Anitra Belle Henderson
Executive Director of Communication and External Affairs, City of Mobile
Anitra Belle Henderson is the Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs for the City of Mobile. Henderson leads the team in building communications strategies to educate, engage and build awareness of Mobile’s Momentum. Henderson began her service with the City as the Director of Civic Engagement and Community Affairs. Her work focused on connecting organizations and citizens to solve community issues. Her specific focus since joining Mayor Stimpson’s administration has been youth and workforce development.
Henderson has developed many initiatives to aide our citizens in living their best quality of life including Mayor’s Stimpson’s Youth Empowered for Success (YES) Initiative giving more than 500 youth the ability to work during the summer months in Mobile and Baldwin County; Ignite Mobile, an initiative to give financial assistance to businesses who were forced to close and deemed “high risk” according to the Safer-at-Home status; and currently strategies to build a more equitable community through the Mayor’s Equity Task Force.
Prior to her 2016 appointment, Henderson was the Principal of SMG & Associates, a public affairs and marketing firm. She has more than 23 years experience in the public relations and marketing industry with emphasis in the areas of healthcare, nonprofit, education, government relations and corporate responsibility. She has worked with local and national clients including Mobile County Health Department, Mobile County Commission, Commonwealth National Bank, Nickelodeon and Telemundo. Her work has been cited in a national case study with John Snow Institute and the Center for Disease Control.
She has served and continues to serve her state and local community through various agencies including Mobile Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Mobile United, the Alabama Association of Non Profits, VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Alabama Board of Interior, Junior League of Mobile and Public Relations Council of Alabama-Mobile Chapter.
She is a graduate of 2009 Leadership Mobile and the first class of the Alabama Leadership Initiative. Henderson received her B.A. in Communications and Sociology from the University of South Alabama. Anitra is a lover of things that empower and inspire. She is a life-long resident of Mobile. Married to Demetrius Henderson, they have three amazing young women.