Profile 2022 by Shelby County Newsmedia, Inc.

Profile 2022

THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY

AFTER HOURS A LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE IN SHELBY COUNTY DO ON THE SIDE

PROFILE 2022

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PROFILE 2022

I don’t know about you, but after a typical work day, I’m usually done. I’ll work out or cook or see friends or some combo of those things on weekday evenings, but it’s hard to muster up motivation to do anything that qualifies as work at that point. If I take on an extra project outside of my job on occasion, though, I’ve learned it takes a combination of passion and discipline to make it happen— when I could be reading or watching TV or getting household chores done or sleeping. And that’s what this issue is full of—both passion and drive. Throughout its pages we highlight people in our community who do double duty after hours, whether they are working a second job, taking on a hobby or starting their own side business. We open with a look at Mama Sue Garrett and her second career in sharing recipe videos online after a long one in education—a woman extra worthy of being

named our 2022 Person of the Year after her recent battle with breast cancer. From there we tell the story of mayor, real estate agent, and bus driver Theo Perkins, who wears more professional hats than any in this issue as far as I can tell, and then a college freshman who is running not just a nonprofit but also a clothing company on top of being a student. Other parts of this Profile focus on unique hobbies, like an associate college dean’s in aerial silks, and an advertising executive who brings joy and comedy to veterans all over the world. We also tell heartwarming stories of nonprofits people in the community run on top of their full-time jobs, including one that provides students in need with school supplies and one that supports families whose children have terminal illnesses. As you look through all the faces in this year’s “Yearbook of Shelby County,” I hope their stories can be a bright spot on your day and perhaps inspire you to try a new hobby or act on an idea you’ve long had to help others or follow a dream!

Profile 2022

THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY EDITORIAL Alec Etheredge Meg Herndon Michelle Love Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino

DESIGN Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom

MARKETING Evann Campbell Octavia Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Michaela Hancock Rachel Henderson

MADOLINE MARKHAM, EDITOR madoline.markham@shelbycountyreporter.com

Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero

ON THE COVER ADMINISTRATION

Profile 2022

AFTER HOURS

THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY

AFTER HOURS A LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE IN SHELBY COUNTY DO ON THE SIDE

This issue of Profile spotlights the multiple hats people in Shelby County wear with hobbies, jobs, small businesses and nonprofits. Pictured clockwise from top left are Theo Perkins, Peter Anella, David Ladewig, Ashley Kitchens and Tonya Willingham with Fitz.

PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY DESIGN BY CONNOR MARTIN-LIVELY

Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater Anna Willis

SHELBY COUNTY NEWSPAPERS, INC. P.O. BOX 947 COLUMBIANA, AL 35051

FIND US ONLINE + ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHELBYCOUNTYREPORTER.COM

PROFILE 2022

205.669.3131

FEATURES

24 32 40 48

Meeting Mama Sue

Cooking, teaching and sharing her faith are at the heart of Sue Garrett’s blog.

Called to serve

Mayor, real estate agent, pastor and bus driver—Theo Perkins is all about uplifting those around him.

One cool cat

This Princeton University freshman is carrying on his father’s legacy by giving cancer patients a reason to smile more.

Airborne

This associate college dean moonlights twirling and spinning in aerial silks.

68 76 84

Acing his assignment

Aaron Lewis is equipping kids with the school supplies they need—and setting them up to succeed.

One-man show

This advertising executive travels around the country bringing the joy of music and comedy to fellow veterans.

Harnessed resilience

Here’s the story of special dog, a nonprofit and the person behind them.

Portraits of Shelby County

8 On the Side Volunteers, Artisans & Hobbyists

58 Never Too Young Student Entrepreneurs 94 When I Grow Up What First Graders Told Us 96 By Moonlight Wearing Multiple Work Life Hats

PROFILE 2022

ON THE SIDE PASSION APPLIES TO MORE THAN PROFESSION FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS, COLLECTORS, ATHLETES, ARTISANS AND HOBBYISTS. PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY | TEXT BY MADOLINE MARKHAM

PROFILE 2022

CLAY HAMMAC

SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE OPERATIONS COMMANDER + FARMER After a hard day of work, Clay Hammac’s blood pressure quickly drops when he turns onto the dirt road that leads to his home and the 20-acre farm that surrounds it. There his four children share in farm chores: feeding their flock of 13 chickens, watering troughs, feeding their pony Casper and four Nigerian dwarf goats, and tending their vegetable garden. Hay bales are their playground, and the woods are home to their tree houses and “safaris.” “It’s daily work, but it’s good for the soul,” Clay notes. “My wife and I watch the deer and turkeys in the back pasture as we drink our morning coffee and comment that it’s such a beautiful blessing that we get to enjoy God’s blessing in this way.” PROFILE 2022

CHRIS GRACE

BEEKEEPER + CHELSEA CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE + THE SHELBY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT + CIVIL ENGINEER Harvesting honey is a messy, hot, sweaty, sticky job. But it’s also a sweet one. For Chris Grace it yielded 400 pounds of honey this year, as he sliced off capped honey cells and then placed them in a centrifuge and then a filter. In the winter his main job as a beekeeper is to keep his 10 hives—which have 10,000-100,000 bees each—in his backyard happy, fed and alive. Each year the honey has a different profile depending on what trees and flowers the bees forage in the 3-5 miles around his Chelsea home. No matter the year, though, it’s bottled as Chelsea Bee Company.

PROFILE 2022

REESE UNNOPPET

STUDENT + ONEWHEEL RIDER

After the school day ends at Prince of Peace Catholic School in Hoover, you can find 13-year-old Reese Unnoppet cruising around Cahaba Lily Park, Hillsboro Trail, Helena High School and Old Cahawba in Helena. At first glance, it might look like she’s on a skateboard, but if you look closer, you’ll notice there’s a single wheel in the middle of its base. “I have been snowboarding before, and it’s kind of like snowboarding and kind of like skateboarding,” she says. “I could get the balance down quickly, but learning tricks was different. It’s fun and it’s fast.” To date, Reese has only ever seen four people she doesn’t know on a Onewheel, and she’s working on learning more tricks using YouTube tutorials. PROFILE 2022

CHARISSA & JAMIE COLE

PRINCIPAL/CREATIVE DIRECTOR + MUSICIANS Charissa and Jamie Cole both trace their singing days back to the same church youth choir in Florence, Alabama. Now 23 years into marriage, Charissa is the principal at Creek View Elementary School, and Jamie is a creative director and also serves on the Alabaster City Council and plays in M-80s, a local ‘80s band. They both are a part of the worship team at their church and on the Alabaster Arts Council, and when they can find time they enjoy singing duets together. The duo drew large “crowds” to virtual concerts during the COVID quarantine and sang together at the Alabaster Water Tower Lighting concert the past two years. 12

PROFILE 2022

COREY MOORE

SHELBY COUNTY CIRCUIT JUDGE + MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIAST When Judge Corey Moore heads home from a day in court, he’s greeted by a 1975 Harley Super Glide in his den and a 1964 Bridgestone 90 Sport in his bedroom—and that’s just a small part of his collection of bikes. Some he rides around curvy rural roads near where he grew up in Sterrett. Others are just on display. Some he’s restored. All he’s worked on. It’s a passion he picked up from his dad growing up and has now passed on to his two sons, ages 24 and 28, who one day will inherit his Harleys (including a 1946 Harley Davidson Knucklehead) and Indians.

PROFILE 2022

KENDALL WILLIAMS SHELBY COUNTY MANAGER OF TOURISM & EVENTS + ROCK CLIMBER

By day Kendall Williams markets and recruits tourism and events to Shelby County, but unofficially she’s an advocate for rock climbing and quality family time at High Point Climbing & Fitness on Highway 280, where you can find her, her husband and their two kids, ages 8 and 11, at least four days a week. “It’s a great escape,” she says. “When you are on the wall, you can’t be distracted by your work day or the business of life. You have to concentrate on the holds and your next move.” It’s a good workout for your whole body too, she’s quick to note, even if she finds her kids “smoke” her these days. PROFILE 2022

CHAD SCROGGINS SHELBY COUNTY MANAGER + MOUNTAIN BIKER

Last summer Chad Scroggins rode a bike 105 miles across the Rocky Mountains as he climbed from an altitude of 10,152 feet to 12,424 feet. “Eleven hours is a long time to pedal a bike,” he admits. “It tests not only your physical ability but also your ability to stay focused.” Chad doesn’t have to travel that far from home to find challenging terrain though. The county manager bikes often at Oak Mountain State Park and on County Roads 41 and 43, sometimes with his teenage sons, whose team admittedly beat his own at the Xterra Triathlon last year. “The training gives you the opportunity to have a mental break,” Chad says. “I think we all need a way to destress.”

PROFILE 2022

JUSTIN & HEATHER BAILEY REALTORS + WOOD CARVERS

As far as Justin Bailey knows, there are three artists who carve wood with chainsaws in Alabama, and two of them live in his house. Justin’s carvings—including the nearly 12-foot crucifix in front of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church—tend to be Western-themed and highly textured, while his wife, Heather’s, are smoother and depict wildlife. Although they both worked as wood carvers together fulltime for seven years and have shipped their work all over the country, today they both are realtors—Justin is the broker and owner of Exit Realty Prime, to be specific—and carve on the side as well as coordinate artists for Tinglewood. Learn more at woodlotartisans. com. PROFILE 2022

JAYME MOORE

SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SERGEANT + ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER VOLUNTEER If ever there’s a call into the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office related to birds, it quickly gets passed to Jayme Moore. Every Tuesday you can find him and his 12-year-old son Colten at the Alabama Wildlife Center feeding birds, cleaning cages and distributing meals and medicine as volunteers. Jayme is also experienced in wrangling hawks and other birds at the center or to get them to the center. Although his volunteer work started at the request of his son four years ago, now Jayme is passionate himself about rehabilitating injured birds so they can be released into the wild, and educating the public on the repercussions our actions can have on birds around us. 18

PROFILE 2022

BROOKE GRIGSBY

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY + TWO BY TWO RESCUE VOLUNTEER On any given day you can find Brooke Grigsby prosecuting crimes at the courthouse in Columbiana, but on some days her coworkers get to meet an extra “family member” in her home. Since the start of COVID, she and her family have fostered dogs for Two by Two Rescue, helping nurse them back to health and/or simply provide them a home while they wait to be adopted. Some have stayed for as a little as a week, but Willa, pictured, has been with them nearly a year. “It’s not always easy, but it matters to my family,” she notes. Learn more about Two by Two and volunteer opportunities at twobytworescue.com.

PROFILE 2022

KEITH SIDES

CALDWELL MILL ROAD UPS STORE OWNER + KNIFE HANDLE CARVER Some artists work in stone. Some work in paint. Keith Sides works in wood, crafting purpleheart, paduak and sometimes even ram or buffalo horns into knife handles. He likes to find wood at the Woodcrafter of Birmingham store on Highway 31 in Pelham before spending five to seven hours on each knife. Ultimately, he gives them away as gifts. “After frustrations of the day, I don’t have to think about anything else (while I work on the handles),” he says “The variety of woods and the things you can do with them are one of God’s greatest creations because there are so many varieties of wood and grains and textures.”

PROFILE 2022

KATHERINE THOMPSON

JUNIOR LEAGUE OFFICE ASSISTANT + BEAUTYCOUNTER MANAGER + COMPETITIVE BALLROOM DANCER Katherine Thompson’s two kids have always known that their mom was a professional ballet dancer, but now they get to watch her moving to music at ballroom dancing competitions. Amidst working for the Junior League of Birmingham and as a Beautycounty manager, she takes lessons at Champion Latin & Ballroom in Greystone, and this summer she made it to the finals of the weeklong United States Dance Championships in Orlando. “The benefits of dancing are lifelong,” she says. “It boosts your mood, and it is so good for your body, mind and spirit. I feel blessed that I have the gift of dance in my life still.” 22

PROFILE 2022

CHRIS VANCLEAVE REGIONS BANK SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT + HELENA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER + ROSE EVANGELIST

In the spring and summer you’ll find Chis VanCleave tending to around 50 rose bushes in his backyard. In the fall and winter, he’s on the road speaking at home and garden shows as the Redneck Rosarian. And that’s not even getting to his blog, line of garden tools and soil conditioning product—and his full-time job at Regions and city council work. His end goal in all of it is to help other people know what’s possible in gardening. “For me it was a form of therapy to help me work through my grief when my mom died,” he says. “There’s something about digging in the soil and seeing something you planted grow that is renewing internally.”

PROFILE 2022

PERSON OF THE YEAR 2022: SUE GARRETT

MEETING MAMA SUE

COOKING, TEACHING AND SHARING HER FAITH ARE AT THE HEART OF SUE GARRETT’S BLOG. BY EMILY SPARACINO | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Sue Garrett doesn’t mince words about her early attempts at making meals as a newlywed in 1972. “When we got married, I couldn’t cook,” Sue says matter-of-factly. “But when you have to do something, you learn.” After botching a batch of meatloaf balls, Sue was determined to figure out the basics of cooking. She took notes from the women in her life who excelled in this arena, including two of her aunts and her motherin-law. It wasn’t long before Sue’s meatloaf balls were not just edible, but exceptional, and she continued to expand her repertoire. “I tried to cook what we had growing up,” Sue recalls. “Living in the country, you had vegetables and ground beef dishes, whether it’s roast or hamburger steaks.” Those and other staples are what Sue has

become known for in her cooking blog, Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen—a project that has garnered more attention than she ever anticipated. To know how the retired school teacher earned the nickname Mama Sue—and fans all over the world—let’s start at the beginning.

Teacher-turned-student Sue grew up in Vincent, a community she and her husband, Harold, have always loved and the one they knew they wanted to raise their children in, too. She worked as a teacher at Vincent Elementary School for 20 years and as an assistant principal for five years, while Harold taught and coached at Vincent Middle High School for 29 years. Harold’s long hours as a coach

often meant Sue was pulling double duty, teaching during the day and then making dinner for their children at night. If practice makes perfect—or nearly perfect, for us imperfect humans—then Sue had plenty of opportunities to hone her cooking skills. And when all those years of cooking met the wide world of social media in 2020, Sue unknowingly started her path to an online cooking blog, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had a personal Facebook page, and I was always posting what I had cooked that day and a photo of my plate,” she says. The owners of DeLoach Farms saw Sue’s posts and asked her daughter, Amy Garrett Martin, if Sue would cook a meal with vegetables from the farm and allow them to video it for a commercial. That project ended, but Amy and one of

PROFILE 2022

Sue Garrett aka Mama Sue updates and checks messages on her blog.

her friends encouraged a hesitant Sue to make more cooking videos. “When we first started doing it, we had to talk her into it,” Amy recalls. “We kept telling her, ‘This is your ministry. People are drawn to you.’ They feel like she is their mom, and they like to hear what she has to say.” In the cozy confines of her kitchen, Sue chose dishes with simple recipes and ingredients, and Amy recorded her on her

PROFILE 2022

phone as she talked about what she was cooking. “Instead of cooking a whole meal, I would cook fried okra one day or a casserole, and I put the recipe up,” Sue says. “I started this to help people to learn to cook. That’s how Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen came about.” But as Amy pointed out, the things Sue was saying to her viewers that were unrelated to food resonated just as much as the cooking tips

she was sharing.

A ministry too As Sue began to see the impact she was having on people, she saw herself as a wide-eyed newlywed trying to make dinner for her husband in her online followers. She saw that busy mother trying to throw a meal together for her kids after a long day

Sue stands with her husband, Harold, at their house.

PROFILE 2022

Sue receives mail every day and once received 517 letters in one day alone. Letters have come from as far away as Australia, England and many from Canada, and Sue reads and saves every letter.

of work. And she saw a chance to share some of what she had learned through trial, error and the great cooks before her. “I wanted them to see that my recipes are easy,” she says. “You use things you have. Most (recipes) don’t require something you’ve never heard of.” Along the way, Sue realized what Amy had been telling her about her cooking videos reaching people about much more than just cooking. “It became my ministry,” she says. At the end of the video for the DeLoach Farms commercial, Sue had said, “Be salt and light,” a reference to Matthew 5:13-16, which reads in part, “You are the salt of the earth,” and “You are the light of the world.” These scriptures are ones Sue tries to embody on a daily basis, and she felt it was important to incorporate into her videos. That faith element doesn’t go unnoticed among her viewers, either. Sue receives phone calls and messages from people regularly, asking her to pray for them. “I don’t preach to them, but I let them know

PROFILE 2022

that God loves them,” she says. “I think people need to know Jesus loves them, and I’m going to tell them.” Sue’s faith she so openly shares with friends and strangers alike has also been her source of strength through a major health setback. In the summer of 2021, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began chemotherapy treatments. Although she had to scale back on her cooking videos, she didn’t stop completely. The videos had taken off, and people began messaging her with questions about selling a cookbook featuring her fanapproved recipes. “I hadn’t thought about doing a cookbook before that,” she says. “When I worked at the church, I did a cookbook, but people gave me their recipes. I knew if I did one, they would have to be mine or my family’s.” Sue decided it was a worthwhile project, but when she announced that she was working on a cookbook, she refused to accept any money from pre-orders until she had it printed and back in hand. “I was

thinking 200-500 copies,” she says, “But over 1,000 people said they were interested.”

Expanding her reach The cookbooks were such an instant hit that Sue realized she needed help keeping up with people’s online inquiries. “We get thousands of comments,” she says. She and Harold hired Angela Deaver to manage the Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen pages. The timing of Angela’s arrival could not have been better. “I know it was God because once I was diagnosed with cancer at the end of July, after my first treatment. There’s no way I could have done it,” Sue says. “I would have had to close down. She’s kept it going, and she has expanded the business. Orders are just growing.” Angela also helped Sue expand her online presence from Facebook to Instagram and a website that doubles as a food blog, where she posts full recipes. Speaking of recipes, Sue says her strawberry

Sue receives orders for her book as well as letters of encouragement that let her know how much she and her cooking have inspired them.

PROFILE 2022

Sue flips through her cookbook where many of her recipes are written with the name of the person who gave them to her.

(Contributed) Sue posts pictures of each of her creations on her blog. 30

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Sue has sold over 40,000 copies of her book all over the world.

cake and Crockpot cube steak are two of her most popular. It’s a humble observation, though. “I am not the best cook out there,” she says. “I watch cooking shows and share them. Brenda Gantt is awesome, and so is ‘Coffee Time with John and Momma.’ There are just a lot of good ones out there.” The more views her videos receive, the more people recognize Sue’s face— and even her voice—wherever she goes. “I hardly go anywhere now that someone doesn’t recognize me,” she says. Harold agrees, but says he loves to see his wife appreciated by so many people: “It’s pretty nice to stand at the back sometimes.” Now, the former teacher who for years went by “Coach Garrett’s wife” is lovingly called “Mama Sue,” and the man formerly known as “Coach Garrett” is now “Mama Sue’s husband.” And if Mama Sue ever wonders whether she is making a difference in people’s lives, she only has to sift through the thousands of pieces of mail from people all over the world to know she is. On the Tuesday after Labor Day last year, for example, Sue received more than 500 pieces of mail. She stores the cards and letters in plastic tubs, and

keeps any trinkets people send to her— bracelets, blankets, devotion books, journals and even recipes from other families’ cookbooks. No matter how many cards and letters come in, she reads every single one. “They’re so sweet,” Sue says. “I just have been blown away by the generosity of people.” Amy sees her mom’s cooking blog as a positive outlet not only for Sue’s fans, but also for Sue as a Christian trying to minister to others. “This has just opened up doors for her,” she says. “People are comfortable with her, and people realize she is real. The Lord just works through her, and people want to have what she has.” If anything, her fan mail is a testament to her generosity—and her ability to connect with people through cooking and positive commentary. After all, those who frequent Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen know they will find salt and light, two ingredients Sue Garrett uses in the kitchen of her Harpersville home every time Follow Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen at mamasuessouthernkitchen.com and @mamasuessouthernkitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

PROFILE 2022

CALLED TO

SERVE

MAYOR, REAL ESTATE AGENT, PASTOR AND BUS DRIVER— THEO PERKINS IS ALL ABOUT UPLIFTING THOSE AROUND HIM.

BY MICHELLE LOVE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Walking through Harpersville, you might think Theo Perkins has clones of himself throughout the town. Every morning, he drives a school bus, and then, based on how his day is scheduled, he’ll be running errands as mayor of Harpersville, showing property to homeowner hopefuls as a realtor, or working with members of his church—and we do mean HIS church. Theo started the Liberty Christian Church in 2003 and has served as the lead pastor for the past 18 years of the now 230-member congregation. Wearing that many hats might make anyone else’s head spin, but not Theo. He takes pride in his work, and believes staying busy keeps the spirit and the mind young.

PROFILE 2022

Let’s start with his first hat he wears in the morning. Theo has officially been driving a bus for 29 years, but that doesn’t count the years he drove the bus while he was in high school. “I enjoy it,” he says. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, kids are terrible, they’re not like how they used to be,’ and to that I say, ‘Kids are still kids, and as long as you respect them and require respect from them then you have no trouble.’ That’s how I drive the bus.” Over the years, he has seen students come and go, and he always makes sure to remind them that their time at school is precious. His impact on the students is well known around the town, and even has inspired some local teachers. Recently he was approached by a teacher

from another school about a certain speech he gives the students every morning. “It goes, ‘You’re not here to eat, sleep, socialize or court. You are here to get an education. Have a great day,’” he says. “But this teacher came up to me, and she said that ever since she heard about my speech, she gives it to her own students.” Theo’s life of service and imparting wisdom on others began with the help of the city council president at the time, Wiltha Kelly, who also happened to be a former teacher, after he attended college at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. “Perkins, you’re back home. You’ve been away to college. It’s time you give back to your town,” he told Theo. Wiltha went on to tell him about an open

PROFILE 2022

Theo always greets the students on his bus with high fives and hugs, and he is always telling them the importance of a good education.

position on the local water board and that he planned on nominating him for the role. Theo was hesitant at first but ended up taking on the position. A few months later, Wiltha pushed Theo onto the Planning Board. Over the years, he moved up as a city councilmember, and in 2004 he made the decision to run for mayor. He was elected and served for 12 years. After missing out on one year, he jumped back into the election circuit and was once again elected to the town’s top role with its people in mind.

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“People want somebody that will listen to them and take their concerns seriously,” Theo says. “People’s problems are legitimate. Whether we think they’re minor or whatever, people have placed us here to be problem solvers. I hear people talking about, ‘Oh, so-and-so called me about their cat up a tree.’ Well, that’s part of it. That’s why we’re here, to help solve their problems, and people appreciate that.” Helping people as mayor led to another love in his life too: real estate. When he

reached out to his friend Allan Lowe of Lowe Realty in Columbiana and told him he was debating going into real estate, Allan told him it was an excellent idea. Theo worked with Allan for a while learning the ropes of real estate and “cutting his teeth,” and then he went to work for Abast Realty for a couple of years before earning his broker’s license. With time as an associate broker under his belt, he most recently started his own company, Realty Perks, in February 2021. “I really like not just show-

Theo started a the school bus when he was still in high school himself at the age of 17. PROFILE 2022

Theo points at a map of Harpersville, where he has served as mayor for 11 of the last 12 years.

ing properties, but I like evaluating properties for people, helping people through the whole process,” he says. “Some people need to be walked through it and have someone hold their hand, and we are more than happy to hold their hand through everything.” His favorite part of the home buying process is the “indescribable joy” he feels when he helps people find their first home— something he wouldn’t change for the world and that makes the stressful process of buying a home worth it.

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That theme carries over to his church life as well. Perkins grew up in church, and his parents instilled a strong sense of faith and worship into his life. For years he sang in his church choir, and he eventually became the choir director and felt the calling to lead in the ministry during the late ‘90s. He was ordained shortly after. For his first five years in ministry, he filled in for pastors, and then in 2000 he started pastoring the first church of his own in Alpine in Talladega County for three years. Theo’s current church is nondenomina-

tional since he desires for the church to be open to everyone who wants to express their love for God and who is looking for their purpose in life. “We want to reach people and tell them their lives can be changed through the word of God,” he says. “We want to elevate people and help them reach their God-given potential because everyone has potential.” For Theo, it’s important to get to know everyone who walks through the Liberty Christian Church’s doors, focusing his care

Portraits of the past mayors of Harpersville are lined up in Harpersville City Hall.

Providing Revolutionary Experiences For All Ages Since 1999! Spring Season Festival of Tulips

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3727 H I G H WAY 119 M O N T E VA L L O , AL 35115 W W W. A M E R I C A N V I L L A G E . O R G PROFILE 2022

Theo stands has served as lead pastor at Liberty Christian Church for the last 18 years.

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(Contributed) Theo stands behind a sold sign at a property where he was a real estate agent on the transaction.

“I KNOW WHAT MY PURPOSE IS, AND IT IS ENCOURAGEMENT, UPLIFTING PEOPLE.” -THEO PERKINS and attention on the whole person. Jeremy Bradford, the church’s praise and worship leader and also one of Theo’s real estate clients, can attest to that as he describes Theo as “a jewel to the community.” “He’s a life coach, a counselor and a friend,” Jeremy says. “He is indeed the type of person you would want in your corner.” For example, when Jeremy’s grandmother died, Theo prayed for him, “when I didn’t know to pray for myself,” and the encouragement helped Jeremy pull through a very dark time and gain his confidence back, something he is forever grateful for. It’s relational interactions like this one, whether through real estate, bus driving, serving as mayor or pastoring a

church, that bring Theo the most joy. “I want our community to be great. I want it to be better, and I think that’s the thing that gives me joy,” he says. “When I can see things are getting better, when I see their light improve, because it shows all these roles that I play make a difference.” When asked about where he finds the strength to lead so many people towards finding their truth, Theo has one credit: God. Though he admits it can be challenging at times, he knows it’s all for a purpose greater than him. “I know what my gift is,” he says. “I know what my purpose is, and it is encouragement, uplifting people. These things allow me to do what God has called me to do.”

PROFILE 2022

ONE COOL CAT

THIS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN IS CARRYING ON HIS FATHER’S LEGACY BY GIVING CANCER PATIENTS A REASON TO SMILE MORE.

BY ALEC ETHEREDGE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

With three to six months to live, Pete Anella was searching for signs of hope as he sat inside the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Then, it came. In that moment, Pete was pleasantly surprised when a woman walked in with toboggans for each of the patients who sat

PROFILE 2022

alongside him during a chemotherapy session. That two-minute interaction then changed everything. Pete went on to live a year longer than expected before passing away on Dec. 5, 2019, but that two minutes stuck with him the rest of his life. As he took his turn getting

a toboggan, a dark and lonely place was quickly filled with joy. As he beamed with a grin from ear-to-ear in his lively fashion, he realized someone cared. Someone was thinking about him and wanted to put a smile on his face. More importantly, the story of that

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A postcard sharing The Cool Cat Club’s mission statement sits next to goodies that come in care packages the club delivers to cancer patients.

moment stuck with his son Peter. “Cancer is like a 9-5 job,” Peter says, thinking of his dad’s battle. “You go, get tests, get chemo, talk with doctors, but that two minutes was kind of a break. He talked about it for so long that I started to think about it a lot after he passed away.” With that in mind, Peter set out to make his dad proud and with a new way to bring joy to those battling cancer: The Cool Cat Club.

The inspiration As a junior at Oak Mountain High School, Peter was fast-tracking a new non-profit that would change the lives of cancer patients, with his dad serving as inspiration as the Original Cool Cat. But before it even helped others, its first impact was actually to help

PROFILE 2022

Peter cope with losing his hero. “My dad was definitely my biggest role model. He taught me every value I have,” Peter says. “He always said, ‘The only limitations are the ones you put on yourself.’ You really can do whatever you put your mind to. If you really work at it, you can do it. He came from nothing and built a great life and family. I hold that true and live by that. He always said it’s nice to be nice. He taught me just to be nice to everyone.” Since he was diagnosed with a laryngeal cancer for the first time in 2015, Pete stayed positive and determined to live his life normally, and he even went into remission for a short time. But in 2018, Pete was rediagnosed, and this time the cancer was in his lungs. He ended up with an aggressive squamous cell lung carcinoma that is a very difficult cancer to treat. Soon after he was

given only three to six months to live. “Being the kind of guy he was, he ended up keeping everyone positive and upbeat when it was him that really needed it,” Peter says. “Even at the grocery store, he knew everybody and was still cracking jokes with all of them. That’s who he was.” And in that time, Peter got to spend some of the best moments with his dad. “Mindset and attitude are everything. There is a quote I read in the midst of all this happening that said, ‘Unhappiness doesn’t come from the situation; it comes from the attitude about the situation,’” Peter says. “That really turned everything on its head for me. This challenge that appeared in our family’s lives seemed only bad because that was the easiest thing to look at. In life, there’s two sides to everything—a good one and a bad one. I decided to look at the good one.”

Peter poses with members of The Cool Cat Club who are current students at Oak Mountain High School, where he graduated in 2021.

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Pete with Lori Higginbotham, owner of Magic Stitches Embroidery in Birmingham.

Peter’s trip to Italy helped inspire him to start an Italian clothing line. 44

PROFILE 2022

Peter watches as the embroidery is finished on a pullover made by his clothing line.

Peter’s Italian-style clothing line combines his love for style and positive thinking. Pete ended up living 15 more months, opening space for their family to travel and make memories together. Rather than head down a dark path at that point, Peter channeled his energy into something that would not only make his dad proud but help others in the process.

Join the club Watching a livestream from inside the Grandview Cancer Center, a woman receiving one of her chemotherapy treatments couldn’t resist standing up and walking outside to be a part of what was happening. Just outside stood Peter and his three friends who helped start The Cool Cat Club. It was their first care package drop-off at the cancer center, and the woman was overwhelmed with joy. “Some of the nurses and doctors had already come out, but while we were sitting out there, a patient receiving chemo came outside and told us how excited she was because it was so needed,” Peter says. “Just from day one, it has been shocking. We knew we were creating something that was useful and needed.” The day was Aug. 8, 2020. As it turns out, while Peter was also in the running for valedictorian of his senior class that same year and was running an Italian clothing company he had started, COVID-19 struck and quarantine gave him the time he needed to bring the club to life.

PROFILE 2022

Peter is now a freshman at Princeton University.

How did he come up with the means to kick-start it? Selling old childhood toys. From there, he and his partners, including his best friend Hall Welborn, started calling hospitals to see if they could even get in. One phone call to the head of oncology at Grandview Medical Center is all it took. “She is hardly ever in her office, but she just happened to be there when we called,” Peter says. And it certainly wasn’t going to be a onetime project—they had big dreams of delivering care packages and helping cancer patients financially. From there, the group finalized all necessary legal work to become a 501(c)(3) and had a logo made, all building on the young entrepreneur’s know-how. Not surprisingly, it raised more than $50,000 in a year. “For me personally, I became passionate about it very, very quickly, seeing the impact it makes on these cancer patients’ lives, seeing these people struggling and putting a smile on their faces,” Hall says. “Whenever we go to the hospitals, the doctors get so excited and say, ‘Oh my gosh, The Cool Cat Club is here.’ They see young people caring. That’s all the payment we need for something like this. It is so fulfilling. People talk about work, and if you don’t love what you’re doing, why do it?

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This is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Balancing act Standing in front of 397 of his fellow classmates inside Heardmont Stadium on May 26, 2021, Peter started talking, and jaws throughout the audience dropped. Through his words, the Oak Mountain valedictorian took people on a ride through a lesson tied to each year of high school. He walked people through his clothing company, his dad dying of cancer, his newfound charity and his ultimate lesson of accomplishing whatever you put your mind to. “I’ve always been a business guy before I even knew what an entrepreneur was,” Peter says. “Even in first grade, I remember dressing up in a suit and being a businessman.” That was the goal Peter set for himself, and while he read books about it for a while, he eventually dove in and was a living example of making it happen. The hardest thing to do in life is find what you’re passionate about, Hall says. But not for Peter. He always knew what he was passionate about. Hall also points out that creating a

nonprofit at the young age they did made the group as a whole grow up faster and learn who they were. “I got a lot out of it, and I matured a lot,” he says. “It started in the middle of a pandemic, then we went back to school and I’m sitting in algebra class like, ‘Why am I doing algebra right now when I can be doing something that makes a difference?’” Today, Peter is a student Princeton University, and as if he didn’t already have enough on his plate, he has joined the rugby team, entrepreneurship club, real estate club and is running for office—all while taking classes at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. But one of his top priorities remains carrying on his dad’s legacy with The Cool Cat Club no matter where he is with the home base remaining in Birmingham. “I didn’t realize how many people were affected by cancer. Whether it’s family, a friend or someone else, everyone has experienced it in some way,” Peter says. “So it really is special to be able to make a difference. That’s the whole thing of The Cool Cat Club is making them smile a bit more, and we don’t plan on ever giving that up.” Learn more about The Cool Cat Club at thecoolcatclub.org.

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AIRBORNE A THIS ASSOCIATE COLLEGE DEAN MOONLIGHTS TWIRLING AND SPINNING IN AERIAL SILKS. BY MICHELLE LOVE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Ashley Kitchens swings from the air as if she was born there. She pulls herself up on her aerial silks with ease, twirling and spinning as if the silks are an extension of her body. Whether she’s performing or practicing, aerial silks are part of her everyday life. It’s something she always makes time for as an important part of a busy daily routine.

PROFILE 2022

When Ashley isn’t in the air though, she’s spending time raising her family, or serving as associate dean at the Chilton-Clanton campus of Jefferson State Community College. She’s been in that position for five years now and has worked for Jeff State staff since 2002. In addition to those duties, she serves on various organizations and local service groups throughout Chilton and

Shelby counties. In short, “I cannot sit still,” she says, laughing. As to her aerial silks journey, it began in January 2017 after she saw an advertisement for a class at Head Over Heels Gymnastics off Caldwell Mill Road in north Shelby County. She quickly took to it like a bird to flight as a way to focus on her mind and body and let out some steam.

PROFILE 2022

Ashley shows off her aerial skills at Head Over Heels Gymnastics.

Today Ashley likes being in the spotlight in the air. Whether she is in a live show or on video for a virtual audience, she finds it all thrilling. Ashley loves how unique and challenging the sport is and the sense of freedom she feels while twirling through the air. In

PROFILE 2022

2019, she added a lyra hoop—a circular steel apparatus suspended from the ceiling for acrobatics—to her routines as well. Her Facebook page is full of photos and videos from her performances, and in every frame, Ashley can’t hide the huge smile on her face.

All of her training has not only made her strong physically, but also mentally, and she carries that strength with her throughout her daily life. “It has made me so grateful to see the ability my body has,” she says. Ashley and her fellow aerial silk

Ashley teaches at Jefferson State Community College, where she is an associate dean.

PROFILE 2022

Hanging upside down 15 feet in the air requires both mental and physical strength.

enthusiasts share those abilities in performances at the gym with various themes and choreographed pieces. Recently, her aerial group put on a show dedicated to the best Disney villains, which got adults and younger participants excited. For her, the sport is about far more than herself. “The best part about performing and the aerial community I am in is the

PROFILE 2022

support that we all give each other,” she says. “Every person I have come in contact with has been truly interested in seeing each other grow and put on a phenomenal show.” She also compares the supportive aerial community to the tight-knit community she grew up with. “Shelby County offers big city and small town all wrapped in one,” she says. “I have loved the Oak Mountain

school system and the teachers and administrators that really give their all to make a difference in students’ lives. I also just adore the close-knit communities in our county. Indian Springs Village, and in particular my Homestead neighborhood, is just a great place to be. Our neighbors are like family.” Likewise, her job at Jeff State is dedicated to maintaining a sense of community

between students and faculty. She said she is incredibly lucky to call most of her colleagues her friends, and is grateful for their equal support in her work at and away from the school. While there, she runs academic programs and analyzes the various needs of different classes, student enrollment and counseling services. She also supervises their special seasonal events all for a campus of approximately 850 students, and she will tell

you repeatedly how much she loves her job. “I could bore you for days with why I love teaching,” she says. “I love getting to know students and giving them a reason to want to be in my class. I love what I teach, and I totally dork out when we get discussing topics. So I hope that enthusiasm is what students get out of my classes. I really do love my job.” Jeff State being such a prominent part of

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Ashley’s love for teaching doesn’t stop when she steps off the Jeff State campus as she teaches the youth beginner class on Sundays at Head Over Heels.

the Shelby County community makes her “so proud,” and she said the love and support Shelby County residents have for the school is a much-appreciated bonus. “The leaders in both cities and industries in Shelby County support the Jeff State mission and play integral parts in continuing opportunities for students,” she says.

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When she leaves campus, though, she still doesn’t stop. “I cannot sit still, and I love to be busy,” she says. “And I am a big dork, so I am always doing something physical or nerding-out [about] something book or pop culture wise. I am a super positive and active person.” Any free time she has is spent taking part in various organizations throughout the county. She attends Easter Seals events with her

husband, who is on the organization’s board. She also always works to help with events at the Jeff State campuses, and has also provided her writing services for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office when they reached out several years ago about it. Outside of just doing aerial silks herself, she shares the joy of it with others, teaching a youth beginner class on Sundays at Head Over Heels.

When pressed, she says there really isn’t anything she would give up. “Luckily, my career, home life and hobbies are all things I love and am passionate about, so I continually blend them into each other,” she says. “I integrate my hobbies with work, whether that be bringing a performance to one of our activities at the college or bringing colleagues to try classes with me.”

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NEVER TOO YOUNG THESE SAVVY STUDENTS HAVE BROUGHT THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL VISIONS TO LIFE. PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY | TEXT BY MADOLINE MARKHAM

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TAYLER LOWERY

TAYLER’S CURBSIDE CARWASH & DETAILING Tayler Lowery cleans his 2009 Nissan Titan (with plenty of modifications) three to four times a week, and now he’s carrying that passion for cars and cleanliness over into his mobile detailing business. It all started just before the COVID quarantine when the high school senior’s uncle asked him to wash his truck at a family get together and took off from there. Today Tayler buffs, waxes, uses sealant and washes cars inside and out everywhere from his Calera home to Talladega, and he has multiple corporate clients and two employees. All in all, he finds time for about 25 hours of work a week outside of school. Follow Tayler’s Curbside Carwash & Detailing on Facebook.

PROFILE 2022

BLAKELY BAGGETT THE BLAKERY

When a girl named Blakely started a baking business, The Blakery was born. Her grandmother had taught her recipe for tarts when she was around 10, and a couple of years later the Montevallo eighth grader decided to start selling them and experimenting with new flavors with her dad. These days, The Blakery sells blueberry and peach tarts in the summer, pumpkin puree and apple tarts in the fall, and chocolate tarts in the winter—all of which Blakely recommends ala mode. You can find them at Calera Farmers Market or online. Blakely especially enjoys the bonding time she has with her dad as they bake the tarts together. Learn more at The Blakery on Facebook. 60

PROFILE 2022

BROOKS BEDSOLE

BROOKS’ AMERICAN BLUE DESIGNS Each time Brooks Bedsole blow torches and spray paints lines onto a piece of wood, he is thinking about the families of police officers killed in the line of duty that he will give the finished product to. He hopes the American flags will remind them that others are thinking of them. After learning woodworking techniques from his neighbor Lee Campbell, Brooks made one of the flags for his dad for Christmas and later decided to give one to the family of an officer who was killed in 2019. Today, the Evangel Christian School eighth grader sells the flags as well to help fund the ones he gives away, and he has plans to become an officer himself one day. Follow Brooks’ American Blue Designs on Facebook.

PROFILE 2022

CAROLINE WILLIAMS

JEWELRY, TRINKETS, AND MORE When Caroline Williams learned to make rubber band bracelets from a friend in kindergarten, she had no idea that one day they would be a part of something more. Every Christmas she would visit Childhaven, a Christian children’s home in Cullman, to help give out presents with her church, and when she was in fourth grade at Oak Mountain Intermediate School, she left wanting to help the home in some way. So she started making the rubber band bracelets in different colors and patterns and selling them at church and school to raise money. In the two years since then, she has added mask lanyards to her product line and donated more than $500 to Childhaven. Contact jewelry1trinkets@gmail.com to place an order. 62

PROFILE 2022

CARL SELLERS CARL’S SMALL ENGINES

Carl Sellers didn’t wake up one day with a small motor repair business, but he gradually learned the trade from his dad and on his own repairing lawn equipment at his house as it was needed. The 2020 Montevallo High School graduate enjoyed it so much that he started to do work for friends as a high school sophomore and later for lawn service companies, repairing weed eaters, leaf blowers and pretty much anything with a small motor. “I always enjoy seeing stuff that doesn’t run start to run,” he says. Today he is working toward a degree in physical education and coaches football at Montevallo Middle School as a volunteer. Follow Carl’s Small Engines on Facebook.

PROFILE 2022

GRAYSON & HAYES MAYER M&M BAIT

Brothers Grayson and Hayes Mayer have had fishing rods in their hands since before they could walk, but the past two years the brothers have learned that catching a fish on bait they make makes the experience all the better. To create their soft plastic bait, they heat liquid PVC pipe resin and inject it into molds before allowing it to set. Hayes especially likes to make a red and brown crawfish bait to throw in rocks where bass are looking for food, while Grayson favors the colors and designs of finesse worms to use in deeper water. The seventh and ninth graders in Helena started their bait-making endeavor during the COVID-19 quarantine and now sell it to friends and on Instagram. Follow @mandmbaits on Instagram. 64

PROFILE 2022

CALEB HANEY & TRIPP BOULER B&H LAWNCARE

Not just anyone can say that they enjoy lawn work, but Caleb Haney and Tripp Bouler can. And they have started a business around their passion for it too. The Helena High School sophomores combined the initials of their last names to form B&H Lawncare in the spring of 2021. By summer, they had a full load of regular customers, filling their days cutting grass, weed eating, trimming bushes and laying pine straw in Helena, Pelham and Alabaster when they weren’t at football practice. Along the way, they upgraded their equipment and have learned a lot about how to run a business and schedule their time. Follow B&H Lawncare on Facebook.

PROFILE 2022

JC BAGGETT

JC BAGGETT WOODWORKS JC Baggett doesn’t write with any ordinary pen. He handcrafts wooden handles into various patterns and colors, and he even makes an extra wide one for people who have arthritis so they are easier to pick up. When he isn’t at football or wrestling practice, the Montevallo High School ninth grader is running his lathe and drill to make cylindrical shapes to go on top of bottle openers and even small baseball bats, and he’s planning to learn to make rings next. He’s also sold his wares at Tinglewood and ArtsFest. “It’s something I can do for fun and make a little money,” he says. To learn more follow JC Baggett Woodworks on Facebook. 66

PROFILE 2022

ACING HIS

ASSIGNMENT

AARON LEWIS IS EQUIPPING KIDS WITH THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES THEY NEED—AND SETTING THEM UP TO SUCCEED. BY EMILY SPARACINO | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Some dreams fade in the first moments of consciousness, but Aaron Lewis remembers one he had in the summer of 2016 as vividly as if it happened yesterday. In this dream, Aaron says God prompted him to take the next step with an idea he had been contemplating for a while to organize an

PROFILE 2022

event benefiting students as they prepared for a new school year. All he needed to get started was a divine nudge. “I wanted to give back to the community in some aspect,” Aaron, 29, says. “I thought, ‘Why not do a back-to-school rally?’ I had always wanted to do something along those

lines, but I was scared.” At this point, Aaron had been praying for students and their parents at the beginning of a new school year for years. He would share what he calls a “mass prayer” on his Facebook page and tag the parents of school-age children he knew, reminding

PROFILE 2022

In addition to his nonprofit work, Aaron works a full-time job as an accountant assistant for Gateway Management Company.

them he was thinking of them at a pivotal time. But he wanted to do more—not because he underestimated the power of prayer, but because he felt impelled to answer a higher call to action. Then, he had that “very vivid dream” in 2016, shortly after graduating with a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Montevallo. “It was more so instructions of ‘You need to do this,’ and ‘This is your assignment,’” he recalls. “I started calling people and saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a project for us. I want to do a back-toschool event.’” That summer, Aaron planned the first event at a neighborhood park in Helena, where much of his family lives. He made it a casual, come-and-go style event—an afternoon for families to enjoy fellowship while picking up any school supplies their kids needed. And while he was at it, Aaron used his middle name to name and establish the Cornell Lewis Foundation as the organization behind the inaugural Back 2 School Rally in 2016. When he arrived at the park on the morning of the rally, he was astounded at the early turnout. “There were people already there,” he says. News of his plans had circulated mostly by word of mouth and social media. “I had put a Facebook

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post out, but I didn’t know it had been shared to that magnitude of people. Needless to say, my assignment was bigger than my eyes.” Aaron looked at the amount of supplies and food he and his volunteers had on hand to distribute, wondering if it would be enough. He also worried about the weather. A storm was forecast for the area, and he didn’t have a backup plan for his outdoor venue. “It rained in Helena except at the park,” he says. “The park was fine. I look up and there’s literally two rainbows coming across the sky, and I’m like, ‘I got it. I passed the assignment.’” Not only did he pass, but Aaron also gained the confidence he needed to continue the event, knowing how successful the first year had been. And just like that, as he describes it, “A one-year event turned into year seven.” “If you would have told me this back in 2011, I would have told you somebody is lying,” he says. “It grows each year.” And each year, he has gained more experience and knowledge of the ins and outs of event planning and logistics, all the while gaining support from the community. The second year of the rally took place at Joe Tucker Park, and the third installment was held at the Helena Sports Complex.

The third year is also when Aaron incorporated items and supplies like bedspreads, bath towels and clothes hampers for college students. “I realized my students were getting older, growing up and going off to college,” he says. “If you want to go to school, I’m going to make sure you have the bare necessities.” Although Shelby County boasts multiple affluent neighborhoods, it also has areas of need, and Aaron didn’t see much happening in terms of school supplies drives before he launched the Back 2 School Rally. But he sees the turnout at his events—with residents from Shelby and Jefferson counties attending—as proof he is helping to fill a financial gap for many local families. The rally usually serves 70-120 students each year. “It’s just to give you a head start,” he adds. “If I can help you save just $75, let me help you. It’s all about helping.” The Back 2 School Rally usually happens the last week in July or the first week in August, but Aaron’s work doesn’t stop when the last person leaves. In some ways, that’s just the beginning of a new cycle. “I get phone calls of, ‘Hey, I couldn’t make it. Could we meet somewhere for school supplies?’ I meet people around town.” He keeps about 10 bags full of supplies such as pencils, pens, colored pencils, notebooks

Aaron brings supplies to Pelham Oaks Elementary School and presents them to the students and teachers.

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Among Aaron’s deliveries are gift bags for students and extra supplies.

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and copy paper in his car, ready for those unexpected phone calls. On top of all he does with the foundation, Aaron has a full-time job in accounting. Prior to that, he worked as a paraprofessional at Pelham Oaks Elementary School. When he’s not working, he is likely picking up another batch of supplies or adding ideas for the next Back 2 School Rally to the Notes app on his phone. But he does it all with a happy heart. Brian Fells, Aaron’s father, says he has been impressed with his son’s desire to give back to the community at a young age. “As a father, I’m very proud of him,” Brian says. “I continue to see him grow. I wish him much success and to just keep God first.” Aaron is constantly thinking about ways to improve the event too. He started holding prize giveaways. This year, for example, he gave away two tablets. Last year, he passed out Domino’s Pizza gift cards to the first 50 families who came to the event. “Each year, I always try to give away something just for fun, a small thank you token,” he says. “I’m a giver, and I like to have fun. As long as you’re having a great time, I’m having a great time.” Brian and his wife, RaKisha Lewis-Fells, help Aaron with whatever he needs for the event and provide moral support. “We don’t take over because it’s his vision,” Brian says. “We’re there from the beginning to the end, so he won’t be stressed. He’ll tell us what he needs, and we’ll make sure it gets done.” RaKisha says Aaron tries to tailor the supplies he gives out to each grade level, focusing on specific needs students have rather than buying generic supplies they might not be able to use. “He’s methodical. He thinks about what he is going to give to the people, to the children that come out,” she says. “It’s his passion.” For RaKisha, watching Aaron put others before himself shows the values she instilled in him as a child have stuck. “I’m super proud of him,” she says. “He’s always had a big heart. I couldn’t ask for a better son.” Among Aaron’s current goals are achieving nonprofit status for the Cornell Lewis Foundation and continuing to develop a board of directors to assist him with organizing and running the Back 2 PROFILE 2022

Smiles and hugs from former students and staff members at Pelham Oaks Elementary, where Aaron previously worked as a paraprofessional, are a constant when he is back on school grounds.

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Aaron’s love for students drives him to continue to serve.

School Rally. Aaron admits he has trouble with the “hands-off” concept, though. “It’s my baby. It gets hard sometimes, but at the end of the day, if everyone’s satisfied, it’s a good turnout.” The event gets bigger and better every year because of Aaron’s commitment to it, his dad says. “He’s very passionate about it,” he says. “We make sure he’s calm and

At times, he has thought the 2022 Back 2 School Rally—which will mark seven years of the event—could be his last. But then, he’s back to jotting down notes in his phone, preparing and strategizing like he always does. Aaron’s plans for Rally No. 7? “We’re going to be out there having a good time.” Follow the Cornell Lewis Foundation @ACLewFoundation on Facebook.

gets his vision. He has a big support system.” Through the peaks and valleys over the last six years, Aaron’s strong faith that sparked the initial idea for the project is what has carried him. “I know that I wouldn’t have gotten this far if it wasn’t for my faith in God and him directing my path, especially with the foundation,” he says.

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THIS ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE BRINGS TRAVELS AROUND THE COUNTRY BRINGING THE JOY OF MUSIC AND COMEDY TO FELLOW VETERANS.

BY ALEC ETHEREDGE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Standing in front of a room of veterans in Manchester, Tennessee, David Ladewig pulled out a piece of the Berlin wall. He proceeded to pass the rock to someone in the audience. As it made its way around the group of veterans, it was fumbled on an exchange and hit the ground. A gasp overcame the room. “Some of them are in wheelchairs, so think about this: If they wheel around to

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find it, and one of them rolls over it, it’s so old that it would be toast,” David says. But in typical, witty fashion, he quickly thought of a joke. “I guess I need to have that put in a case,” he says with a laugh. It’s those moments that bring joy to the Pelham resident as he travels to veterans around the country to share his music.

Playing to his own tune Five years ago David—whose day job is president of The Cambridge Agency, Inc.— stood in front of a room full of veterans for the first time in Pell City with no idea of what he was doing. “To tell you the truth, if I was a judge of the first two shows, the gong would have gone off,” he says while laughing. But it quickly led to a passion.

PROFILE 2022

David performs a Christmas show at a veteran’s hospital in Alabama.

A former world traveler, David was looking for that extra flair in his life. He’d never considered himself a musician though, so he was baffled when he was asked to perform in the first place. “I played guitar, but I wasn’t a real musician who could create a jingle,” David says. “What I could do is write the lyrics, which I’m really good at. Then, I could get out my guitar and ding out a little melody, and then go to the studio and get it produced.” It was through producing music in

PROFILE 2022

Birmingham and Nashville that he got into jingles, and then a friend asked him to play for some veterans. That’s when he realized they wanted him to write songs and perform his own music and act too. Despite not performing up to his expectations in his first two shows, he was hooked and wanted to not just share music but also a deeper sense of commonality. “I don’t have to be the best singer or guitar player; I just have to know enough to go,” he says. “I’m also a veteran, so I can talk to them. I can talk to them about things

a street guy can’t because he hasn’t really been there.” Along the way David got pointers from a few people with music backgrounds who listened to him and practiced and practiced. Thus his show was born. Since that first show in 2015, David has now performed for more than 120 groups throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina. He shares jokes, historic artifacts and stories from his time in the Navy aboard the USS Saginaw as an engineer from 1970 to 1972

David’s shows are filled with upbeat jingles, songs and jokes that entertain his crowds.

PROFILE 2022

David holds the first CD he self-released in 2021.

PROFILE 2022

David jokes he always performs in front of a bingo board.

But most importantly, he shares a book full of his own songs that he prides himself in. “He does all of this with original music. He doesn’t play any covers; he plays songs he writes,” says award-winning songwriter Randy Finchum. “He keeps the audience entertained. You hear some of the same stories, but you’re always entertained. He’s not a boring guy. He’s been all over and seen it all and shares everything.”

Bringing joy through music A woman laid on her back in a bed at a 7-degree angle at one of David’s concerts. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t walk. David remembers her laying there as he performed songs and made a few jokes, just knowing the music was bringing her some form of joy. “You need to be prepared for what is going to happen, because some of them PROFILE 2022

As president of Cambridge Agency, David’s day job keeps him busy, but he loves making time for his music.

David has more than a few items he has collected throughout his life, like this piece of the Berlin Wall.

might get sick, some of them might go to sleep, and that’s OK. That doesn’t mean they’re not listening,” David says. “When you see a kid come in there on a bed, it can shake you. I’m used to it, so I’m OK. But it is something you have to be prepared for because it can be heartbreaking to see.” David has seen it all playing shows for those between the ages of 25 and 100. “Some of those kids in those places are kids who have been blown up in Afghanistan and Iraq,” he says. More than anything David wants his music to bring a little joy into their lives so they can forget about some of the tragic visions war implants in minds. “You can tell David lived a life of passion and heart. His demeanor, his soul isn’t one to sit in one place,” Randy says. “He’s been all over the world and seen everything, but now that he’s home in Alabama, this is a way for him to still get around, while also doing something to help. You can tell it’s a big thing in his life. It’s a labor of love.” And he’s seen people transformed along the way. Two years after visiting the home where the woman was rolled out in her bed at a 7-degree angle, she came out during his next stop there sitting up completely in her bed. “She wasn’t talking real well, but she had started talking a little bit,” he recalls. “That was impressive. Somebody is doing something right. I love seeing that.”

From one veteran to another

David’s book Come Travel with Me documents his 30 years of travels and adventures. Its third edition was printed in 2020.

PROFILE 2022

Working in the Navy as an engineer and plank owner on a brand-new ship in 1970, David’s engineering officer was attempting to build a sail boat, but he couldn’t finish it. David, however, took over and was able to build it with the help of a few others. “The deal with the captain was if we could take the sailboat with us, he could sail it whenever we stopped,” he recalls. “We took it with us, and that boat went all over the world.” When he shares that story at the veterans homes, it draws a chuckle every time because they all know how deals are made working on a Navy ship. They find it hilarious that they stowed away an extra sail boat built by the crew for fun. “Because I am a vet, I can take stuff with me that reminds them of why they were in the service,” David says. It all gives him a unique ability to relate to his audience, right down to his familiarity with military terms. “You can see that on the faces when you play at these places. They engage, smile, laugh and sing along,” Randy says. “It’s not an easy thing to do all the time, but I’ve never played a gig where David Ladewig doesn’t put his best foot forward. (With) his confidence and charisma, you’ve got somebody up there that knows what he’s doing. He wants to entertain them and connect with them. He’s got a gift for this thing.” And that is why David continues to travel around and play two to three shows a month— now with a case for his piece of the Berlin Wall.

David practices at the studio at his house in Pelham.

PROFILE 2022

HARNESSED

RESILIENCE

HERE’S THE STORY OF SPECIAL DOG, A NONPROFIT AND THE PERSON BEHIND THEM. BY MEG HERNDON | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

You can learn a lot about Tonya Willingham looking around her office. Photos of her family crowd the wall above her desk. A couch sits across the room, begging anyone that sits on it to sink in and take nap. Beside it, a shelf is lined with coloring books, crayons, books and games. A

PROFILE 2022

4-year-old golden retriever-lab mix is curled up on his dog bed below a scribbled on white board. That dog is Fitzgerald II, and Tonya will happily tell you anything you want to know about him for as long as you are willing to listen.

But Tonya would rather not talk about herself. “That’s Tonya,” says Sgt. Brad Jordan with the Pelham Police Department, who has worked with Tonya for over 15 years. “She’s never in it for the glory, but what she does has an impact.”

PROFILE 2022

Tonya and Fitz share an office at the Shelby County Courthouse.

Fitzgerald II By day, Tonya is the handler for Fitzgerald II, lovingly known as Fitz—the one and only Shelby County resident facility dog and one of only seven certified facility dogs working in the state of Alabama. To sum it up, Fitz has quite the job security. Despite loving what she does now, Tonya did not go to college to be a dog handler. She started her career as a police officer, eventually going to law school and becoming the assistant district attorney in Shelby County in 2006. The job, while rewarding,

PROFILE 2022

was also taxing. “I was stressed out. If you ask some of the defense attorneys around here, they’d probably tell you that I wasn’t very nice.” Tonya says, chuckling at her past self. It was in 2014 that Tonya first encountered a courthouse canine in her line of work while at a conference for continuing legal education. Willow, the first facility dog in the state, was part of a presentation on using dogs in the courthouse that stuck with Tonya. “At the time, I was like, ‘This is genius!’” Tonya says. “What the dogs do for the kids

and any witness (is) huge. Having watched people struggle for so long, I thought, ‘Man, that would just be a great asset that we could bring to our office for the victims that we serve up here.’” Eventually, in 2018, the Office of Prosecution Services wrote and was awarded a Hero Grant, and when Tonya was approached by the DHU, she “jumped at it.” After completing two weeks of training in Texas with Canine Companions, Tonya came home with Fitz. His two years of training before that values him at around $60,000 in addition to his $1 million

Tonya’s two angels who inspired her to start a nonprofit watch over her as she works.

PROFILE 2022

Tonya and Fitz walk in the grass at the Shelby County Arts Council.

Fitz is often called upon to sit at a victim’s seat to help calm an individual while they make statements in the courtroom.

Fitz provides comfort and companionship to a young girl.

Tonya and Fitz attend a training class in Columbiana for handlers throughout the state of Alabama. 88

PROFILE 2022

insurance liability. Simply put, Fitz is a very big deal. He is still technically owned by Canine Companions, so he has special rules he has to follow. He has to get his teeth brushed every day, he cannot be outside in an unfenced area without a leash unsupervised, he has special exercises he has to do and, much to Fitz’ dismay, he cannot play tug-of-war. He can, however, play basketball, bowl, color, retrieve books, play cards, close and open refrigerators, give you a kiss, you name it. “He’s pretty amazing,” Tonya admits. But still, Fitz knows that when Tonya puts on his work vest, collar and the occasional bowtie for a trial, it’s go time. With a 40 hour work week, Fitz assists clients in a criminal justice setting. He helps crime victims, witnesses and others who might need him to help mitigate their stress and anxiety in various settings and through forensic interviews, medical exams and court hearings. Tonya and Fitz mainly work in child advocacy centers like Owens House, a non-clinical setting house where children can feel comfortable while being interviewed or examined. “I know personally, with the forensic interviews that I’ve done since we have been using Tonya and Fitz in those, I’ve gotten a much better rapport with my clients. They’re so much more at ease,” says Maribeth Bowman, a forensic interviewer for Owens House. “Just the other day I asked a child, ‘So how are you doing now that we’ve talked?’ and she said, ‘Oh well having this dog here has been so great.’” In the first ever medical exam that Fitz was assigned to, Tonya placed Fitz in the room on his bed and then left. During interviews and exams, Tonya is never present. An hour had gone by, and Tonya sat there and thought, “Wow, I do not know how long this is supposed to take.” The nurse came out and told Tonya that the child would not undress so that they could begin the exam and then asked, “Do you think Fitz

The Tonya and Fitz team brings smiles and comfort to those in need in their toughest hours.

PROFILE 2022

Family is a cornerstone for Tonya in both of her jobs as Fitz’s handler and running The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation.

would put on one of our gowns?” “So I put Fitz in a gown, put him back in the room, and within 30 minutes the child had undressed and they had finished the exam,” Tonya recalls. Although Tonya is not personally in the rooms comforting victims, her role is just as important. “She knows what to do and that’s worth its weight in gold to me,” Brad says. “She is able to go in there and introduce the child to Fitz. I don’t know how she does it, but even (for) some of these children that are more hesitant around animals, within a matter of seconds, boom! They’re attached to Fitz. Whatever unspoken bond they’ve got together it’s pretty interesting to watch how they operate together.”

Wings of Hope While Fitz and Tonya both have big jobs, Tonya also has a very big side project as the president of The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation. She helped start the nonprofit in 2010 after losing two children to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease that

PROFILE 2022

affects the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and voluntary muscle movement, or, as Tonya describes it, Lou Gehrig’s for kids. Children with it are born with the most strength that they will ever have, but as they grow their bodies lose strength. Their lungs never fully develop, so they lose the ability to breathe and eat. In 2006, Tonya and her husband, David, lost their first child, Piper, to SMA Type 1 after a five-month battle and 10 weeks after being diagnosed. Then, in 2009, Tonya had twins, Julia and Hanna. Julia was healthy, but Hanna was diagnosed with SMA as well. At the time, Hanna was placed on hospice care with Hospice Complete, the only one in the area that took pediatric patients. Through that care she met Dr. Dan Trotman and Stephanie Miller, R.N., and all three agreed that there was a need for an organization that could step in and help families in need with day-to-day tasks in order to give families more time together. “I had these two healthy kids, I was trying to work. I eventually took some time off

work, but like, how do you focus on taking care of your sick child and cook, cut the grass, doing those kinds of everyday tasks?” Tonya recalls thinking. When Tonya did stop working, she was thinking about where would get money for all they had to pay for their regular bills along with medication and other expenses. “We have been blessed. My husband has a good job, but (some people) who quit work don’t have money coming in,” she notes. “Or maybe you do have two incomes, but when you cut one and come down to one income, it isn’t enough to pay everything. So not only are you worried about your kid that is dying, but you have to worry about all these other things.” That’s where Wings of Hope comes in. Above all, Tonya wanted the families to focus on creating memories rather than worrying. Through Wings of Hope, families or social workers fill out an application that is based on what the family needs, not finances. For example, if a family needs their house cleaned, Tonya or a volunteer will clean their house. If a volunteer is not

Airport Alabaster Calera Limestone Pelham Tonya’s loss of her two young children was a driving force behind starting The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation.

205-668-0711

MORTGAGE 71 Limestone Parkway, Suite B Calera AL 35040 205-981-6555

www.centralstatebank.com PROFILE 2022

Tonya and Fitz gather with other support dogs from all over the state of Alabama.

able to clean the house, then they will hire a cleaning service to do so. Occasionally, a local service provider will hear about Wings of Hope and offer its services free of charge to families in need. For instance, a lawn service heard about the nonprofit through Rick and Bubba’s Charity Charge and offered to provide free lawn services to families in its zip code. “We put tires on cars. We pay car insurances. We recently had a mother whose car was repossessed, so we paid everything to get the car back to her. We’ve bought stoves. We’ve bought washing machines,” Tonya lists off. “You know these families are coming to us with something they need to carry on life, asking us to help relieve their financial burden, so we are helping with that.” One Christmas, a child wanted to come home from the hospital, but the family could not afford the medications that the child needed. The hospital was not going to send the child home without their medicine, so Wings of Hope paid for it so that the child could celebrate the holidays at home. As of October 2021, The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation had helped 63 families, with Tonya serving as president of the nonprofit since 2021 after Dan, the former president, passed away.

Cause and Effect Since Tonya wanted us to focus this article on Fitz and Wings of Hope, we had to ask others to learn more about her. “Everything that she does is about making sure that people are taken care of and that their needs are met, either emotionally or monetarily, and she never hesitates to pitch in when she needs to,” Maribeth says. “She never hesitates to help somebody.” Brad echoes a similar sentiment. “I love what she’s done,” he says. “And it surprised me at first cause it was a huge step, taking what she’s known at the District Attorney’s Office and going down this route. But I am so glad she did because it’s benefitted all of us and it wouldn’t be there it weren’t for her, so I think we all owe her.” Both agree that teamwork is key to what she does. Tonya says that Fitz has helped her too, calming her down and making her less stressed as she goes about life and working through her own trauma as they work with others. “Working with him, I have learned a lot about how kids, and just people in general will work through their trauma,” Tonya says “Through some of these kids, you can see how they’re resilient and they can take a bad thing and turn it around and still move forward with their life and do good things.” Tonya likes to ask people who have worked with Fitz to describe him in one word. Some answers are stuck to her corkboard behind the couch in her office: Courageousness. Soft. Loving. What about an answer for Tonya though? We’d say: selfless.

PROFILE 2022

Tonya with her husband and two children.

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PROFILE 2022

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? WE ASKED TONI REDDING’S FIRST-GRADE CLASS AT HELENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.

KINSLEY ALDRIDGE

CARTER ARDIS

I want to be a police officer because I want to help people who are in accidents.

I want to be a police officer because I want to keep people safe.

AUDREY BAHNA

PROFILE 2022

WILLIAM BROWN

I want to be a teacher because I can teach kids. I would like to teach second grade.

I want to be a private investigator because I like asking people questions. My dad said he would help me.

CARABELLE CARNALL

JACKSON COLEY

I want to be a scientist because I want to show kids what science really is.

I want to be a scientist so I can make dinosaurs come to life again. Dinosaurs are amazing.

STERLING DONAHOE

ALI ELJISHI

I want to be a therapist, ballerina, a vet and a scientist. These jobs are fun!

I want to be a doctor so I can help people. I hope to work with grown-ups.

ISAIAH HARRIS

HUDSON HOPE

I want to be a dentist because I like to brush my teeth.

I want to be a truck driver because I like driving and going new places.

MIA JIMENEZ-PEDRAZA

AVERY MCCLANAHAN

I want to be a singer because I want to write my own songs.

I want to be a singer because you can be a judge on a TV show.

ELLA MURO

DERRICK NELSON

I want to be a ballerina and teach others how to do ballet.

I want to be a police officer because it is the right thing to do to protect people.

ADDILYNN RODRIGUEZ I want to be a singer. I like to sing at home.

DANA SON I want to be a horse rider (equestrian). I ride horses now and want to learn to jump with them. I want to go to the Olympics.

YERIELIZ ROSARIO I want to be a hair stylist. I like to make people look pretty.

SAVANNAH WRIGHTSMAN I want to be a singer. I want to do a concert in front of lots of people.

PROFILE 2022

BY MOONLIGHT DAYS STRETCH BEYOND 8-5 FOR THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WEAR MULTIPLE HATS IN THEIR WORK LIFE. PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY | TEXT BY MADOLINE MARKHAM

PROFILE 2022

PAMELA FONDREN

CALERA ELEMENTARY LUNCHROOM ASSISTANT MANAGER + DIXIE SWEETS OWNER Pamela Fondren works eight hours a day, and then another eight after that. She herself went to Calera Elementary, and her work in the lunchroom there is all about making her community happy. After the school day ends, she cranks up the radio (she’s “a ‘90s alternative girl”) and dances while she bakes lemon blueberry cake, birthday cakes, iced sugar cookies and more. Her personal favorites are her strawberry cream cheese cookies and carrot cake, and she credits her baking skills to what she learned from Joan Spiess. “I’ve always had lots of energy,” she says “I’d rather (bake) than watch TV or read a book.” To learn more, join the Dixie Sweets page on Facebook.

PROFILE 2022

JAN RENFRO

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER + CHILDREN’S MINISTRY DIRECTOR Twenty-five years ago Jan Renfro married Jeff Renfro “because we felt like we could minister to children and families better together than apart,” and that’s what they are still doing today. During the school day Jan teaches at Inverness Elementary and Jeff at Oak Mountain Middle, and for the last four years Jan has run the children’s ministry at The Station Church. On Sundays she leads children’s worship, and she also makes sure all the teachers have the lesson ideas and support they need. “I couldn’t do any of the jobs I do without God’s guidance and the amazing people of all ages He has blessed me with,” Jan notes. 98

PROFILE 2022

PERRY BARNETT

ENSLEY FAIRFIELD MATTRESS CO. VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS + COOSA CATCH FOUNDER When the COVID-19 quarantine began in 2020, Perry Barnett and his family found themselves on break from the busyness of work and activities and rediscovering their ties to Lay Lake. “It rekindled that connection and reminded us it is a special place,” he says. That time also grew a desire in him for more people in the surrounding areas to experience what he and his family were with lakes off the Coosa River, and with that Coosa Catch was born. The initiative has made stickers that often spark conversations and shares inspirational images and videos on social media, all as a fun way to nurture an interest in fishing and being on the water. Follow @coosacatchco on Facebook and Instagram.

PROFILE 2022

BILL LEWIS

ATTORNEY + LEWIS LAKES VINEYARD OWNER A lot of wines made in Alabama are sweet, but 14 years ago Bill Lewis and his wife, Bonnie, set out to see if they could instead make a good dry wine on their property in Columbiana. Today the varieties of muscadines they grow yield just what they imagined with a Lakeside White, an Autumn Red blend, a Blushing Bride rosé and more. Often when Bill is in his office doing civil trial work, he’s wishing he were on the tractor on the vineyard, which he, Bonnie and their vineyard manager Gary Litzinger pour their heart and soul into. You can buy Lewis Lakes Vineyard wines at Whole Foods on Highway 280 and at Piggly Wiggly in Columbiana. 100

PROFILE 2022

MAURICE MERCER

KATS DELIVERY OWNER + PELHAM CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT Many days it feels like Maurice Mercer is running seven days a week— probably because he is. In 2014 he left a job in banking to start a delivery service named for his mother Katherine—who could no longer get her own groceries when she became sick—that now delivers 20,000 meals annually in Shelby, Chilton and Pike counties. He’s also serving his first term as city council president and third on the council and has three kids at home. What’s the key to doing it all? Teamwork. “I rely on drivers and also and also on the city clerk and city manager and mayor and council and my wife and family,” he says. “I am only as successful as my team allows me to be.” Learn more at katsdelivery.com.

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JENNY LESPI, KERRI WOODS & KRISTI HALLMARK TEACHERS + DREAMER MAKERS DANCE STAFF

The school day at Elvin Hill Elementary ends by 3:20 p.m., and by 3:30 p.m. fourth-grade teacher Kerri Woods and special education teacher Jenny Lepsi have made their way over to the Recreation Center in Columbiana to start teaching tap, ballet, jazz, clogging, lyrical, contemporary dance and pointe. Four nights a week they and director Kristi Hallmark are at Dreamer Makers Dance—Columbiana’s only dance studio—until around 8 p.m. “When you have a passion for dance, no matter how tired you are your energy and excitement are renewed when you walk in that room,” Jenny says. And that’s exactly why Jenny and Kerri started the program around 25 years go—for girls to have the opportunity to dance close to home. 102

PROFILE 2022

RUSSELL BEDSOLE

ALABAMA HOUSE DISTRICT 49 REPRESENTATIVE + SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE JAIL COMMANDER When someone needs assistance, Russell Bedsole’s phone is on, and he’s ready to assist them. That’s been the case for the 23 years he’s worked in law enforcement and also holds true in his newer role representing parts of Alabaster, Helena, Montevallo and beyond in the state legislature. For example, during his first session in Montgomery last year he sponsored a bill for those who have served in the fire service and get cancer to extend death benefits up to 10 years after retirement, and it’s now been signed into law. He also brings that same advocacy and service to his work overseeing the 500-plusbed inmate facility in Shelby County and the 70 deputies who work there.

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JAMES LATIMER

MOODY POLICE OFFICER + VINCENT MAYOR + SCENT DETECTION DOG TRAINER When James Latimer isn’t patrolling Moody as a police officer, you can find him in the mayor’s office in Vincent. And when he’s not in the mayor’s office, he’s training dogs to detect certain scents. Some canines he and his partner James Cole train will go on to detect termites or bed bugs for pest control companies, and others will investigate arson for fire departments. James’ father started FSI Canine Services in 2003, and James bought it in 2015. He now runs it it out of his home, cleaning kennels and caring for dogs for three to four months each as he trains them. Fun fact: Often the dogs FSI trains come from shelters. 104

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105

RICKY RUSTON

COLUMBIANA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER + DJ Ricky Ruston plays hip hop. He plays oldies. He plays soul. He plays country. Mostly he plays whatever you want to hear at a party, or a community event or a football game. “I want to create an environment where people want to enjoy themselves and have fun,” he says. His work as a DJ through Ruston Entertainment and Events started about a decade ago when his motherin-law asked him to play music for an engagement party they were hosting for friends, and he thought it could be really fun. He quickly learned that DJing provides an opportunity to make people happy, and today you’ll find him doing just that—on the side of city council work and his full-time job. 106

PROFILE 2022

JOHNNY HOWARD

HOWARD TIRE SERVICE CO-OWNER + FIRE CHIEF Johnny Howard is always on call, both as the fire chief in Columbiana and for the 24-hour towing service his family business offers, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “(When) you get to help someone and see the look on their face when you have helped them, that’s when it’s worth it,” he says. Johnny has worked for Howard Tire Service since his dad started it in 1980, and today he co-owns it with his brother Ricky. He also followed in his father’s footsteps joining the fire department as soon as he was able when he turned 21 in 1986. His father was the assistant chief for years, and Johnny became chief himself in 1989.

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107

RESIA BROOKS

SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR + PROVIDENCE PHOTOGRAPHY OWNER On weekends you can find Resia Brooks capturing images of families to create memories they can return to for years to come. “(The name Providence Photography) symbolizes we are all in God’s care, and I am capturing those in his care,” she notes. “I believe that prints matter and that you should be surrounded by images of the people you love.” For her that all started as a child when she loved to look through her family’s photo albums, and she’s had a camera in her hand ever since, with her business officially getting its start a decade ago when a friend asked her to take photos of her son and his friends before prom. Learn more at providencepics.com. 108

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