is slipping away. Feel those feelings, and then continue, being engaged in each moment. Like Nick Saban says, “Be where your feet are.” When you show up fully where you are, you honor all the work you and others have done to get you to that moment. I also have an incredible support system: my husband juggles life right alongside me, and my amazing in-laws live down the street. My mother-in-law helps with the kids every afternoon. She and I have built a strong partnership, and I am so thankful for the sacrifices she makes and the kindness she extends to my children, who love her so much. I think building a team at home is just as important as building one at work. I don’t do this alone, and I’m so thankful for that.

 

Can you discuss your faith/being a minister?

Faith brings me back to the core of who I am, and who God created me to be. I feel very free because I’m not trying to prove myself. I’m thankful for the rest and peace of that truth that I am truly known and loved, and that, despite external circumstances, I can feel internal joy.

 

Would you like to talk about your new website?

I’m so excited to have launched www.alisonkling.com, a home for my thoughts on leadership and growth. It’s where I share what I’m reading, blog reflections on everything from nonprofit work to parenting (with a touch of fashion!) and practical tools I’ve developed over 20 years of cross-sector collaboration.

 

Will you tell our readers about your family?

I have four amazing children: George (9), Teddy (6), Jack (4), and Lucy (2). Having four kids is very fun. There’s a lot of energy, a lot of play and chaos, but also so much sweetness, especially the way the boys look out for their little sister. My path to motherhood wasn’t easy. I’ve had four miscarriages, three of them later-term, requiring delivery at the hospital. It was a long, painful journey that shaped the last decade of my life. I share it openly because I know how isolating it can feel. What I will say to anyone experiencing this is that you are truly strong enough for whatever path lies ahead, and that things will unfold in ways you can’t even imagine. It is hard, and I am here for anyone going on that journey. My husband is such an incredible person who lifts out of his own life, sharing stories and vision for our congregation and community with a selflessness and kindness that is rare and real