Positive Maturity's Top 50 Over 50

positive maturity’s

Top

50 50

Over They’ve launched national ad campaigns and won National Championships.

They’re judges, police chiefs, and chefs. They’re over 50 and FABULOUS!

Photography by J. Woodbery Photography b-metro.com

121





 















the

p.m.













Dear Top 50 Over 50 Winners and Guests,

Welcome to our first annual Top 50 Over 50 Awards ceremony!

On behalf of Positive Maturity’s Board of Directors and staff, we extend our congratulations to this inaugural Class of 2014. We are very excited to recognize these individuals for their lifetime achievements and civic contributions to central Alabama.

We created the Top 50 Over 50 award to show that while growing older is unavoidable, growing up is optional.

I once heard that if I went to bed for an entire year without doing anything productive, I would (health permitting) turn another year older. Anyone can grow older; it doesn’t take much talent or effort. The goal in life is to grow up. I believe this is accomplished by finding opportunities for change, becoming a catalyst in this world, and leaving it with no regrets.

Top 50 Over 50 celebrates members of our community who know how to dream, laugh, be happy, and achieve success on many levels…all the key elements to staying young while growing up. We hope that you will join in this celebration and make it a goal this coming year to recognize others over the age of 50 who exemplify what it means to grow up while staying young.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, which include the City of Birmingham, Alabama Power, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Regions Bank, Alacare Home Health & Hospice, and AT&T. Special thanks to B-Metro, JWoodberry Photography, and Norton’s Florist. We appreciate their support in making this event successful.

Since 1972, Positive Maturity has been the fabric of the senior communities in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, and Walker Counties. We are a proud partner of the United Way of Central Alabama and a sponsor for the Corporation for National and Community Services’ Senior Corps Programs. Our mission is to enhance and empower the lives of older adults through social services and civic engagement. Programs include the Retired and Senior Volunteers, AWARE (Aging Workers Are Reliable Employees), Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, Shepherd Center East, and Geriatric Social Work.

Thank you again for supporting tonight’s event, and we hope to see you again next year!

awards

positive maturity’s top 50 over 50

Presented by

The City of Birmingham Sponsored by

Alabama Power Company, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Regions Bank, Alacare Home Health & Hospice, and AT&T Photography by J. Woodbery Photography

Positive Maturity, Inc. 3918 Montclair Road Birmingham, AL 35213 205-803-3211 122 b-metro.com www.positivematurity.org

Penny Kakoliris Executive Director Positive Maturity, Inc.

Positive Maturity

Older adults are a valuable resource to the community, and we believe they possess the wisdom, experience, and skills required to meet the needs of others. Positive Maturity, a United Way partner, aims to provide them with community resources, volunteer opportunities, recreational facilities, informational programs, employment assistance, and prescription drug support.

Positive Maturity’s headquarters are in Birmingham and serves seniors in Jefferson, Shelby, Walker, and Blount counties through programs like those described below.

Senior Companion Program (SCP) In 1973, the federal volunteer agency, called ACTION, analyzed the aging demographics and realized that in the future, more and more seniors would require oneon-one support in order to remain healthy.

To fill this gap in services, ACTION developed the Senior Companion Program, which was modeled after the successful Foster Grandparent Program.

Positive Maturity’s Senior Companion Program, under the direction of LaQuita Smith, assists homebound senior adults by providing them with respite, companionship, and in-home assistance, helping them maintain their health and independence while at home. The program serves the client, the client’s primary caregiver, and the volunteer senior companion.

The companion agreement may include light housework, meal preparation, respite for caregivers, and companionship and friendship to isolated and frail adults.

Volunteers may be as young as 55 years of age.

The senior companion volunteers receive a small hourly stipend for up to 40 hours of service a week. There are no income barriers for the clients who are served through the program. The Senior Companion Program is funded through the Corporation for National

and Community Service, the United Way of Central Alabama, the Alabama Association of Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and The Beeson Foundation.

Shepherd Center East (SCE) The Shepherd’s Centers of America was organized in 1975 to build and support a nationwide network of interfaith, community-based centers that provide meaning and purpose for adults throughout their mature years. Since 1971, older adults have contributed to and benefited from the Shepherd’s Center movement.

The minister, Reverend Elbert C. Cole, understood the post-retirement years in life as spiritually meaningful, potentially healthy and enjoyable, and full of new possibilities for learning and for staying current with the rapid changes in the modern world. He also saw these mature years as an opportune time for older adults to share their talents and wisdom to make their communities a better place for everyone. This first Center quickly became a model for others.

Shepherd Center East, located in the East Lake area of Birmingham, became a Positive Maturity program in 1984. At the time, Shepherd Center East had the resources, a suitable building, and some

city funding, and Positive Maturity had the knowledge and experience to make this a hub of activity for the East Lake community. Shepherd Center East, under the direction of Mackie Horowitz, serves as a recreation center for adults as young as 55. Participants at the center can take part in diverse activities such as cards, quilting, bingo, board games, a line dancing club, choir, Nintendo Wii bowling, the [m]Power cognitive fitness program, computer classes, monthly lunch outings, and special group day trips to destinations such as the Amish Country. Shepherd Center East also serves congregate meals and is a site for the Meals on Wheels program for qualifying seniors aged 60 and over. Adults who participate in center activities remain active and engaged with others in their community, making the most of their golden years.

Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) The Foster Grandparent Program began under President Kennedy’s administration in the early 1960s. The Corporation for National and Community Service looked at the future population of America and recognized that the number of seniors in our society would be increasing and that they would play an important and active b-metro.com

123

role in America’s communities. Initially, the Forster Grandparent Program provided a minimum wage to low-income seniors who offered one-to-one services to children with disabilities in state hospital systems. It did not take long to recognize the impact these seniors were having on the children. As a result, the program expanded rapidly. The poverty rate among seniors at that time was approximately 36 percent, so there was a significant pool of applicants to fill the foster grandparent positions. It was later designated as a volunteer program and transferred to the Administration on Aging in 1969.

In 1971, the FGP was transferred to the national volunteer service agency, ACTION, which was then absorbed in the Corporation for National and Community Service in 1993. Volunteers for this program are 55 years of age and older, and must have basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. The volunteers receive a small hourly stipend for 20–40 hours of service per week. This program is designed to serve the volunteer as well as the child. Positive Maturity’s Foster Grandparent Program, under the direction of Deborah Gaddis, helps at-risk children in Jefferson County and surrounding areas by providing them with a substitute grandparent and mentor. Most of our volunteers are in Birmingham elementary schools, where they help children learn to read, write, and develop basic social skills.

Foster grandparents also serve as assistants to teachers in order to give children the extra one-on-one attention they need. The Foster Grandparent Program is funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service and United Way of Central Alabama.

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) was created by Congress in 1969 and launched in 1971 through ACTION, the federal domestic volunteer agency. The goal of this program is to connect older adults with meaningful volunteer opportunities within their community, meeting the needs of various organizations and nonprofits and helping to keep older adults active and engaged while giving back. Positive Maturity’s RSVP program, under the direction of LaRue Lockhart, provides volunteer opportunities for volunteers in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, and Walker counties. RSVP serves these 124

b-metro.com

counties by providing a corps of unpaid volunteers who help fill needs within their communities.

Our RSVP volunteers are as young as 55 years but are often younger in heart and spirit. They serve in a wide variety of settings, including community hospitals, libraries, jails, senior centers, and schools.

RSVP coordinators work hard to match volunteers with opportunities that interest the volunteers and make the most of their talents, skills, and interests.

sponsors several local job fairs to connect potential employers with mature workers.

Employers find that older employees have a vast array of knowledge and skills to share with up-and-coming employees, and they model a good work ethic in the work place.

Older individuals are also more willing to accept part-time positions that fit their lifestyle, making this a beneficial program for both the job-seeker and the employer. The AWARE Program is supported by five VISTA volunteers.

Aging Workers Are Reliable Employees (AWARE)

Geriatric Social Services (GSS)

According to the AARP, by 2018, 45 percent of the workforce will be 55 and older. Economic necessities are one of the main reasons seniors return to the workforce, followed by the desire to remain active and engaged. When unemployed older workers find new employment following a job loss, the new jobs tend to be short-lived, or the post-displacement employment period tends to be short. This is partially due to a perception of age bias both by the potential employee and employer. It’s also due to the special needs of the mature worker and the inability to adequately match the portfolio and talents of a mature worker with the needs of a company.

Research shows that prior to the enactment of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, hiring discrimination against older workers was evident. While there are no precise estimates of the incidence of age discrimination available, it is evident that age continues to work against many older men and women, as demonstrated by the length of time it takes for many to find employment, and the wage loss many experience upon reemployment.

Positive Maturity’s AWARE program, under the direction of Brian Crawford, addresses these needs by providing job skills assessment and training, employment opportunities, and job placements to people 50 and above in Jefferson and the surrounding counties. AWARE boasts an active partnership with more than 150 businesses and agencies, including the Birmingham Regional Planning Commission and the Office of Senior Citizens Services, providing services to aging workers who may not meet the income restrictions of those two programs. Each year, AWARE also

The number of senior adults in Alabama over the age of 60 continues to grow, and many of these seniors want to remain in their own homes, as independent as possible, for as long as possible. However, they worry about health problems and financial stability.

Studies have shown that the fear of being institutionalized leads many seniors to live with pain or limitations, hide problems, withdraw from supportive family and friends, and avoid contact with helping professionals.

Seniors mainly receive help from their families or a combination of family care and an assortment of community-based health and social services. Attempting to navigate the social system in search of assistance can be a daunting task. Therefore, coordinating care with older adults, their families, and complex service networks is crucial.

There are many public and private programs available for senior adults. Each program has its own rules and eligibility requirements. Positive Maturity’s Geriatric Social Worker serves as a “navigator” and “expediter,” enabling older adults and families to understand and choose among the bewildering array of available health and social services throughout Jefferson County and Alabama. Our social worker is also responsible for enrolling eligible individuals for assistance with utility bills and securing free medication from major pharmaceutical companies. Clients can meet with the geriatric social worker at the main office or at one of our sites in the community.

Positive Maturity, Inc., continues to partner with the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens and the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging and its SenioRx program to make the most of resources and avoid duplication of services.

Top

50 50

Over We would like to introduce you to 50 of the most influential people over the age of 50 in central Alabama.

Through a careful process of nomination and research, Positive Maturity has put together a dynamite lineup of achievers over the age of 50 who have made an indelible mark on business, sports, the arts, food, government, and social services. Meet the Top 50 Over 50. b-metro.com

125

Dr. Richard Arrington Jr.

Glory Abercrombie

Imagine being the full-time caregiver for both your mother, who has Alzheimer’s, and your aunt, who requires total care. Exhausting as this may sound, imagine you are engaged in fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Foundation, participating in church activities, developing a community resource directory and brochure for Lawson State, creating a group for African-American businesses for the Fourth Avenue Area Merchants Association, and helping with the development of a job training partnership under Manpower for low-income children.

Abercrombie’s aunt has since passed away at the age of 105, but she has continued to care for her mother full time and contributed greatly to seniors in her community through the Senior Companion Volunteer Program and Geriatric Social Services of Positive Maturity. Her nominator said, “Glory is an incredible woman with an astonishing amount of energy, determination, and caregiving spirit. She is amazing to watch.”

Arrington has a major city street named for him that runs right through his beloved city of Birmingham, where he was the first African-American mayor. He served five terms, the longest in the city’s history. When he took office, Birmingham was racially divided and dependent on steel. When he left, it was economically diverse with a growing cultural base. Known as a “low-key” man who built “high-key” alliances, he was initially a man of science with a master’s degree in zoology. He taught at Miles College but left to obtain a doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. While there, he received an award for exemplary microbiology research. Then he came back to Miles.

In 1970, he entered politics to give the city’s low-income population a voice and provide solutions to urban blight, economic growth, education, and crime. During his 20 years as mayor, he added a new wing to City Hall, built several parking decks, renovated the old library, and led the drive to build the Civil Rights Institute. His influence on building in the community continued with Alabama Power headquarters, the Hugo Black courthouse, UAB, and New York Life. The city also created the only $100 million endowment fund in the Southeast. He worked to overcome racial discrimination by awarding city jobs and contracts, and by the mid-1990s, he had integrated the city’s payroll. Since retirement, he’s returned to teaching—this time biology at UAB—and continues to wield substantial influence in the community.

John G. Beard

126

b-metro.com

Beard’s father, Major Charles Beard, taught him the importance of providing for and protecting your community. As president and chairman of Alacare Home Health & Hospice, he is living up to that standard. With his parents, he founded The Hospice & Home Health Fund of Alabama, a nonprofit for patients with monetary restrictions in need of home care. Beard was instrumental in forming the Alabama Home Care Association and the American Federation of Home Health Agencies and serves on numerous boards for quality assurance, medical equipment, and licensing.

He is vice chair of UA’s Board of Visitors, Capstone College School of Nursing and a member of UAB’s Board of Counselors, School of Aging. He is a director of Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, active with the Shades Valley Rotary (Paul Harris Fellow), and a trustee of Shades Valley Educational Foundation and Alabama Nurses’ Foundation. He is also a director for the Alabama Boy Scouts Council. Former Gov. Bob Riley appointed him to a statewide council, citing Beard’s honesty and integrity in his appointment.

Alacare has won many awards, including Best Place to Work, Small Business of the Year, and McKesson’s VIP Award. In addition to his business degrees and masters, Beard earned a J.D. He also owns Southhall Self Storage.

Dr. Martha W. Bidez

In nominating Bidez as the first female Engineer of the Year, the President of UAB’s School of Engineering Alumni Association said, “She’s an excellent engineer and educator, but also a real humanitarian who has used her technical skills to help a lot of people.” Bidez is internationally renowned with more than 30 years of investigation, research, teaching, and technology transfer in the healthcare sector. She founded an international biomedical implant manufacturing company, BioHorizons, Inc., and served as its CEO and chair until it was sold to HealthPoint Capital.

She is now a professor and executive director of eLearning and Professional Studies at UAB. She is a National Leadership Fellow of the Kellogg Foundation and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, an honor bestowed on the top 2 percent of the field. She has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 addressing child auto safety and was featured in the book Women Who Mean Business. She is passionate about reducing health and safety disparities among the poor through the empowerment of homeless women and children.

Gary Burley

Maria Bouchelle Campbell

Not many lawyers can say they’ve established a bank’s legal department, but that’s what Campbell did for AmSouth Bank and AmSouth Bancorporation, running it for 21 years until her retirement. But she didn’t stop there—she relocated to New York City to serve in a much different capacity as the executive assistant to the Rector and COO of Trinity Church, a 315-year-old parish and the oldest philanthropic organization in the country. Upon her return to Birmingham, she headed a major affordable housing initiative for central Alabama and mediated in challenges faced by nonprofit organizations. She was appointed by the governor as Alabama’s Superintendent of Banks, after which she became an independent consultant in the banking and nonprofit sectors.

Her service to those less fortunate is immense. She is a board director for the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, on the Leadership Committee of the UWCA Financial Stability Partnership, and is a member of The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, committed to improving healthcare worldwide. Previously, she held chair and board positions with Region 2020, Birmingham’s Housing Authority, Children’s Aid Society, Preschool Partners, Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama, Habitat for Humanity, The University of the South, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Alabama, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She is a current board member of St. Andrews-Sewanee School, Leadership Birmingham, and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Per her nominator, “Maria Campbell has distinguished herself both as a highly successful career professional and as a person with a deeply held conviction to strive to lift others up.”

Burley is a former defensive end for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons. He took his love of football and founded ProStart Academy to “give student athletes a competitive advantage by building a bridge to success, on and off the field of play.” His nominator states that “he has done so much work for all gifted and talented middle and high school athletes and continues to this day to mentor the most talented and intelligent young athletes all across the U.S.” To this end, he has held football camps for inner city youth. He has also helped the city of Birmingham to secure oak seedlings from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where he serves on the board of directors.

Burley serves on boards for Red Mountain Park and other parks, as well as for communities ravaged by tornadoes. His wife, Bobbie Knight, is an executive with Alabama Power.

b-metro.com

127

Albert “Bud” Cason

Cason has been in the cookie business his entire life.

His dream of building the most modern cookie plant in the world came true for him in 1991, and he’s never looked back. After Cason ran Greg’s Cookies, he bought that business and another. Later, he sold them, then signed a five-year non-compete and waited to eventually build Bud’s Best Cookies. Sales (for Bud’s Best Cookies) are now at $33 million per year, and his company is a leader in bite-sized cookie production.

More than a million cookies are made per hour at his plant, and you can watch the entire process during free plant tours on the “Cookie Train.” In 1998, he was named Small Business Man of the Year for Shelby County and in 2003, Man of the Year by the Cookie and Snack Bakers Association. He was a director of NBC Bank for 25 years and a trustee of the Birmingham Area Chamber.

He served for more than 30 years as chairman for Hoover Christian School Board. Cason’s contract manufacturing with Keebler has won him the Keebler Ernie Award and Copacker of the Year Award. The company tithes more than 10 percent of proceeds to the church and gives more than 25 percent in year-end bonuses.

Max Cooper

Priscilla Davis

Davis’s nominator says, “We all want to be her when we are 73…such an inspiration and a humble person with an untold story.” Prior to marrying and having a family, Davis was a nun in Canada. Now, working with St. Paul’s Cathedral, she delivers communion and is a weekly minister to the sick and elderly home bound.

She has been doing this for 25 years. After she turned 50, she started running marathons and half-marathons, and at age 73, she is regularly the first or second place winner, quite the inspiration to her running group of about 40 women, who readily admit that she is faster than most of them.

128

b-metro.com

In 1960, the first president of McDonald’s asked Cooper to become the first marketing manager for the hamburger chain. The rest is history.

Because of Cooper, the ad jingle, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” is one of the greatest ad campaigns of the 20th century. Cooper created the Extra Value Meal and made Ronald McDonald one of the most famous clowns in the world.

Along with his partner, Jim Black, Cooper is CEO of McDonald’s franchisee organization, CLP Corp., one of the top operations in the nation with 37 restaurants and 1,800 employees. He doesn’t make a big deal out of his age, which he says, is “around 94 [because] people may have a tendency to say, ‘That’s a good idea for a 94-year-old,’ versus, ‘That’s a good idea.’” He plans to never retire—he visits a couple of his restaurants every day—and holds the honor of being one of the longest active McDonald’s-related employees.

He maintains his chair commitment to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama, which he helped found. Thanks to Cooper’s support and fundraising skills (he surprised the House with a payoff of the mortgage), the Ronald McDonald House opened debt-free in 1979. The house has a new butterfly garden dedicated to Lorayne, his wife of 56 years, who is now deceased. Needless to say, Cooper is active in many charitable endeavors. He sponsors the Jefferson County Board of Education Teacher of the Year and serves on the board’s School Foundation. His love of Broadway has led him to produce 20 shows since 1990, some including Tony winners for best musical and best revival of a play. As one of 700 Tony voters, Cooper frequently travels to New York City to attend shows.

Ty Dodge

Dodge has lived in 11 states, five countries, and four continents. He attended 13 schools before his senior year of high school and then attended four universities. His initial career goal was to live a military life, but after three years in the Army, including Vietnam, he decided to enter the management program at South Central Bell. Not wanting to transfer to New Jersey, he tried his hand at selling real estate, which eventually led him to take a position as CEO of Realty South.

One of his passions is working with disadvantaged youth, and he is on the board of Foundations Early Learning and Family Center, a pre-K program for urban neighborhoods.

He’s in the chairman’s circle of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, a trustee for the Alabama Center for Real Estate, a University of Alabama mentor, and director of the Veteran’s Memorial Foundation; additionally, he has held numerous positions in public affairs, real estate, and the federal and legal world. He graduated from Furman University with fraternity memberships in Blue Key National and Scabbard and Blade Honors. He was awarded three Bronze Stars with V device, a Purple Heart, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.

Colonel C. H. “Stretch” Dunn Jr.

Dunn is an honor graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a distinguished graduate of the Command and General Staff College, an Army War College Fellow, a professional engineer, and coauthor of Professionalism Under Stress, as well as Patriotism in Action with Dr. David Dyson. He served in three infantry divisions, earned the Expert Infantryman Badge, and four awards for bravery, including the Silver Star in Vietnam. He codeveloped the Dunn-Kempf war game and headed a 1,000-soldier combat unit and a 3,000-person engineering and construction organization with 40 field offices in both the Southeast U.S. and Latin America.

Dunn served 11 years with BE&K, now KBR, after retirement from the Army. Upon his second retirement, he joined Life Leaders Institute to advise, write, and teach on leadership and ethics.

He holds corporate and university seminars and teaches annually University of Texas in the McCombs Business School’s Senior Executive Management Program.

Dunn still asks daily, “Did I make my mother proud?” And he follows his dad’s teachings to make positive influence—not rank or position—his priority when serving. He invites accountability from his wife, Joan. His nominator adds, “Birmingham is better for his living here.”

The Honorable Debra H. Goldstein

Armed with a degree in English and history from the University of Michigan, Goldstein moved to New York with a dream to get a publishing job and appear on Jeopardy. That didn’t go as planned, so she enrolled at Emory University School of Law. Initially, she practiced corporate international tax law, but moved into labor litigation. She later received a U.S. Department of Labor Meritorious Achievement Award for Marshall v. Georgia Southwestern, a case that addressed equal pay in higher education.

She became one of the youngest individuals appointed as a U.S Administrative Law Judge.

In addition to the bench, she has served on the boards of the YWCA, Alys Stephens Center, Temple Emanu-El Endowment Foundation, United Way, Zonta, Forum, Girl Scouts, the American Heart Association’s “Go Red” Passion Committee, and many more. With her four children grown, Debra decided to pursue her initial dream and began writing short stories, which eventually led to her debut novel, Maze in Blue, a murder mystery. Her first nonfiction essay was printed online by More Magazine. Since then, many of her short stories and essays have been published and won awards. b-metro.com

129

Brenda Mitchell Hackney

Hackney’s background in the financial industry has been a boon to many nonprofits and organizations in the area. Early in her career, she worked with First Financial Group, and is currently president of The Hackney Foundation and owner of Jefferson Giles Investments. Transferring her valuable skill set from the business world to the nonprofit sector, she has co-chaired the United Way de Tocqueville Society, McWane Center’s Beaker Bash, YWCA’s Purse & Passion luncheons, and chaired the Rotary Club of Birmingham’s Local Foundation Fundraising Committee. Currently, she serves on the boards of YWCA, Lakeshore Foundation, St. Vincent’s Foundation, and the Samford University Board of Overseers, where she also lends expertise to Samford’s Business School Advisory Board. She also graduated from Samford with a B.S. and M.B.A. and holds CLU and ChFC certifications. She is married to T. Morris Hackney and has two children, Mitchell and Anne Morris.

Ellyn Grady

Grady takes care of her community, quite literally. As senior vice president for United Way of Central Alabama’s Resource Development Department, she leads Major Gifts, Legacy Giving, Hands On Birmingham, and the Annual Campaign teams of volunteers and staff. During her seven-year tenure, United Way has successfully raised more than $261 million for the community.

Grady began her career teaching special education in Camden, South Carolina, and worked as a community educator in Fairfax, Virginia. Before coming to United Way, she served as executive director of Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, a position she held for six years. Continually teaching for the past 19 years, she has headed up a nonprofit management course at UAB in the Public Administration Masters program. Named the 2012 William S. Roth Outstanding Fundraising Executive, she is a past president of the Council of United Way Executive Directors and of The Women’s Network, as well as a member of Leadership Birmingham, Rotary Club of Birmingham, and the Cathedral Church of the Advent. In addition to taking care of her community, she is a full-time caregiver to her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. According to her nominator, “Ellyn’s grace and humor has been an inspiration to other caregivers in the area.”

130

b-metro.com

The Honorable Frank Christopher Green

Green’s real job is Probate Judge, Blount County, but his community sees him as much more. He is very active in his church, serving as bi-vocational minister of music at Cleveland First Baptist Church. He serves on the boards of the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Blount County Hope House, Birmingham Business Alliance, Regional Planning Commission of Birmingham, Blount County Retired Senior Volunteer Advisory Council, St. Vincent’s Blount Advisory Council, Blount Oneonta Chamber, and the Blount County Cattleman’s Association. His nominator adds: “He gives freely to the community with his music and singing. He organized the Blount County Gospel Choir [more than 10] years ago, which is an annual event that continues to grow. He is moving our county in a new direction and working hard to serve. The people of Blount County are very proud of what he has done and is still doing for all of us.”

Kenneth L. Jackson

When Jackson turned 50, he threw a party for 400 guests and raised more than $23,000 for the Alys Stephens Center and Community Foundation. Then he took off backpacking to the top of a 12,400-foot mountain, researched dolphins in the Atlantic, produced an award-winning film, and completed three marathons.

Named one of the Most Colorful Personalities and one of the Most Eccentric and Colorful CEO’s by local publications, Jackson has served on more than 12 nonprofit boards. He’s conducted more than 300 live auctions and raised more than $10 million for nonprofits—enough to be named The Voice of Charity by Birmingham magazine and the Outstanding Civic Leader in 2002 by the local Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Jackson established the Remy Fund, named in honor of his late dog, a Jack Russell/Shih Tzu mix. He provided $750,000 to this fund to support advocacy and service programs for animals. Before retirement, he was president of Dudley C. Jackson, Inc., an award winning multi-million dollar industrial distributor.

Under Jackson’s leadership, the company won numerous awards, including the Blue Chip Award from Mass Mutual and Nation’s Business magazine, and one of three Best Distributors to Work for in the U.S. and Canada from Industrial Distribution. His company’s performance is featured in a college textbook and Jackson has been named a UAB Distinguished Alumnus. He has also won the Outstanding Alumni Award and Small Business Person of the Year.

Robert Haley

Haley began his career as an artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps. He later assumed the position of assistant special agent in charge of the Alabama Federal Bureau of Investigation. He initially joined the FBI in 1989 and was assigned to Rochester and Syracuse, New York, where he took on assignments in violent crime, organized crime, drug matters, public corruption, and domestic terrorism. He then became responsible for national oversight of all fugitive and violent crime in the southeast U.S. at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. Subsequent to the events of 9/ 11, he volunteered for reassignment to the Counterterrorism division, International Terrorism, and other antiterrorism units.

He then supervised the Tampa division, responsible for oversight of many high-profile terror organization matters. In 2008, he was promoted and now oversees Birmingham’s Branch II, Criminal, Civil Rights, and Administrative Branch. With a Top Secret security clearance, one can only wonder how ASAC Haley finds time to coach a high school varsity lacrosse team, but he does.

Tony Ippolito

Ippolito’s clients included street cleaners, office workers, attorneys, construction workers, and anyone else who loved hot dogs. For 40 years, up until his retirement five years ago, Tony’s Terrific Hot Dogs and sandwich shop was a morning meeting place for downtown locals to discuss Alabama and Auburn football. There were many talks of the Lord, but rarely politics. If you were down on your luck, you stopped in for a cup of coffee and also usually ended up with a free sandwich to go.

Ippolito is a lay minister at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and on Thursdays, he gives an hour of time in special prayer for families and his community.

Of course, there are pancakes involved. Tony and his wife, Kathryn, have two grown married sons and eight beautiful grandchildren. b-metro.com

131

Paul Kennedy

A native of Pennsylvania, Kennedy traveled south for college and landed a job at Proctor & Gamble in Georgia.

Not long after, he met his wife of 31 years, Beth, who brought him to her hometown of Jasper, Alabama. He enjoyed years of service as a forester and conservationist in the public and private sectors, and became project manager for Cawaco Resource Council, serving five counties in the Birmingham area. Under Kennedy’s direction the council became a nonprofit agency coordinating efforts for conservation, development, and the sustained use of resources. It won state, regional, and national awards.

Now, he is president of the Walker Area Community Foundation, sharing his “volunteer heart.” Due to Kennedy’s efforts, the foundation has more than doubled its assets.

They also acquired and restored the Bankhead House & Heritage Center as a free art and history education venue. He volunteers with the Boy Scouts and Walker County Chamber and serves as board member for local, regional, state, and national organizations.

John N. Lauriello

Lauriello is the principal and cofounder of Southpace Properties and is probably best known for his tireless efforts to save 28 historical office buildings in downtown Birmingham.

But his efforts have extended beyond downtown to include the renovation of several historic homes and apartment buildings in Forest Park, Highland Park, and Redmont. He was named Historical Preservationist of the Year in 2010 by the Jefferson County Historical Association and has been a three-time winner of Historic Preservation awards from the state. He is a six-time winner of the Birmingham Business Journal’s Deal of the Year. He has won Top Developer, Top Producer, and Commercial Realtor of the Year.

He is also the recipient of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award, Operation New Birmingham Preservation Award, Most Influential Business Leader, Ed Lowder Award, and Small Business Person of the Year. He has served as a board member for the YMCA, Better Business Bureau, Operation New Birmingham, Auburn School of Architecture, and as a trustee for Birmingham Business Alliance. His nominator said, “John is innovative and extremely valuable to our community as a resource, and in my opinion, a hero who has worked tirelessly to save our city.”

132

b-metro.com

Dr. Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Not many people know that Lewis once owned a service station, bowling alley, night club, record company, and realty company and was one of the original founders of what is now National Bank of Commerce. He’s been a leading figure in the development of many successful business professionals and politicians.

The first African-American to serve on the governor’s cabinet since Reconstruction, he was director of highway and public safety under former Gov. George Wallace. After graduation from Miles College, he opened Jesse J. Lewis and Associates, the first African-American advertising firm to represent Caucasian clients. Lewis even advised former Mayor Richard Arrington and assisted in the formation of Citizen’s Trust Bank. As founder of the Birmingham Times newspaper, he has maintained an office there in its more than 44 years of operation. Currently, he is president and CEO of The Lewis Group, a political consulting firm. He holds an Ed.D. from Atlanta University, an Ed.S. and M.A. from Troy State, a B.S. from Miles, and an A.A. from Booker T. Washington Business College. He is a member and founder of the National Association of Market Developers and founder of the Birmingham Urban League. Lewis holds many other outstanding memberships and is also a published author.

Doris Maddox

Maddox is a giver. Retired, she spends most of her time as a volunteer in the community and an advocate for others. Well-known for her support with nonprofits, she remains dedicated and committed with one primary purpose: to make a difference in lives. Currently serving on the DELTA Incorporated Board of Directors, she also supports the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, Better Basics, and the AARP. In addition, she spends a considerable amount of her time beautifying her community through her garden club activities.

Alice McSpadden Williams

Melanie McNary

McNary is an outstanding alumna of UAB and was awarded this recognition by the Department of MIS and Quantitative Methods in 2010. She has also been recognized as the 2009 Top HR Director by the Birmingham Business Journal. Currently the vice president and senior HR partner with Protective Life Corporation, she is an active member of SHRM (Society for HR Management); BSHRM (Birmingham Society for HR Management); and NAAAHR (the National Association for African-Americans in Human Resources). She was the 2008 president of the Birmingham Chapter of NAAAHR. Having earned the SPHR (Senior Professional in HR) certification, she has since been an instructor for the exam study course. She manages Protective Life’s summer internship program for college and high school students each summer. She maintains strong partnerships with local colleges and universities, as well as INROADS, Inc.; Holy Family Cristo Rey High School (she was selected as the Baccalaureate Speaker for 2011 graduating class); Breakthrough Birmingham; and Birmingham City Schools. McNary was also nominated for Wells Fargo/Cox Media’s 2012 Best in Minority Business Award in Encouraging Diversity/ Outstanding HR Professional category.

When your vision, leadership, and energy result in major lifelong improvements to your community, your achievements truly become inspirational and memorable. This describes Williams. As a young girl doing volunteer work for the United Way of Central Alabama, she eventually became its first female chairperson. For nearly 50 years, she has devoted herself to children, their families, and their communities. She won election to the City Council of Mountain Brook, served on the boards of the Girl Scouts, Childcare Resources, Mountain Brook’s Emmet O’Neal Public Library, and other health and recreation organizations.

Her keen understanding of public policy was evident as she advanced issues, met with legislators and government officials, and developed resources to increase the effectiveness of organizations. Her nominator said the following: “Alice’s impact on children and young people is exemplified by her service and advocacy.” b-metro.com

133

William M. Miller

Miller is a lifetime achiever. With distinguished service to his country during World War II, an outstanding career in international trade, and a long and purpose-filled civic life, it stands to reason that Positive Maturity will recognize him as the first recipient of the annual William M. Miller Award during the 2014 Top 50 Over 50 ceremony.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina, he worked one year at Republic Steel and then entered the U.S. Army, 8th Air Force 96 Bomb Group. Serving in Europe and the Pacific, he flew 30 missions and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals. On one mission, his lead plane (out of 1500 others) destroyed the Renault plant in Paris that was manufacturing German engines. He went to Washington to develop the automatic bomb release, which became standard B-29 equipment.

After the war, he came back to Birmingham to work at Firestone Tire & Rubber, then Sloss Sheffield Steel & Iron, which merged with U.S. Pipe. For the next 25 years, he was head of the International Department at U.S. Pipe. In 1973, he became vice president of International Trade at AmSouth Bank.

Elected Alabama World Trade Association’s Man of the Year, he served as chairman of the Chamber’s World Trade Association and was on the Governor’s Advisory Board for Commerce and Industrial Development.

Miller’s civic accomplishments are vast. He helped form Positive Maturity, was chair and trustee of the Y.M.C.A., board member for Lakeshore Hospital and Children’s Aid Society, and president of Alabama’s Agency on Aging. He is an elder at Independent Presbyterian, and a member of Duffys Bend Hunting Club, Mountain Brook Country Club, and Redstone Club.

When he retired in 1982, he was awarded the O.B.E., the Order of the British Empire. He was married to the late Olivia Turlington. They had three children: Olivia, Laura, and Carolyn.

Renea Mitchell McKinney

Chris Miller Monceret

For the 2,000 Shelby County residents who have no health insurance, Monceret is a hero. In 2007, she saw an unfulfilled need for uninsured adults and created the Community of Hope Health Clinic (CHHC) the very next year. As a 32-year veteran with the Department of Human Resources (DHR), she rose from a front-line social worker to supervisor, program supervisor, and finally, director. So it seemed fitting that when she retired from DHR she became the executive director of CHHC, where she remains today. CHHC has expanded from a Thursday evening clinic to also include an all-day clinic on Mondays and a morning clinic on Tuesdays. Her nominator said, “Her passion for social work, coupled with her can-do attitude, has resulted in one of the finest health clinics in Shelby County.”

134

b-metro.com

McKinney’s parents taught her the importance of community service and leading by example. To say she has achieved this is an understatement. Leadership is a lifelong pursuit for her, having graduated from leadership programs in Marion and Walker counties, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and Baptist Health System academies. She was also employed for more than 23 years as marketing/PR director and manager for Walker Baptist Medical Center.

McKinney serves on boards for Walker County’s Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross, ARC, Arts Alliance, the Rotary Club of Jasper and the Alabama Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society, which all contributed to her winning the Addy Awards for advertising and marketing. In addition, she serves on the University of Alabama Alumni Association. For the past 10 years, she has organized the Healthcare Explorer Post with the Boy Scouts of America, which is traditionally the largest post in the Black Warrior Council Division. Her father was recently recognized as Northport’s Citizen of the Year, a second-generation recipient, which leaves little doubt that this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Marion Kristine Mueller

Mueller’s nominator said she wanted “Mrs. Mueller to feel the love of her community….her office is stuck back in one small little corner, where she rarely gets to enjoy the benefits of a grant that has been approved.” Mueller’s job is director of development and business manager for Episcopal Place. When she started there, the famed Gumbo Gala fundraiser was at a small park. In her five years, she increased attendance so much that it moved to Sloss Furnaces, raising some $50,000 last year. This money improves the residents’ independent living status and together with the grants she writes, a much-needed van and driver are provided for medical transportation and grocery shopping. In addition, she volunteers at 55th Place Thrift Store and donates to Mpower Ministries. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother, and will now know how much her colleagues “believe in her and respect her.”

Dr. Dennis G. Pappas, Sr.

Pappas is known worldwide for his groundbreaking work in otology, otolaryngology, and otoneurology. In addition to running the Pappas Ear Clinic, he is a clinical professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at UAB and a teaching assistant in the Department of Surgery at New York University Medical Center in New York City.

Pappas graduated from University of Tennessee School of Medicine in 1958 and was the first fellowship otologist trained in the Birmingham area. In addition, he is the founder and president of the Echo Foundation, dedicated to improve hearing and the relationships between hearingimpaired children and their parents. He is one of the leading authorities on otology and has published many books (and given many lectures) on the subject.

He holds memberships in more than 19 scientific and professional associations. As a hobby, Pappas collects antique and unique medical equipment. His office displays the history of our medical profession through instruments and his collections have been displayed at several museums throughout the US.

Joan Perry

Perry’s nominator said, “Whenever you think of advertising in Birmingham, Joan Perry is at the top of the list.” She was one of the first women in Alabama to start her own advertising agency, and has served as president of the American Marketing Association, American Women in Radio and Television, and the Ad Federation.

Currently vice president of PHP Communications, Perry has also worked tirelessly as president of the Foundation Capital board, The Women’s Network, and the Women’s Fund. She has served on the local board of Girl Scouts and is currently on the Mid-South board of the American Cancer Society. Perry has received many honors, including Birmingham Woman of the Year, the Ad Federation’s Silver Medal, and the American Cancer Society’s St. George National Award, which honors only one out of more than b-metro.com five million volunteers each year.

135

Dr. J. Dudley Pewitt

Pewitt has had a long and distinguished career, describes Dr. J. Dudley; to the Birmingham community, he was a behind-the-scenes force that helped create UAB, WBHM radio, and UAB basketball and even brought the beloved Coach Gene Bartow to town. But many don’t realize that Pewitt’s accomplishments extend to his time in the U.S. Air Force, where he completed 113 combat missions over Vietnam in an F-4 Phantom fighter jet. He was awarded some 29 medals and decorations, including two Legions of Merit, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 11 Air Medals, and the Viet Cross of Gallantry. In 2003, he was inducted into the Battle Ground Academy Alumni Hall of Fame.

Pewitt has given a lifetime of service to this community as chair of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce; state chair of the Heart Association; board member of Birmingham Cable and Allied Products; charter member of the Airport Authority Board; president of the Sun Belt Athletic Conference and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference; and chair and executive director of the Southern Museum of Flight. He was appointed by former Gov. Bob Riley to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame Board and inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame.

Known as Mr. UAB, Pewitt was director of the UAB Graduate School of Business and senior vice president for administration. His nominator adds, “Dr. Pewitt played a pivotal role in building UAB into the world-class institution it is today… and has done all of this without fanfare or expectation or recognition or reward. He is truly one of Birmingham’s Top 50 Over 50.”

Dr. Luis F. Pineda

Pineda’s mission is to eradicate suffering from cancer by cure or palliation. He began his career in hematology and oncology in 1982 at UAB, and in 1995, he opened his own clinic with the idea to create a more personal environment for his patients—to eliminate long waits on hospital elevators and long walks from patient paid parking decks. In 2000, he returned to school for his masters in health and science administration and then enrolled in the Culinard Institute with Virginia College and became a chef and cookbook author.

His book (and nonprofit by the same name), Cooking with Cancer, combine the art of cooking with Pineda’s knowledge of medicine to create recipes for patients battling cancer and whose appetites, taste, and sense of smell are adversely affected by the effects of chemotherapy. His nominator adds, “He has given hope to many cancer patients through his efforts to make food palatable for cancer patients.” He and his wife, Diane, have three children: Alaina, Nicky, and Gia.

Miller Piggott

136

b-metro.com

Piggott is a champion advocate for Alzheimer’s patients, their families, and the community. Thousands have benefited from her position as executive director of Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama (ACA), which she has held since 1996, but she was actively involved with the organization from its inception in 1991. Now, it is the largest nonprofit in the state, supporting families in 21 counties.

Piggott has received many awards and honors over the years, including Professional of the Year by the Alabama Gerontological Society (AGS) and Health Care Advocate of the Year by the Birmingham Business Journal. ACA was given the 2007 Organization Award by AGS and received the Delta Life Enhancement Award from the Birmingham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

Piggott serves on a number of community boards and was a member of the Governor’s Long Term Care Task Force. She believes ACA’s most important work has provided funds for scholarships for more than 600 patients to attend adult daycare; continence products delivered to 900 patients’ doors; 20 research grants to colleges and universities; and diminishing the risk of wandering by offering Care Trak to more than 300 patients.

Alan Poole

“Alan brightens the day of all that he meets,” says his nominator, who adds, “He is a kind friend, a hardworking individual, and a true example of positive living.” Poole works at the Emmett O’Neal Library and volunteers at Canterbury United Methodist Church. He’s a talented singer and guitar player and enjoys performing live. His vast knowledge of vintage cars has resulted in an enviable collection, many of which he built himself. At an early age, Poole was diagnosed with a developmental disability, but has gone on to live a full life. His achievements in independence, acceptance, and awareness to his community have reached a remarkable level.

Van L. Richey

Richey is a member of the Alabama Academy of Honor, which is reserved for living Alabamians recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and services. As president and CEO of American Cast Iron Pipe, one of the oldest, largest, and most respected area businesses, Richey has carried on the company’s founding principles, built upon the “Golden Rule.” Under his leadership, it has grown to seven other locations in the U.S. and South America.

His nominator said, “Mr. Richey has a heart for the community and has been very supportive of any endeavor that has been presented to him as the company’s community service chairman. Under his leadership at AMERICAN, we have a long and rich history of community involvement.” Indeed, Richey’s civic activities are vast, including service to the President’s Cabinet at UA; UAB’s Leadership Cabinet; boards of UAB Health System; Health Services Foundation; Newcomen Society; Boy Scouts; Salvation Army; and as past chair of Leadership Alabama, the Alabama Partnership for Children, and the Business Council of Alabama. He is a member of the Alabama Children’s Policy Council and a trustee for the Alabama Council on Economic Education. He has served as chair for The Governor’s Commission on Early Learning.

Chief A.C. Roper

Roper is more than the 33rd Chief of Police for Birmingham, commanding more than 1,100 employees. He’s also an Army Brigadier General and current Commander of the 415th Chemical Brigade in South Carolina. He served in Afghanistan as the military spokesperson for all U.S. Army forces there. He has a masters of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and is a grad of the FBI Academy and FBI National Executive Institute. He’s completed several military leadership courses with honor and is the recipient of a Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and the General Douglas McArthur Leadership Award, only awarded to the top Army officers in the nation.

Roper is also a licensed and ordained minister at Faith Chapel. And finally, he serves as an adjunct professor for Bethel University’s College of Criminal Justice. He serves numerous national law enforcement organizations, including the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee. He and his wife, Edith, have been married for 31 years and have two daughters, Krystle and Amber.

b-metro.com

137

Frances Ross Nolan

Nolan was the first female in her graduating class at Indian Springs School in 1977. She went back to school, attending Cumberland Law School, at the age of 42 so she could serve families facing divorce. She was an editor of the Cumberland Law Review and graduated with honors, competing with students half her age while she was a mother and a wife.

Nolan is a passionate advocate for families in crisis. She founded the Birmingham Collaborative Alliance, a fundamentally different approach to solving marital crises that avoids acrimony and the expense of traditional divorce. She donates her time and money to a variety of local causes and has served as the Alumni Council President of her alma mater, Indian Springs.

The Honorable Helen Shores Lee

At one of her many speeches, Lee asked her audience: “Are you willing to take an active stand when you see racism? Will you stand up for what is right in the face of opposition? Will you reach out and help others in their time of need?”

In addition to acting Judge of the 10th Judicial Court, Lee has authored a book called The Gentle Giant of Dynamite Hill: The Untold Story of Arthur Shores and His Family’s Fight for Civil Rights. She lived through the most turbulent time in Birmingham’s history and decided to share her family’s story. She wasn’t always a judge, initially working as a clinical psychologist. She is a graduate of Fisk University and the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

In 2003, she became a judge, and has been active with the American, Alabama, Birmingham, and Magic City Bar Associations. Her nominator says Lee will never “walk through life passively and will forever try to make a difference.”

138

b-metro.com

Nick Saban

Saban is head football coach of the University of Alabama, a.k.a., gritty, determined, resilient, and victorious. He is the first coach to win back-to-back BCS national championships and has won four titles in his last eight years of coaching college football. He is one of three college coaches (since the polls) to win three national championships in four years. His team has made history and won awards too numerous to list, including running back Mark Ingram securing the Heisman Trophy, a first for the university.

Before his tenure at UA, Saban was head coach at LSU and led that team to the SEC championship victory and their first win in a New Year’s Day bowl game since 1968, employing his philosophy of “out of yourself and into the team.” Saban also coached the Michigan State Spartans to postseason bowl games in each of his first three seasons, a first in that school’s history.

Before Michigan, he worked as defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns under Bill Belichick, now head coach of the New England Patriots.

Saban earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in sports administration from Kent State. He and his wife, Terry, have two children, Nicholas and Kristen. While in Michigan, the Sabans started the Nick’s Kids Fund, and have continued that in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, raising more than $4 million. They have built 15 homes with Project Team Up and Habitat for Humanity following the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011. In 2008, the Sabans announced a $1 million gift for Alabama’s first-generation scholarship program, dear to both of them, since they were both first-generation graduates.

Jerome Darren Simpson

You have to love the name “Three Hots & A Cot,” where “J.D.” is president and CEO. This program offers housing, rehabilitation, and networking with the Veteran’s Hospital Program, serving an average of 100 homeless and disabled veterans in the Birmingham metropolitan area. His life has been dedicated to helping veterans who deserve assistance, and he can frequently be seen on national television programs honoring veterans, including a spot on CNN. And he’s worked for years with no compensation for his services. His nominator said, “I recommend a visit to Three Hots & A Cot’s corporate office and some of the seven houses to meet the vets and see this professionally run and financially managed organization. They value their use of funds.”

Shelley Stewart

The Smithsonian Institute inducted Stewart as a pioneer of radio in 1996. He’s been honored as a living legend in Hollywood by the music industry and Warner Brothers and recognized by Coca-Cola nationwide as one of the top 10 most recognized African-Americans in Alabama.

Over the course of his career, Stewart became the most soughtafter black radio personality of his time, winning the nickname “Playboy.” He made his mark all over the South and landed back in Birmingham. During the Civil Rights era, he was a strong voice at WENN, owned by the late A.G. Gaston. In 1988, Stewart and Erskine Faush bought WATV Radio. A few of his famous radio sayings were, “Can I get a witness?” and, “Good Goobly Woobly!”

Stewart additionally began a career with O2 Ideas, with his partner Cy Steiner, a Caucasian man, before racially diverse partnerships were openly accepted. Today, the communications agency is one of the largest in the state. Stewart was awarded a doctorate of humane letters from Miles College and a doctorate of law from Faith College. He founded the nonprofit Mattie C. Stewart Foundation to reduce the dropout rate in education. He also authored the book The Road South.

Frank Stitt III

If it weren’t for Fritz Luenberger and Stitt’s mother, there may never have been a Highland’s Bar and Grill, Bottega, or Chez Fon Fon. Studying philosophy at Berkley led to Stitt’s interest in cooking, but when he tried to apprentice himself to area chefs, no one would take him, except for good old Fritz. Similarly, when he came to Birmingham and wanted to open a restaurant, no one would loan him money except for dear old mom, who remortgaged her house to help him Stitt has since been inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, named “Best Chef” in the Southeast, been a national finalist for Outstanding Chef, and been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his elevation of Southern cuisine and early advocacy of locally grown food. His kitchens have influenced many local talents, and he’s energized the local food movement. He and his wife, Pardis, are recognizable stars in the community. His cookbook, Frank Stitt’s Southern Table, was named “Best Cookbook” in 2005 by the Southern Booksellers Association.

Stitt was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2009. b-metro.com

139

Yolanda Sullivan

We’ve heard the term “Encore Career,” and Sullivan is a perfect example of its meaning. After 30 years and a wildly successful career with Vulcan Materials Company, from the accounting department to human resources in Birmingham and Atlanta, and rising to direct corporate human resources, Sullivan retired, and deservedly so. But unlike most, she dove headlong into her passion of helping others, and became the new CEO of YWCA Central Alabama. She was a past president of the Y’s board, helped lead a $15 million capital campaign, and had more than 20 years of key leadership with the YWCA, which provided a seamless transition.

In addition, Sullivan serves on the boards of United Way of Central Alabama and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. She remains strongly associated with the Bell Center, the Exceptional Foundation, and Full Life Ahead Foundation. Her nominator said, “Yolanda has decided to continue giving back to the community after her retirement. She gives real meaning to the word leader.”

Joyce T. Tolbert

Tolbert loves people and loves to help others. Her nominator says, “This started before she retired, and she continues to give of her time freely.” Best known as the 35-year U.S. bankruptcy court financial administrator in charge of funds collected and disbursed by six federal judges in the four divisions of Northern Alabama, she simultaneously volunteered every summer doing mission projects and trained to join the Etowah Baptist Disaster Team.

Tolbert has been involved with DHR as a foster parent, tutored adults, and worked with hospice. She has also worked with Hope House and the H.E.R.O. program tutoring Hispanic people and volunteered with the House of Kindness for the Homeless, Positive Maturity, Inc., Blount County RSVP, and the St. Vincent’s Blount Gift Shop. In 2005, Tolbert was selected for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service and traveled to Washington, D.C., for the national ceremony to receive her award.

Jos´e-Antonio Valencia

For 15 years, Valencia has been president and CEO of the healthcare company he founded, The Valencia Group. But this entrepreneur has somehow found the time to become extremely involved in the community, consequently becoming a beloved member of it. It’s no wonder he has been awarded the Healthcare Hero Award by the Birmingham Business Journal and the Robert Coats Award for Outstanding Member by the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Alabama Chapter.

Some of his civic service has included Hoover School System chairman; Rotary Club International Service vice president; board member for Brock School of Business; Riverchase Country Club board member; United Way of Central Alabama’s Long Range Planning Committee; Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce board member; and Legacy Federal Credit Union board member. But the list doesn’t end there—he has also worked with the Boy Scouts of America, Riverchase Residential Association, The Birmingham Committee for Foreign Relations, Alabama Ear Institute, and the Hoover Schools Foundation.

140

b-metro.com

Sherri Van Pelt

Pelt’s accomplishments in nonprofit development stem from her passion and enthusiasm for serving others. She has expertise and experience, but more than that, she has the compassion necessary for a community leader. From her early days as an occupational therapist, she moved from private practice, treating children with disabilities, to serving as executive director for VSA Arts of Alabama, providing art therapy for adults and children with disabilities. In 2007, Pelt was hired as development director for UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, serving on the President’s Leadership Council and the School of Health Professions Dean’s Advisory Board and as president of the UAB National Alumni Society.

A graduate of Leadership Birmingham, she was bestowed the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction award. Pelt joined Glenwood in 2011 as vice president for development and communications. In addition to her nonprofit world, she is an accomplished glass artist and was named a finalist for Best Local Artist by Birmingham magazine in 2012.

The Honorable Annetta Verin

Stanley R. Virciglio

Virciglio doesn’t tell many people “no.” Whether it’s sponsoring a local race or feeding a sports team, “Mr. Piggly Wiggly” is continually giving back to his community.

So much so that he was named Who’s Who of Homewood: Most Charitable. He was also named one of six Men of Substance and Style by Saks Fifth Avenue for a UAB cancer event.

In 2006 he scored two holes-in-one during one round of a charity tournament.

Virciglio is a third-generation grocer and current president of Piggly Wiggly Food Stores of Jefferson County, Homewood, Liberty Park, and the soon-to-be-rebuilt Crestline store.

He has served on the boards of or been an active member of the St. Vincent’s Hospital Foundation, Baptist Hospitals, Old Overton Club, the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club, Birmingham Tip-Off Club, and the Red Elephant Club. Due to his generosity to the University of Alabama, his family was honored with a room in the school’s Coleman Coliseum. His feeling is this: “When people come by and they need something, we try to take care of them. The more you give, the more you receive.”

Verin began her legal career with Legal Services in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She soon became an assistant city attorney for Birmingham and an assistant district attorney for Jefferson County, Bessemer Cutoff. For 25 years, she has been interviewed on TV and radio as an expert on legal issues and social challenges. Former Gov. Jim Folsom appointed her as the first female circuit judge in the Bessemer Cutoff. She’s presided over hundreds of cases involving violence against domestic partners and families.

Her domestic violence court was the first of its kind in Bessemer. She was awarded “Woman of the Year” by Birmingham Business Journal and received the Birmingham Urban League’s Interracial Friendship Award.

She was a founding board member of the Alabama Solution and is a former board member of the Alabama Symphony. Her husband is Circuit Judge Eugene Verin, which makes them the only known husbandand-wife judge duo in Alabama. b-metro.com

141





Dr. Cameron Vowell

 















the

p.m.













The name Cameron Vowell is synonymous with philanthropy.

Active in community affairs since graduating from Hollins College, she has worked as a board member with a number of nonprofits to encourage philanthropy, including the Women’s Fund, an endowment for projects benefiting women and girls, and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, an endowment exceeding $100 million.

Her interest in issues affecting women and girls led her to help found the Alabama Women’s Initiative, a group formed to promote the advancement of women in leadership; the Women’s Fund; and the Alabama Solution, a women’s political action committee. She has been a leading voice on environmental issues, holding a master’s degree in environmental sciences and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UAB. A charter member of the Alabama chapter of the Nature Conservancy, she has served for nearly a decade as a member of that group’s national board of directors. Her civic leadership has extended in other directions as a member of the Alabama Ethics Commission and serving on the board of advocacy for UAB’s Center for Aging.

awards

positive maturity’s top 50 over 50

Presented by

The City of Birmingham

Sponsored by

Alabama Power Company, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Regions Bank, Alacare Home Health & Hospice, and AT&T

142

b-metro.com

Richard Weiss

Weiss hasn’t always been a volunteer at the Blount County Memorial Museum—just for the past three years. But he sees it as a “perfect fit, continuing to enjoy my assignments.”

He moved to Birmingham with his wife, Elizabeth, in 2003.

Retirement never really took with Weiss. Since retiring from the Navy—and then from subsequent positions he took after retirement with Eastern Airlines and the police department in Hollywood, Florida—he moved to Alabama and took yet another position here as a reserve officer for the Oneonta Police Department for five more years. He holds a management degree from New York Institute of Technology, and he and Elizabeth have been married for 56 years and have five children, two here, two in Florida, and one in Pennsylvania.

CONGRATULATIONS

John G. Beard, MBA/JD

Congratulations to Southpace Principal John Lauriello on being selected as a

Top 50 Over 50 Honoree

President of Alacare

City of Birmingham

TOP 50 OVER 50 Positive Maturity Recipient

PROUD TO BE AMONG THE BEST

Commercial Real Estate Specialists

ConGRAtUlAtionS Ellyn Smith Grady

Sr. VP Resource Development United Way of Central Alabama

Southpace Properties, Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205.326.2222 • www.southpace.com

Protective Life Corporation congratulates Melanie McNary on being selected for Positive Maturity’s 2014 Top 50 Over 50 Award.

Melanie McNary Vice President & Senior HR Partner Birmingham, Alabama

b-metro.com

143

144

b-metro.com