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Nearly 130 municipal officials from across Alabama who committed time to studying how to strengthen economic development in their communities graduated from the inaugural Alabama League of Municipalities (ALM) Economic Development Academy (EDA) on Tuesday, November 8. A ceremony celebrating their completion was held during the League’s Municipal Leadership Institute at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.
The inaugural class consists of 129 municipal officials from across the state of Alabama and 27 communities. Each graduate was presented a certificate of municipal economic development from the League and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS).
Developed in conjunction with the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) and supported by an advisory council of industry leaders, the League’s EDA engages local leaders to help them better understand their critical role in the economic development process. The Academy is specifically designed to educate and engage municipal officials and designated community business leaders on best practices and strategies for successful economic and community development. Additionally, the Academy focuses on the role of elected officials regarding evaluating abatements, legal processes and implications, correctly marketing the community, gaging the community’s expectations, workforce development as well as other key aspects of the development process.
The Academy took place over a full year and consisted of an orientation and four one-day sessions that include community assignments, which were completed across 16 of Alabama’s 24 community and technical colleges. To graduate, participants had to complete an economic vitality survey of their communities, complete a community assessment/project, and attend all sessions.
“The more partnerships that you can have in a community, the better you are because more people are involved with helping move the community forward, and there’s not often a better partner with as far of a reach as Alabama’s community colleges,” said Neil Wade, consultant to the League. Wade facilitated the Academy across the state.
“The EDA wasn’t superficial. It started at the core of communities – its local leaders – and deeply investigated their economic vitality and their capacity to strengthen their economic DNA. They determined what they needed to learn more about and how to leverage the resources to get where they want to be. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had to watch local government at work in the academy to better their communities.”
Academy participants engaged with community college presidents across the state to learn more about how to collaborate on workforce and economic development in the future.
“Every single aspect of what we do as a community college system goes back to community – from the programs we create to the opportunities we build for every person in Alabama to be able to reach success through their local community college. The Economic Development Academy is an example of how working together with partners already within the community can yield great results,” said Jimmy H. Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System and commencement speaker for the graduation ceremonies. “I’m excited about what the future holds as the leaders in dozens of communities who participated in the Academy bring to life the projects they conceptualized during the training.”
Bryan Parker, Director of Governmental Affairs for the League, stated that the EDA was a vision of League Executive Director Greg Cochran to enhance the focus on economic development for the 464 municipalities the League represents.
“We consistently ask our members what’s important to them, and most of the feedback we receive is focused on economic development. Through the EDA we created a team atmosphere for communities to focus in on the economic vitality, their strengths and weaknesses and how to use the resources in their communities, such as their community college, to garner maximum success,” Parker said.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work with the colleges on this project. It was great for municipalities to learn about all the colleges are doing in workforce and economic development.”
Graduates of the inaugural Economic Development Academy, along with the municipalities they represent, are listed below:
Region 1
Mike Ashburn, Scottsboro
Richard Bailey, Scottsboro
Nathan Lee, Scottsboro
Roy Light, Scottsboro
Jim McCamy, Scottsboro
Matt LeDuke, Guin
Mineo Lindsey, Guin
Phil Segraves, Guin
Virginia Alexander, Hartselle
Ken Doss, Hartselle
Randy Garrison, Hartselle
Jeremy Griffith, Hartselle
Jeff Johnson, Hartselle
Anita Bedwell, Rainbow City
Clark Hopper, Rainbow City
Jeff Prince, Rainbow City
Joe Taylor, Rainbow City
Allie Allcorn, Oneonta
Sherry Pierce, Oneonta
Bekah Phillips, Oneonta
Jerry Bartlett, City of Good Hope
Christie Chamblee, City of Good Hope
Susan Eller, City of Good Hope
Corey Harbison, City of Good Hope
Eric Phillips, City of Good Hope
Terry Shabel, City of Good Hope
Brad Williams, Cullman Co Ed/
City of Good Hope
Region 2
Tiffany Bittner, Chelsea
Chris Grace, Chelsea
Casey Morris, Chelsea
Tony Picklesimer, Chelsea
Scott Weygand, Chelsea
Melody Whitten, Chelsea
Jesse Matthews, Bessemer
Donna Thigpen, Bessemer
Lisa Baker, Tarrant
Veronica Freeman, Tarrant
Buddy Aydelette, Center Point
D.M. Collins, Center Point
Ebonee Copeland, Center Point
Bobby Scott, Center Point
Glenn Williams, Center Point
Tonja Baldwin, City of Lipscomb
Christine Burrell, City of Lipscomb
Barbara Moore, City of Lipscomb
Lakendria Poellnitz, City of Lipscomb
Michelle Proctor, City of Lipscomb
Vanessa Reed, City of Lipscomb
Cindy Cuellar, Irondale
James Saucier, Irondale
Aaron Sims, Irondale
James Stewart Jr., Irondale
Lisa Bright, Trussville
Buddy Choat, Trussville
June Mathews, Trussville
Alan Taylor, Trussville
Kent Back, Gadsden
David Hooks, Gadsden
Kenneth Kirkland, Gadsden
Kathy Murphy, Gadsden
Deverick Williams, Gadsden
Region 3
Kim King, Columbiana
David Mitchell, Columbiana
Ashley Phillips, Columbiana
Charlene Tucker, Columbiana
Danielle Wooten, Selma
Clay Carmichael, Selma
Lesia James, Selma
Susan Youngblood, Selma
Billy Young, Selma
James Perkins, Jr., Selma
Sheryl Smedley, Selma
Johnny Ford, Tuskegee
Tony Haygood, Tuskegee
Derrick Swanson, Tuskegee
Liz Craig, Pike Road
Doug Fuhrman, Pike Road
BoBo Giplin, Pike Road
Rob Steindorff, Pike Road
Gordon Stone, Pike Road
Chris Myers, Pike Road
Don Mack, Centerville
Mike Nichols, Centerville
Mike Oakley, Centerville
Woody Baird, Alexander City
Scott Hardy, Alexander City
Al Jones, Alexander City
Romy Stamps, Alexander City
Audrey “Buffy” Colvin, Alexander City
Region 4
Charles Andrews, Monroeville
Tameika Hunt, Monroeville
Kenneth Ruffin, Monroeville
Al Brewton, Monroeville
Stanley Enfinger, Ozark
Mark Blankenship, Ozark
Leah Harlow, Ozark
Winston Jackson, Ozark
Les Perault, Ozark
Holle Smith, Ozark
Sheldon Day, Thomasville
Alexandria Huckabee, Thomasville
Roy Madison, Thomasville
Nathan Reid Smith, Thomasville
Rosalyn Sales, Thomasville
Daniel Coleman, Geneva
Kim Gillespie, Geneva
David Hayes, Geneva
Lisa Johnson, Geneva
Ryan Tidwell, Geneva
Jeff Gray, Geneva
Annie Latham, Coffeeville
Jenny Pope, Coffeeville
Bessie Thomas, Coffeeville
Dwight Pugh, Coffeeville
Becky Bracke, Opp
Rick Clifton, Opp
Lavaughn Hines, Opp
Charlotte Hunt, Opp
Gary Strickland, Opp
Tom Maddox, City of Elba
Amy Giles, City of Elba
G. Wise, City of Elba
Laurie Chapman, Elba
Hannah Pendleton, Elba
Jacob Pendleton, Elba
William Cooper, Enterprise
Scotty Johnson, Enterprise
Greg Padgett, Enterprise
Turner Townsend, Enterprise
Jonathan Tullos, Enterprise
