Member Profile

COLLIER NEELEY

Collier Neeley has been Executive Director of the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery for one year, but he’s been familiar with the organization all his life, as grandson of beloved Montgomery historian Mary Ann Neeley, who was also Director of Landmarks at one time.

What is the mission of Landmarks

Foundation? Our mission is to preserve, interpret and present Central Alabama’s history, architecture and culture. We use several tools including Old Alabama Town, educational programing and community preservation programing to draw attention to Montgomery’s history.

What first got you interested in history?

My grandmother was very influential and made sure my cousins, my sister and I were well-rounded and had a love for travel, learning and family. Part of that was visiting historic places. From there, she encouraged us to read, and I fell in love with history, studying it, teaching it and showing folks how important it is that we use the lessons of the past to inform our present and plan for the future. Over time, that interest shifted to historic preservation and seeing the potential to build an exciting and vibrant community, while embracing the past and the future simultaneously, by using old buildings for new uses.

What all does your job entail? Somebody once called me the Chief Of Everything. Being the Executive Director of a small nonprofit means you wear a lot of hats. In the same week, I’ve picked up limbs from a storm the night before, washed a building in Old Alabama Town, met with donors and potential developers, made budget adjustments in response to the pandemic and met with a ladies’ group in town to discuss the importance of preservation and local history.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job? I like the relationship building, talking with people around town, making connections and finding commonality between people and groups to help everyone achieve their goals. Montgomery can be a funny place sometimes, but the last few years, it seems like everyone is really coming together around this city, and I’m so proud to be a part of that.

landmarksfoundation.com

There’s An App for That

Landmarks just launched its augmented reality app, Xplore Old Alabama Town, available on the Apple and Android app stores. It’s free for anyone, but was developed to give schools remote and interactive experiences for K-12 students.

SHARON ROSS

As President of Ross-Clayton Funeral Home, Sharon Ross is the fourth generation to lead her family business, continuing a long legacy. But her position breaks new ground too; she’s the first woman to head the company.

How long have you worked with Ross-Clayton

Funeral Home? I have spent my entire life in and around the family business; however, I have officially worked in the family business for seven years, learning the basics from my father firsthand.

What are your duties and responsibilities as

president of the business? I provide leadership, establish policies, make important decisions to guide the direction of the company, maintain a standard of excellence and serve as the face of the business among clients and in the community.

What are Ross-Clayton Funeral Home’s

primary services? The main service of our business is to properly care for the deceased and to provide clear and compassionate assistance to each family as they become involved in making final arrangements. We offer pre-need funeral planning to assist clients with making key decisions about end-of-life costs and burial expenses.

What do you enjoy most about working in

your family’s business? I enjoy working alongside my mother and younger brother as we serve bereaved families. I appreciate working with our staff that I consider family as well. We love what we do! It is really nice to be able to work with staff members in a warm and supportive environment. My motto: “Funeral business is a calling — not a career; it is a lifestyle — not a livelihood.” I am extremely grateful to be a member of the funeral industry and to be a part of an important and meaningful profession.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job? I love engaging with people. I enjoy conversation with new and returning clients as plans are organized to render our professional services. I also love how we are continuously broadening our efforts to give back to our city and community.

A Century of Service

In 2018, The Ross-Clayton Corporation celebrated 100 years in business, during which time the City of Montgomery presented the company a historical marker. “We are proud to serve as the city’s oldest black-owned business,” said Sharon Ross. “I aspire to bring new energy to the business while concentrating on the high standards and policies my late father set for the company. I am honored by the faith my father showed in my ability to follow in his footsteps and to employ what I know was his belief: ‘Care for those we serve and serve them well.’”

What are your interests outside of work?

I enjoy traveling, community service, attending church, walking and cocktails and conversations with friends.

A New Home, An Old Song

“My first childhood dream was to become a musician like Beethoven. I love singing with my children as we sing together from time to time at church, and it has been a true family bonding and growing experience. A while back, I sang “Oh Susanna” at the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum graduation. As a kid growing up in Korea, I learned it in Korean first. At the time, I had no idea where Alabama was and what a banjo was. But now I am living in Alabama! This humbles me to admit that we do not have the ability to fathom what special and unique plans God has stored for each one of us.”

SOO SEOK YANG

From South Korea to Alabama, Beasley Allen attorney Soo Seok Yang has made the quite the journey to get here. And while Montgomery is now home, through his work, he’s helping clients across the country.

Are you from Montgomery?

I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. I served in the Korean Air Force as an intelligence officer at the Osan Air Base. About 14 years ago, I was given a chance to visit the United States for the first time as part of the U.S. Congress and Korea National Assembly Exchange Program in 2006. I was a student at Handong International Law School in Korea, where I received my training on U.S. law and met my wife Doh Ah Kim. Doh Ah and I received an opportunity to intern for the Honorable Justice Tom Parker of the Alabama Supreme Court and that is how we came to Montgomery and became Alabama lawyers in 2008. After receiving my LL.M. degree in intellectual property law at George Washington University Law School in D.C., we followed God’s call back to Montgomery and have lived here since.

What are the focus areas of your legal work?

I work in our firm’s Mass Torts section. We represent literally hundreds of thousands of people who were injured by defective pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices.

What first got you interested being an

attorney? As a little boy, my mother read me Abraham Lincoln’s story, and I later realized many great people who changed the world and helped others were lawyers. During college, I read a book about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by which I became more interested in human rights issues and being a voice for those who have no voice and went to law school. During law school, I was involved in the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedomcommissioned project to research the status of North Korea’s religious freedom and political prisoners’ camps, which taught me how important it is to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

My job involves constantly being placed in a position to help others when they are going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Representing a client means becoming his or her voice.

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