Mobile Bay Magazine - March 2020

Mobile Bay March 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES

THE BUSINESS ISSUE

CLOSING THE DEAL AT RUTH’S CHRIS

TECH HUB

FOSTERING INNOVATION

CELEBRITIES DIG

BEAR WALKER SKATEBOARDS

LT. JULIA MUNDY Commanding Officer U.S. Coast Guard

KILLING IT IN A MAN’S WORLD Seven Women Working in Football, Trucking, the Military & More

+

ACADIAN LIVING ON DOG RIVER page 56

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CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXVI / ISSUE 3

MARCH 2020

46

A Woman’s Place

BEAR WALKER IN HIS DAPHNE WORKSHOP. PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

From the military to the NFL Combine, meet seven local women excelling in maledominated occupations

56

La Louisianne on Dog River

Two Louisiana transplants create a river home fit for the bayou

66

Wheeling & Dealing Bear Walker, skateboard artist and entrepreneur, is on the ride of his life

 The skateboard as we know it originated in 1950s California as something for surfers to do when the waves were flat.

On page 66, see how local craftsman Bear Walker pushes the boundaries of the skateboard’s form and function.

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CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXVI / ISSUE 3

MARCH 2020 29

40 ON OUR COVER Lt. Julia Mundy, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Manowar PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

20 11 EDITOR’S NOTE

22

12 REACTION 14 ODDS & ENDS 17 MIXOLOGY 19 THE DISH 20 TASTINGS Flit on down to The Hummingbird Way for your seafood fix 22 BAY TABLES Five time-strapped locals serve up their tips for weeknight, go-to dinners 33 RENOVATION Chelsea Lipford Wolf’s envy-worthy bathroom

36 SPOTLIGHT Visionaries Sarah and Mike Stashak discuss life, family and Mobile’s unlimited potential 40 AWARENESS Kick-starting success with Innovation PortAL 80 MARCH CALENDAR

85 TRADITIONS Emily Blejwas tells the story of Mobile through banana pudding

92 ARCHIVES Historian John Sledge relates one of the earliest descriptions of our beloved Mobile Bay

94 LITERATURE Voice recognition technology has author Audrey McDonald Atkins fit to be tied 96 ASK MCGEHEE Is it true that Walt Disney visited Mobile to consider it a possible site for Disney World?

98 IN LIVING COLOR 1951’s Miss America Yolande Betbeze cuts the ribbon on the year’s Azalea Trail

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU INNOVATION PORTAL / CHEF JIM SMITH’S HUMMINGBIRD CAKE / PORTIA GREEN OF PRICHARD PREP

 “Tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, when the daylight come.”

Read about this dockworkers’ song and other memories of Mobile’s banana docks, starting on page 85.

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Mobile Bay VOLUME XXXVI

No3

MAR 2020

PUBLISHER T. J. Potts Stephen Potts Judy Culbreth

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Maggie Lacey MANAGING EDITOR/WEB Abby Parrott

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Amanda Hartin PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Virginia Mathers

ART DIRECTOR Laurie Kilpatrick

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

ADVERTISING S R. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Joseph A. Hyland Anna Pavao ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Ray

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION Anita Miller ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Audrey McDonald Atkins, Emily Blejwas, Mallory Boykin, Jill Clair Gentry, Hallie King, Tom McGehee, Breck Pappas, John Sledge CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Juston Cordova, Matthew Coughlin, Elizabeth Gelineau, Elise Poché, Chad Riley ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES

3729 Cottage Hill Road, Suite H Mobile, AL 36609-6500 251-473-6269 Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be sent to: Mobile Bay P.O. Box 43 Congers, NY 10920-9922 1-833-454-5060 MOVING? Please note: U.S. Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through their bulk mail unit.

Please send old label along with your new address four to six weeks prior to moving.

Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2020 by PMT Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions will be edited for length, clarity and style.

PUBLISHED BY PMT PUBLISHING INC .

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EXTRAS | EDITOR’S NOTE

Working girl

COOKIES FOR A CROWD THE DESSERTS AT THE HUMMINGBIRD WAY IN OAKLEIGH ARE AS DELIGHTFUL AS THE ENTREES. BE SURE TO SAVE ROOM FOR THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH FLAKE SEA SALT, MADE TO SHARE! PHOTO BY

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

I

’ve always worked under women bosses, up until MB, and I’ve often worked in female-dominated industries. Fashion, fine art and retail are business sectors where it is not uncommon to have an entirely female work crew, so I have never had to fight that glass ceiling or battle the so-called “boys club” to succeed at work. But I do know there are women out there fighting to jump that hurdle every day, even in 2020. While some say that women have caught up to men in the workplace and that this is a tired conversation, I believe there are still plenty of places for improvement and champions to applaud.

This month we had the pleasure of sitting down with seven such champions — women who have made it to the top in traditionally male-dominated fields and who honestly made us scratch our heads for just a second and ask, “How’d you wind up there?” Their stories are fascinating and inspiring, if not a little bit unexpected.

Speaking of unexpected, Mobile Bay has never before done a businessthemed issue. As a lifestyle magazine, we tend to focus on food, history and houses much more than P&Ls and mergers. And yet everywhere we looked recently, we saw south Alabamians doing amazing things that deserved our attention — from cool tech startups to local mom-and-pops going national. But as always, we are most interested in the people behind the local businesses, and we hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as we did.

Even if you don’t care a thing about business, and spend more time tending kids or gardens than spreadsheets, we can all enjoy a well-chilled martini to close the deal — or just close out the week — at Ruth’s Chris (page 17).

Y’all save me a seat.

Maggie Lacey EXECUTIVE EDITOR

ELIZABETH GELINEAU

LOVE THIS ISSUE

SMOOTH RIDE WHILE THE POKÉMON DESIGN MIGHT HAVE MADE LOCAL SKATEBOARD IMPRESARIO BEAR WALKER FAMOUS, I’M TAKING HOME THIS GORGEOUS FISH SCALE RIDE. IT’S RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. MARINER CRUISER $135

ON PATROL WE ARE SO THANKFUL THE COAST GUARD CUTTER MANOWAR (SIMILAR TO LEFT), UNDER THE COMMAND OF LT. JULIA MUNDY, PATROLS OUR SEAS DAILY, KEEPING US SAFE WHILE WE ENJOY BOATING, FISHING AND EXPLORING THE LOCAL WATERS.

ON THE MENU A TROPICAL DINNER ONBOARD THE UNITED FRUIT COMPANY’S S.S. ULUA IN APRIL 1941 INCLUDED TURTLE SOUP, FRIED LOUISIANA FROG LEGS, COCONUT ICE CREAM AND BANANA AU RHUM.

maggie@pmtpublishing.com

The Great White Fleet It’s hard to believe that not that long ago the Mobile waterfront was a bustle with tropical fruit being unloaded at the banana docks. MB staff loved poring over Emily Blejwas’ history of banana pudding and the banana docks in this issue (page 85), and it reminded me that my maternal grandparents took their honeymoon to Honduras in 1941 on a banana boat from The Great White Fleet, so named for the white hulls meant to keep the cargo cool in the tropical sun. My mother saved the menus from their voyage, and I now have them framed above my bar. I can only imagine how romantic that trip must have been! march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 11

EXTRAS | REACTION

Tell us how you really feel ...

My daddy, Robert Leo Grossnickle, worked at Brookley as an aircraft mechanic until its closing. He was known by most as “Junior,” although he was not a junior.

I am attaching a picture of my daddy (top row, fourth from left) with some of his buddies.

- Maurine Griffin AT LEFT IS THE AIR FORCE PHOTO RELEASED BY BROOKLEY AFB, PROVIDED

BY MAURINE GRIFFIN

On December’s End Piece, a colorized photo of Brookley Field in 1942 I was stationed at Brookley from 1962 to 1964 as an enlisted airman. In my time, we had about 500 officers and enlisted personnel on the base with about 14,000 civilians. We were in the Air Material command, AMC, and the GIs all said it stood for “a million civilians.” Sadly, not many of us are left.

- John Robinson

Music, food, art and more. We round up the top upcoming festivals you must add to your calendar this spring.

Let’s Get Cookin’ Tackling weeknight dinners has never been easier. Go online to find a printable shopping list for all the ingredients needed to prepare the recipes featured in “Family Dinner” on page 22.

- Anita Miller

THAT’S AMORE On January’s Tastings, featuring The Spiffy Fox Pub Ate there last week, best pizza in this town!

- Terry Behn Reiter

- Rev. Thomas C. Bowden, Tampa Bay, Fla.

EYE SPY

My mother, Mary Bolling Mickle Busby, worked at Brookley. I was 9 when the war started and remember vividly going to Brookley once with my uncle, Army Captain Jamie Mickle. I was in my Brownie Scout uniform, and when we were leaving, “Taps” started playing. I stood by my uncle and proudly saluted my two-finger salute!

On January’s Spotlight of Michele Finn, NOAA’s first female hurricane pilot

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Best of the Fests

My mother Mary Hopkins worked at Brookley from 1955 until 1965. She worked in procurement before getting a promotion and moving to material management.

I was born in April 1943, and the next month, my mother, Madelaine Owen, started working inspecting airplanes at Brookley before they were flown overseas. I took her to Brookley to see a B-29 flight a couple years ago.

- Mary L. Crumpton

Find additional local stories on mobilebaymag.com.

Here’s what’s new on the website!

PHOTO BY SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY

FIELD OF MEMORIES

[MORE ONLINE]

Best pizza in town — no question.

- Nick Arnold

I love stories of strong women making a difference in the world. Keep them coming!

- Valerie Endicott

 Want to share your thoughts and reactions to this issue? Email maggie@pmtpublishing.com.

Curb Appeal We have all the inspiration and ideas you need to get your house ready for spring with our gallery of beautiful Bay-area homes that highlight architecture and landscape in all the best ways.

Join Our Email List Finally, an email you actually want.

Get the latest in fashion, food, art, homes, history and events delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for our email list at mobilebaymag.com.

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EXTRAS | ODDS & ENDS

The Wings of Spring text by MB EDITORIAL STAFF

$6.3 BI L L ION

The estimated amount of corporate losses every year due to worker unproductivity during the NCAA March Madness Tournament

Keep an eye out this month for rubythroated hummingbirds as they return from spending the winter in Mexico and Central America. The birds travel individually and beat their wings 40 to 80 times per second.

Turn to page 20 for an inside look at Oakleigh’s newest dining spot, The Hummingbird Way.

MARCH 15 THE IDES OF MARCH Spurinna was the name of the Etruscan soothsayer who told Julius Caesar to beware the Ides of March. Though currently overrun with dozens of stray cats, the site where Julius Caesar was murdered on that day in 44 BC is under renovation and will be opened to the public in 2021.

“In the bay and its vicinity are many fish and shellfish; there are many pine trees suitable for making masts and yards; there are oaks, nut trees, cedars, junipers, laurels, and certain small trees, which bear a fruit like chestnuts.”

– Spanish explorer Don Guido de Lavazares, 1558, giving one of the oldest descriptions of Mobile Bay.

[MARCH 12TH]

GARDEN REPORT On the Gulf Coast, March is the month to get those tomato plants in the ground. This early start will allow you to harvest a handsome crop before the heat of a Mobile summer ruins the fun.

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2020 CENSUS KICKS OFF IN ALABAMA

Each household will receive a postcard from the U.S. Census Bureau with instructions for how to complete the Census. You may respond in three ways: online, by telephone or by traditional paper form.

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FOOD | MIXOLOGY

Closing the Deal

Regardless of your line of business, there is no better way to impress the client or close the big deal than over a sumptuous dinner and perfectly chilled cocktails. We went to Mobile’s favorite steak house, Ruth’s Chris, for their take on the heavy-hitter’s martini, perfect for pouring before those big dinners that you have to nail. It makes Mad Men’s dinner meetings look like child’s play. text by MAGGIE LACEY • photo by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Ruth’s Chris Martini MAKES 1 COCKTAIL 2 1/4 ounces vodka 1/2 ounce dry vermouth splash of olive juice two jumbo olives, for garnish

Add first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with olives speared with a cocktail skewer. Serve immediately.

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FOOD | THE DISH

Bite of the Bay MB’s contributing food fanatics share the local dishes that made them hungry for more.

SPRING CHICKEN FLATBREAD AT THE HABERDASHER. PHOTO BY ELISE POCHÉ

BO NICHOLS, Real estate agent, BHHS Nichols Real Estate

CHICKEN SANDWICH AT FASTIME “Over the past few months, there has been lots of chicken chatter: Popeyes vs.

Chick-fil-A. But it’s my opinion that the chicken sandwich at Fastime in Daphne was the reason its owner, Fred Small, was elected mayor. Forget the chain chicken and order the Fastime sandwich all the way (with cheese). Deep-fried to juicy crispiness, it’s an Olde Towne Daphne staple for over 29 years.”

FASTIME CHICKEN & BISCUITS • 2305 US-98, DAPHNE • 626-5999

JOE SIMS, The Shoe Guy, McCoy Outdoor Company

VEGGIE QUESADILLA AT DAUPHIN STREET TAQUERIA “Looking for a simple, affordable meal, I tried Dauphin Street Taqueria (located inside OK Bicycle Shop) and had a wonderful experience. I chose a side of chips with spicy and hot habanero sauce and a veggie quesadilla with spinach, roasted peppers, onions, jack cheese, tomato, salsa verde and added mushrooms. It was the perfect choice.”

OK BICYCLE SHOP • 661 DAUPHIN ST. • 4322453 • FACEBOOK.COM/OKBICYCLESHOP/

VICKIE BAILEY, Owner, The Happy Olive

GRILLED SALMON AT THE WASH HOUSE “The Wash House Restaurant is nestled in breezy Point Clear and is an all-time favorite. The grilled salmon simply melted in my mouth. Lentils served as a side were blended with bacon for a smoky, savory flavor. The tasty and tender bok choy was steamed to perfection, and the salmon was topped with a fabulous herbcaper crème fraiche. The crème fraiche provided a tangy, light blend of flavor to top off this enjoyable entree.”

THE WASH HOUSE • 17111 SCENIC

SHERRI BUMPERS, Senior Advertising Account Executive, Alabama Media Group

SPRING CHICKEN FLATBREAD AT THE HABERDASHER “While most might link The Haberdasher to their signature cocktails, what many might not realize is that they offer a menu of authentic, made-from-scratch dishes.

Their spring chicken flatbread is full of flavor and undeniable freshness. You can watch as they make the dough in-house.

With fresh mozzarella, feta and chicken, it has a pesto base made with herbs from local farms and is topped with local arugula. Definitely my favorite!”

HWY 98, FAIRHOPE • 928-4838

THE HABERDASHER • 113 DAUPHIN ST.

WASHHOUSERESTAURANT.COM

436-0989 • FACEBOOK.COM/THEHABMOBILE

 What dishes made you drool and left you hungry for more? Share them on our Facebook page. march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 19

FOOD | TASTINGS

The Hummingbird Way text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

W

ith the arrival of March come the ruby-throated hummingbirds, just having crossed the Gulf of Mexico after leaving their winter habitats in northern Panama and southern Mexico. The weather here is favorable and the food plentiful, making the long trip worthwhile. Likewise, south Alabama residents are crossing the Bayway and migrating down Dauphin Street to find the sweet nectar being served up at The Hummingbird Way, the new brainchild of Alabama’s former executive chef, Jim Smith, in the Oakleigh Garden Historic District.

For those who make the journey, a modern Southern menu awaits: comforting chicken pot pie, a generously portioned steak and piping hot biscuits served in cast-iron skillets that will convert any carb-loather in mere seconds. But the heart and soul of the menu is the seafood, influenced by Smith’s role as the chairman of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. Whole grilled fish, fresh Alabama boutique oysters and marinated crab claws

are standout seafood dishes. Smith points out that he also has a traditional fried seafood platter for the old-school diner, as well, served with top-notch fries and cole slaw. The sleeper on the menu is the chicken livers, a throwback recipe to Smith’s time on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef ” in 2017. Smith was a top-10 finisher whose Southern style and charm made him a household name and fan favorite.

Mobilians may also be well familiar with the old Kitchen on George location, but Smith has given the restaurant a slick new do with green tile behind the bar, a terrazzo countertop and quartz tabletops. Gold-framed vintage sketches of hummingbirds flit across the walls of the bar and dining room while waiters bustle to and fro delivering tropical cocktails with eco-conscious paper straws. Chef Smith is nothing if not known for his attention to detail. And while new in town, The Hummingbird Way has no plans to migrate with the seasons, and neither do the fans who have discovered its lure. MB

 The Hummingbird Way • 351 George St. • 408-9562 • thehummingbirdway.com 5 – 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday

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CHICKEN POT PIE

WHOLE GRILLED RED SNAPPER

THE HUMMINGBIRD COCKTAIL

[ ON THE MENU ]

WHOLE GRILLED FISH

BISCUIT SERVICE

MARINATED CRAB CLAWS

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

The fish changes with the season, but this snapper was simply grilled and served with sliced satsuma, Castelvetrano olives, Kalamata olives, caper berries and watercress in a cane sugar vinaigrette.

Mini cast-iron skillets hold warm buttermilk biscuits meant for sharing, topped with the perfect trio of whipped butter, a crunch of smoked flake salt and rich, dark cane syrup.

A Vietnamese marinade coats blue crabs picked in Coden. Lime juice, palm sugar, Thai chile, a dash of fish sauce for umami and a bright punch of mint freshen up a local staple.

The once state cake of Alabama boasts banana, pineapple and pecans and is topped with cream cheese icing, candied pineapple and a delicate pool of crème anglaise. march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 21

FOOD | BAY TABLES

Family Dinner “What’s for dinner?” One of the most common questions in the English language. And sometimes, one of the most challenging to answer. With work, school and child-rearing pulling families in every direction on a daily basis, getting a home-cooked meal on the table can sometimes seem daunting.

Armed with tips and recipes, five working moms and dads share how they make mealtime work. text by HALLIE KING • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

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FOOD | BAY TABLES

MEXICAN SHRIMP AND CORN STREET TACOS SERVES 4

Chambliss altered this recipe from her favorite weeknight cookbook, “Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity” by Cassy Joy Garcia.

CHAMBLISS’ TRICK FOR SURVIVAL Cook extra meat when making

Chambliss Brister

A

one meal to then incorporate into

2 tablespoons salted butter or avocado oil 3 cups cooked shrimp 1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime) 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 12 miniature corn tortillas, or 8 regular-size corn tortillas Kale Slaw (recipe page 31) 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese 4 lime wedges, for serving

other meals later in

little extra help from planning and utilizing the week or double beneficial resources is all it takes for Chamrecipes and store bliss Brister, managing partner of Fit Recruiting and one in the freezer. mother to 8-year-old Parke and 4-year-old Koen, to have a home-cooked meal waiting for the weeknight dinner table.

“One of my favorite things in the world is gathering as a family for mealtime, and I am unable to accomplish this feat without a plan,” she says. So she thinks through meals and enlists the help of grocery delivery to eliminate any unnecessary steps and stresses. She starts with a shared calendar that lists the family’s activities, which she then coordinates meals around. During her Sunday downtime, she sits with her favorite cookbooks and chooses the meals she needs to prep for the week. Then, she stocks up the cart — online to avoid unnecessary grocery store distractions — as ingredients come to mind. “I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve gone to the store, forgotten the one item I went to get in the first place, and come home with $200 worth of stuff,” she says. “My online cart helps me stay organized, and it’s super convenient. I schedule my pickup, it’s all loaded in the car and I’m off.”

With ingredients in hand, she does all of her chopping, marinating and other necessary mise en place before the week begins, along with preparing weekday lunches if the time allows. That way, when the 6:30 dinner bell rings, it’s assemble-and-go style for a quick and healthy dinner that fuels the entire family.

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and corn and cook for 2 minutes to warm through.

2. Add lime juice, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika and toss to coat the shrimp and corn. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp is slightly browned.

3. Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, put one tortilla in the pan at a time and warm for about 30 seconds per side, until the tortilla is pliable and begins to brown slightly. Remove and keep warm in kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

4. To assemble the tacos, top the warmed tortillas with Kale Slaw (recipe page 31) and shrimp filling and garnish with Cotija cheese.

Serve with lime wedges.

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FOOD | BAY TABLES

Portia Green

P

ROASTED GARLICPARMESAN VEGGIES WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP

ortia Green, executive director and soon-to-be principal at Prichard Preparatory School, has a full plate with her students and her children — 14-year-old Dalancey, 9-year-old Dalaney and 2-1/2-year-old D’Alo “Deuce” Jr. — but she never takes the daily adventure for granted.

“I have the privilege and honor to serve at Prichard Preparatory School,” she says. “No one day is ever the same, which makes the job exciting and fun.”

Balancing job and family takes a thoughtful routine at home. She, husband D’Alo and oldest daughter Dalancey prioritize cooking breakfast for the family each morning and sitting down for dinner together each evening. Portia strategically plans and purchases ingredients for weeknight meals to avoid frantically scurrying around as eager eaters await.

“Mealtime should focus more on family, laughter, memories at the table together and not stressing about food,” she says.

So most nights, they keep it simple. Portia purchases her groceries online every Saturday evening, with the intention of preparing specific meals throughout the week. Her family favors fruits, vegetables and seafood, and her easiest approach to serving them up is a sheet-pan supper. Roasting everything together is a foolproof way to incorporate multiple vegetables and proteins into one meal without compromising precious family time. “I simply add rice or quinoa and dinner rolls to make the dinner complete,” she says. Dig in.

SERVES 6

Portia follows a pescatarian diet, so local shrimp make frequent appearances on her family table.

5 small red potatoes 1 pound fresh green beans 1 large head broccoli 1 large bell pepper 7 - 8 sweet peppers 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions fresh parsley, to taste Parmesan, to taste

PORTIA’S TRICK FOR SURVIVAL Look for recipes that are healthy but not time-consuming.

Dumping everything fresh on one sheet pan is a major time-saver, and the clean-up is cut

PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

in half!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Chop potatoes, green beans, broccoli, bell pepper and sweet peppers to roughly the same size.

Toss in grapeseed oil and arrange on a large baking sheet.

3. Add sausage and shrimp. Coat with paprika, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.

4. Roast for 35 minutes until vegetables are toasted and meat is cooked through.

5. Divide quinoa into bowls and cover with roasted vegetables, shrimp and sausage. Top with parsley and Parmesan. Serve with dinner rolls.

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FOOD | BAY TABLES

THE REARDONS’ TRICK FOR SURVIVAL Use a Kamado Joe Grill or Crock-Pot to cook in batch on the weekends and save for busy weeknights.

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FOOD | BAY TABLES

Drs. Erin and Zach Reardon

T

he busyness of a doctor’s life is easy to imagine, but two doctors, married and raising four children, is a head-spinning image. But for Drs. Erin and Zach Reardon, a general dentist and urologist, respectively, the everyday hustle and bustle is what keeps them grounded.

“We always sit down together for dinner even if the meal is mac and cheese or PB&J,” says Erin, who plans meals with Zach for their four children: 6-year-old Jack, 4-year-old Manning, 2-year-old Molly and newborn Graham. “It is hectic every single night but always 100 percent worth the effort.”

Erin fits in meal planning on her weekends off, predetermining what’s for dinner to stay healthy, cost-efficient and resourceful with the time that’s available. Zach, being the seasoned cook of the household, grocery shops and makes more elaborate dinners on the weekends that can then be repurposed into new meals during the week. Utilizing leftover proteins and prepping slow-cooker meals or casseroles ahead of time are time-saving strategies that keep them on track and well-fed.

“We usually divide and conquer,” Zach says, an essential strategy for tag-teaming parents who both work outside the home.

“We plan ahead and work together,” Erin mirrors. “In our house, Zach prepares dinner while I’m simultaneously bathing the kids, getting them dressed for bed and helping with homework. All of it needs to get done, and it takes both of us to make it happen.”

ZACH’S MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN KABOBS WITH YOGURT SAUCE AND CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD SERVES 4

Zach crafts his own recipes inspired by eating out at local Mediterranean restaurants.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 1/2 lemons, zested and juiced, divided 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic 2 whole cucumbers, peeled and seeded, divided 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt 2 - 3 medium tomatoes or 8 ounces grape tomatoes, diced 1/4 red onion, diced 4 ounces feta cheese

1. Cube chicken into kabob-sized chunks and place in a freezer bag.

2. Combine cumin, turmeric and salt in a small bowl. Pour over chicken. Add zest and juice of one lemon and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Massage contents of bag to fully coat chicken. Allow to marinate 30 minutes or up to overnight.

3. When ready to cook, arrange chicken on skewers and grill for 12 - 15 minutes, rotating every 4 - 5 minutes depending on your grill.

4. To prepare the yogurt sauce, place garlic and 1/2 of a cucumber into a food processor. Add a pinch of salt. Pulse for 30 seconds to finely mince ingredients into a paste. Stir in Greek yogurt, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly.

5. To prepare the salad, dice tomatoes, remaining cucumbers and red onion. Toss in a medium bowl. Crumble feta over salad.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently.

6. To serve, keep chicken on skewers or remove and place on pitas. Serve with yogurt sauce for dipping and salad on the side.

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Lindsey Weems

T

he day-to-day duties for a mother of five occupy most of the daylit LINDSEY’S hours, and a lot of it happens behind TRICK FOR the scenes as the kids shuffle from one SURVIVAL place to the next. Lindsey Weems, CPA, a business analyst for Hargrove Consider premade Engineers + Constructors, works sideoptions such as by-side with husband David to ensure salad kits for an that 12-year-old Patrick, 10-year-old effortless adult Joseph, 9-year-old Stuart, 4-year-old dinner.

John and 2-year-old Lucy make it everywhere they need to be on any given weekday. That balancing act is constant at home, too.

“Teamwork!” is what Lindsey says it takes to coordinate a full household at mealtime. “There is a lot going on in the kitchen between 5 and 7:30 p.m., and the more you can work together as a family, the better.”

Kick-starting the weekend with a bulk store run and online grocery pickup stocks the fridge, and getting most of the cooking done before the week begins keeps things running smoothly. A busy night is simplified with casseroles, tacos or roasted meat and vegetables that can be thrown together in a flash. Even seated in front of something simple, the act of sharing a meal is the ultimate triumph for the Weems family.

“It’s not always pretty, but we recognize the importance of sitting down as a family and giving thanks at dinner as much as possible,” Lindsey says. “As a friend of mine likes to say, ‘Present over perfect.’”

CHICKEN BACON RANCH CASSEROLE SERVES 4 - 6

Lindsey serves this dinner with a side of Parmesan-Roasted Asparagus, recipe on the following page.

12 ounces Alfredo sauce, homemade or store-bought 1/3 cup ranch dressing 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 10 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained 2 1/2 cups cooked and diced chicken 7 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a casserole dish and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine Alfredo sauce and ranch dressing.

3. In a separate bowl, combine mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

4. Layer half of pasta, half of chicken and half of sauce in casserole dish. Stir and top with half of cheese blend. Repeat with remaining ingredients and top with bacon.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Serve warm.

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Continued from page 29

LINDSEY WEEMS’ CHICKEN BACON RANCH CASSEROLE PARMESAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS SERVES 4

Lindsey brings some green to the table with cheesy asparagus that even the kids love.

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place asparagus in a casserole dish and toss with olive oil to coat.

Sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and garlic powder.

3. Roast 12 minutes until fork tender.

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Continued from page 23

CHAMBLISS BRISTER’S MEXICAN SHRIMP AND CORN STREET TACOS KALE SLAW 1 cup sliced kale chipotle-lime dressing

1. In a small bowl, toss kale with chipotle-lime dressing until it is fully coated.

CHIPOTLE DRESSING MAKES 1/2 CUP 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons lime juice 1/8 teaspoon salt, more to taste 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder

1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

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HOMES | RENOVATION

Big Little Details Chelsea Lipford Wolf’s master bathroom addition proves small spaces can pack big style. text by AMANDA HARTIN

the bathroom and shower floors. Offsetting the cool walls and white quartz countertop is the stained wood vanity. “I’m not a trained designer,” she explains, “but I have learned a few tricks. Wood tones and plants can make a space feel inviting and warm. I’ve been painting a lot of cabinets white lately, and I wanted to try something different. I can paint over the stained wood down the road if I want.”

Aside from roofing and framing, the tiled accent wall accounted for the largest chunk of the Wolfs’ budget. When asked where a homeowner should splurge versus cut costs, Chelsea suggests, “Splurge on quality plumbing fixtures. You can tell the difference in their daily function. Save by painting everything yourself and reusing what you can.” The DIY maven followed her own thrifty advice by creating floating shelves inside the water closet from remnant cedar planks, and she scouted the perfect mirror from a local online marketplace.

For homeowners wondering if a bathroom addition — or any home project, really — is something they could tackle on their own, a good old-fashioned self-assessment is in order. “If you have the time to figure out what you don’t know as you’re working through a project, go for it,” Chelsea says. “It can save you significant money.” One caveat: “If it’s something you’ve never done before, plan for it to take longer than expected.” The Wolfs’ project took three months to complete.

As for future plans, Chelsea hopes to tackle an age-old problem, documenting her progress on her blog. “We will be tackling our horrendous garage storage situation,” she laughs. MB PHOTO BY CHELSEA LIPFORD WOLF

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hen she bought her 1,100-square-foot Spring Hill cottage, Chelsea Lipford was fresh out of college and the newly appointed producer of dad Danny Lipford’s Emmy-nominated home improvement show, “Today’s Homeowner.” No stranger to renovation or hard work, she and her dad set out to transform the 70-plus-year-old fixer-upper into a charming up-to-date space perfect for a twenty-something. The next eight years brought Chelsea a new last name, a new gig as her dad’s TV co-host and two children — with one on the way — for she and husband Brandon Wolf. That’s when Chelsea decided it was time to add a little space to the growing-cramped home.

“When we found out we were pregnant with our third child, we decided it was time to make our house work better for us,” she says. “Ideally, we would have moved into a larger home, but that was not something I wanted to do while pregnant. Plus, adding a bathroom onto our home would make it more sellable when we do decide to move.”

While the approximately 84-square-foot suite, which includes a glass-enclosed walk-in shower, vanity and water closet, sounds small, the finished product is not short on style or function. “It feels like a swanky hotel when you walk in,” Chelsea says, proudly. “I’ve always had a thing with bathrooms. Sure it has to be functional, but why can’t it be beautiful, too?”

The oversized subway tiles in a breezy blue-green hue, accented with golds and crisp lines of soft whites, create an airy, high-end feeling. To ground the room, Chelsea used tiles in shades of gray on

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PHOTO BY CHELSEA LIPFORD WOLF

TIP: After staining the vanity, Chelsea used spar urethane, an indoor/outdoor clear protective finish, to safeguard the wood from moisture and temperature changes.

NICE AND LIGHT Crisp shades of white keep the room airy and the lines clean.

SERENE SCENE

SHOW IT OFF Why keep beautiful tile hidden in the shower?

These aqua longerthan-average subway tiles extend behind the vanity to create an entire accent wall.

MIX IT UP

Hardscapes such as the floors and countertop are kept neutral, creating a spa-like feel and allowing the colorful accent wall to pop.

Metals are meant to be mixed! This cooltoned nickel faucet balances the warmth of the vanity’s brass drawer pulls.

clockwise from top left: WALL COLOR — SOFT CHAMOIS, BENJAMIN MOORE • TRIM COLOR — SIMPLY WHITE, BENJAMIN MOORE • SHOWER FLOOR — FESTIVAL MATTE GRAY DOT BASKET WEAVE PORCELAIN MOSAIC, 12 X 12, FLOOR & DECOR • BATHROOM FLOOR — CERAMIC TILE, GRAY WITH TAN, 12 X 24, SOUTHEASTERN SALVAGE • DELTA FLYNN BRUSHED NICKEL WATERSENSE FAUCET, AMAZON • MAIOLICA AQUA CRACKLED WALL TILE — ROCA TILE USA, 3 X 12, TILES DIRECT • SOUTHERN HILLS BRUSHED BRASS CABINET HANDLES, AMAZON PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

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PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT

A Good Life Visionaries Sarah and Mike Stashak talk careers, family and Mobile’s bright future. text by AMANDA HARTIN • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

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T

here’s no reason to be intimidated, I remind myself, as I ascend a trio of stairs to the Mediterranean-style house. I press the bell and wait, the couple’s extensive list of professional accomplishments rolling over in my mind. From the back comes Mike Stashak, his smile wide and handshake firm. I follow his tall frame into the kitchen, and Sarah, Mike’s bride of 23 years, rounds the corner and greets me with a hug, hers a familiar face from school outings. Whatever stereotype I had held of a Fortune 500 businessmanturned-entrepreneur and an energy industry professional, this wasn’t it. I feel silly for having been nervous, as the duo is warm and, well, approachable.

The Stashak home, much like the oaklined street that led me there, is bright and welcoming, with three children’s worth of artwork neatly pinned to display boards and cozy seating arrangements scattered throughout the first floor. We settle into the front room; they, opposite me, sit shoulder-to-shoulder. Having sensed a stranger, a wooly feline emerges from the dining room and pads toward me, his pink snoot upturned. “That’s BB,” Sarah says. “He’s just a mountain cat from north Georgia,” noting his pedigree. Little is the tomcat aware, however, of his owners’ impressive backgrounds.

A Bright Beginning “I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Massachusetts-native Mike says, thinking back on boyhood and then his parents. “I think the greatest thing my parents did was force me to always have a job, whether it was working in a warehouse, scooping ice cream or installing blinds.” Sarah, on the other hand, was certain of at least one thing. “I told my parents I wanted to go to Duke,” she laughs, admitting she was probably watching a televised Blue Devil’s game during her proclamation. Luckily for Mike, Sarah followed through on the

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 37

plan — the couple met as undergrads. Straight out of college, they moved to the nation’s capital.

“We lived in D.C. for a couple of years,” Mike says. “I had two jobs, one in sales, selling software, and the other, building some of the first websites for large Fortune 500 companies. This was during the first dot-com boom.” While Mike was toiling away in technology, Sarah had her eye on Capitol Hill. “My first job was working for Senator Jeff Sessions on his campaign,” she says, adding, “I was a political science and history major, and I dealt with a lot of government and regulatory affairs. This all eventually transitioned into what I’ve been doing for over a dozen years now, which is investor relations with Southern Company.” Seeing my furrowed brows, she clarifies, “I translate the strategy of the company into messages for Wall Street investors.”

By the time the 2000s rolled around, the Stashaks found themselves tucked away in an affluent suburb of Atlanta.

Sarah, a Mobile native, admits she pined for home and kept her eyes peeled south. “I would stay apprised of what was going on. I remember sitting in my office in Atlanta watching the webcast of the Airbus announcement. You could really see things in Mobile starting to transform.” Mike agrees that his attention often lighted on the Port City, and the couple would keep the possibility of moving to Sarah’s hometown in the back of their minds. Knowing his wife’s heart, Mike adds, “I really think Sarah’s happiest place on Earth is the Gulf of Mexico.” Sarah nods, saying she would cry every time they left the beach and headed back to Georgia. But it was some-

38 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

thing other than sand and salt water for which Mike longed.

“I realized around 2009 that, despite years of consulting and running companies, there was an itch I hadn’t scratched.”

Inching toward the couch’s edge, Mike excitedly continues. “I wanted to learn what it took to take an idea and grow it into a big company.” As providence would have it, Mike met a man with an idea, and within four weeks of this encounter, Mike quit his corporate job. “It wasn’t his ballgame,” Sarah says of corporate America, recalling the day Mike told her of his plan to grow what is now known as Wahoo Fitness, an industry leader in sensors and devices for fitness enthusiasts. “I was a little skeptical about the whole startup culture,” she admits.

“But when he took me to Best Buy and the product was on the shelf, and then it was on the shelf in the Apple Store, too, that was my lightbulb moment.”

A Bright Future “The joke is that Mike cooks breakfast and I do hair,” Sarah laughs as we turn our conversation to the present and to their duties of running a five-member household, including 7-yearold Sam and 5-year-old twins, Annie and Vivian. “Having kids changed our mentality a bit,” Mike chimes. “We had a great life in Atlanta, but everything felt so programmed.

It was important to both of us for our kids to have more freedom and a better sense of community as they got older.”

With both Mike and Sarah able to work remotely, the list of potential places to live might have seemed endless. But there was really only one option. “With so much going on

in Mobile, we wanted to be part of the movement, to jump right in as much as possible,” Mike says. The family made the leap in July 2016.

True to their word, both dove into community involvement. Mike sits on the board of Innovation PortAL, a hub for Mobile-area entrepreneurs and startups (featured on the following

“WE WANTED A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE THAN BEING ON THE CONSTANT TREADMILL IN ATLANTA.” – Mike Stashak

page), a perfect spot for the man who already has his eyes on his next company. He hints, “It will be sports technology-related because that’s where my passion lies.”

In addition to working for Alabama Power’s parent company from what she calls her “hovel,” which is half home office, half exercise room, Sarah rounds out her days serving on two boards: the board of directors for the Accel Charter Day and Evening Academy and the board for the Three Mile Creek Partnership. “There’s been a plan on the books for probably 30 years to utilize the corridor,” she says about Three Mile Creek. “The thing I love about this project is that we’re building something for the citizens of Mobile, as opposed to something that will draw in tourists. We’re making something that the people who are here can use and enjoy.”

Mike adds, “We’re super excited about the future of Mobile. The city can be whatever it wants to be. It’s got the people and passion, and we’re going to be part of it.” MB

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THE TIME IS NOW Mobile is known to many as The City of Perpetual Potential. The team at Innovation PortAL wants that moniker gone — for good.

text by JILL CLAIR GENTRY

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GUMBO | AWARENESS

F

or decades, Mobile has had a reputation of being just a few steps behind other cities of its size.

Some like it this way; others push for change. But everyone can agree that Mobile is a unique city with immense potential.

The team at Innovation PortAL, an organization that supports startup companies in the central Gulf Coast region, wants to stop talking about potential. Mobile’s time to shine, they say, isn’t sometime in the future — it’s right now. And they believe one of the Port City’s strongest assets is the ecosystem they’ve developed to encourage Gulf Coast entrepreneurs to thrive.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Mobile: showing up and shining strong Michelle Parvinrouh, Mobile native and daughter of entrepreneur Nasser Parvinrouh of Nasser Gymnastics, moved back to Mobile and began her tenure as Innovation PortAL’s executive director in December 2019. Parvinrouh, who spent a decade working in Denver’s economic development sector, says Mobile’s recent economic progress, specifically centered around startup companies, is impressive on a national scale.

“Mobilians who haven’t left Mobile often have a negative narrative about it and what it doesn’t have, but in this domain, I’m telling you, Mobile is showing up and shining strong,” she says. “I tell my contacts about the momentum in this city, and they’re all very impressed. Potential is used as a bad word here, but Mobile is killing it, and we need to be talking about that.”

Creating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem Innovation PortAL was created in 2016 as a joint project of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Mobile, Mobile County and the University of South Alabama.

Its purpose is to create an economic ecosystem that allows

early stage, high growth startup companies to succeed in the Port City and along the central Gulf Coast.

“When we talk about early stage, high growth companies, we typically mean those that are going to grow outside of their local and domestic reach quickly,” Parvinrouh says. “Think about companies with hundreds of thousands of users and a national or global reach. This obviously lends itself to tech-based companies, but also includes product-based companies with business models like Dollar Shave Club.”

In the past three years, Innovation PortAL has served over 90 of these companies by providing free services like direct consulting, partnerships, mentorship and more.

“We call it an incubator, and to understand how it works, it’s helpful to think about a baby incubator,” Parvinrouh says. “That incubator is an environment where babies can be nurtured until they can be self-sustaining. Similarly, we provide those founders who are trying to make it with a workspace, educational and growth resources, mentoring and funding sources. We do all of this by collaborating strongly with other entities in the community where we have overlapping services.”

Trey Byrum, founder of Scottsman Tools and Alabama Pipe Welder’s Academy, has benefitted from time in the Innovation PortAL incubator.

Byrum began his welding career in the Navy in 2003 and spent 15 years in the industry before moving back to Mobile to care for his mother.

He saw a need for “safer tools and safer schools” and began inventing welding tools in his kitchen.

“He started selling them here and there on eBay, and pretty soon, he developed a whole suite of products,” says Corey James, Innovation PortAL’s director of operations. “He showed up at his first meeting with us with a duffel bag full of inventions.”

Through Innovation PortAL and its partnerships, Byrum received introductions to mentors and investors as well as

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PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

help with business consulting, product pricing and staffing.

Byrum, who currently serves on Innovation PortAL’s board of directors, now has three patented inventions, and his products are sold in over 65 countries. His revenue has more than doubled every year for the past three years.

“The clients of Innovation PortAL made the long days of running a startup nonprofit worth every minute,” says founding executive director Hayley Van Antwerp. “We have entrepreneurs right here in the Gulf Coast with excellent ideas and the potential to scale their ventures as large as they wish. The challenge for Innovation PortAL was to put our entrepreneurs through the paces so they could compete for funding with entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, New York and other regions abundant in startup resources. While the economic impact of programs like Innovation PortAL can take years to be realized, the needle is starting to move. We have local startups raising millions of dollars — and these are primarily out-of-market dollars coming into our market.”

Why startups?

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau definitively shows the creation of startup companies is essential for an economy to thrive, specifically in the area of job creation, Parvinrouh says. A 2010 Kauffman Foundation study, which analyzed this data going back to 1977, revealed that without startup companies (defined as brand new companies under a year old), there would be no net job growth in the U.S. economy. The data also confirms that even during recessions, job creation through startups remains stable.

Because continual generation of new companies is essential for economic growth and job creation, many cities began startup incubators like Innovation PortAL over a decade ago. Mobile is a bit late to the game, but that can be a good thing, James says.

“Other cities in our market who we’re competing with — Asheville, Greenville, Savannah, Chattanooga — have a head start on investments and entrepreneur ecosystem growth, and

this page top to bottom Michelle Parvinrouh, the new executive director of Innovation PortAL, walks the construction site. The team meets with construction team leaders and engineers.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson visits a client site after they won Alabama Launchpad.

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that dynamic is in some ways an asset for Mobile,” James says. “We can learn from them and can cherry-pick the best programming to avoid common mistakes.”

James says the big picture of Innovation PortAL’s impact involves a cultural shift.

“We want people to understand that entrepreneurship is a viable career path,” James says. “We want people to say, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to start, but I know I’m going to be an entrepreneur.’

“We want to see the brightest minds in our community feel so supported that they are confident to gravitate toward the thrill and excitement of entrepreneurship even though there is risk involved.”

Measurable impact The 90 startups Innovation PortAL has served over the past three years have raised over $12 million in capital and have created over 70 full-time jobs and 70 part-time jobs. Of those 90, 25 are considered high potential, meaning they have the right idea, team and product in place, along with favorable market conditions. Additionally, almost half of the individuals who have utilized Innovation PortAL’s services are from an underrepresented demographic (specifically, people of color, women or disabled veterans).

“In just a short amount of time, we’ve already seen so much success, which is reflected in these real, measurable metrics,” Parvinrouh says. “That impact will grow exponentially once we get our building open and launch new programs.”

Looking ahead In early summer, Innovation PortAL will finally have its own brick-and-mortar space after three years of operating out of offices at the Fuse Factory and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. The new space will allow Innovation PortAL to streamline its efforts and provide everything it offers — community economic development partnerships, direct consulting, office space for startups and more — under one roof.

The 30,000 square-foot building, formerly a Threaded Fasteners warehouse, is

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PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

located at 358 St. Louis Street. It serves as the flagship property in the effort to develop that area, known as Automobile Alley, into a thriving tech corridor and entertainment district.

“This building is going to give Mobile a place where entrepreneurs can grow and scale their businesses, but it also signifies that we are creating an atmosphere in our community for the type of person we are trying to recruit to move here and stay here,” says Frank Lott III, chairman of Innovation Portal’s Board of Directors. “Incubators serve as a catalyst for retaining and recruiting younger people and making sure people who leave for college have reason to come back. They help revitalize downtowns and promote modern day economic development. This building will be a community center for that movement.” MB

above Michelle Parvinrouh and Corey James meet in the Innovation PortAL construction site. below A team works together at Startup Weekend Mobile 2017.

HAVE A STARTUP IDEA? Join Innovation PortAL at its fifth annual Techstars’ Startup Weekend April 3-5. In just 54 hours, ideas become real business pitches. An esteemed panel of judges provides feedback, and winners receive in-kind prizes like free headshots, business cards and more. Success stories like Mobile’s own CigarClub.com have originated at Startup Weekend.

“I’ve been involved in many Startup Weekends in my career, but I’ve never seen a

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panel like the one Corey has put together for this year’s event,” Parvinrouh says. “These are done all over the country, and Mobile’s is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen.” Tickets for participating entrepreneurs are $50.

General admission to Sunday’s Final Pitch Competition are $10. Visit Innovation-Portal.com for more information.

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A

WOMAN’S

PLACE

From home repair to freight logistics, seven local women take care of business in traditionally male-dominated industries. text by BRECK PAPPAS • photos by MATTHEW COUGHLIN

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SHANNON LADD (LEFT) AND NATALIE BARRETT OF STREAMLINE LOGISTICS, LLC march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 47

A

ccording to Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist and president of Barnard College, “It begins early, when girls as young as six stop believing that girls are the smart ones.” As those girls mature, that belief causes them to shy away from careers thought to be reserved for men, and with fewer women in those particular fields, the pattern continues.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” Beilock argues in the Harvard Business Review, “but it can be broken.” While only 7.2 percent of women worked in full-time male-dominated

Natalie Barrett and Shannon Ladd Owners of Streamline Logistics, LLC For whoever is working operations on a given day, the dispatch calls, texts and emails start around 5:30 in the morning and don’t cease until 8:30 at night. Natalie Barrett and Shannon Ladd, freight brokers and owners of Streamline Logistics, have learned two important lessons: take alternate days working operations, and switch the cell phone to vibrate mode.

occupations in 2018, women’s job growth is in fact driven by employment in male-dominated fields. According to the New York Times, employment growth for women between 2016 and 2018 was concentrated in sectors that are at least two-thirds male — but there’s still work to be done. As research has shown that women exposed to powerful female role models are more likely to ascribe to the notion that women are suited for leadership positions, MB presents the following ladies as examples of the wonderful results of a cycle broken.

“Otherwise, you will hear the tinging sound in your sleep,” Barrett says, estimating that a single day is good for 500 texts and 1,500 emails.

Becoming freight brokers, the middle men (or women) between a shipper who has goods to transport and an authorized motor carrier, was not an obvious choice for the pair. Barrett and Ladd communicate with men all day, every day; females only make up about 8 percent of drivers and 14 percent of managers in the trucking industry. Having known each other since kindergarten, the two women joined forces in 2005 when Ladd, who was working at a stevedoring company in Mobile, approached Barrett with a business proposal. Both unmarried at the time, Barrett and Ladd, now busy mothers, credit a certain youthful fearlessness for the decision.

“At 25, we were on top of the world and just thought, ‘What do we have to lose?’” Barrett says. The duo managed to move $1 million in freight their first year and have continued to grow ever since, transporting commodities such as lumber, fiberglass, copper and aluminum (pictured left). While people are often surprised to discover the extent to which the

“MOST OF THE DRIVERS WE DEAL WITH ARE MALE, SO, AS FEMALES, WE REALLY HAVE TO HAVE STRONG PERSONALITIES.” NATALIE BARRETT (LEFT) AND SHANNON LADD

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- Natalie Barrett

two young mothers excel in such a male-dominated industry, Barrett and Ladd say that relationships, not gender, rule the day.

“Sometimes our customers find that the huge freight brokers can’t move certain lanes (trucking routes), and they can’t believe that these two girls from Alabama can,” Ladd says.

“Well, it’s because we’ve been doing it for 15 years, and we’ve established relationships using the same carriers.”

For other women interested in the industry, the pair says, take heart. “I would definitely encourage people to take the challenge, the risk, the leap of faith,” Ladd says. “Logistics is such a broad field. There’s so much opportunity but not a whole lot of experience in this industry, so if you do have experience, the opportunities are endless. And just be strong and aggressive, because I don’t think there’s anything a female cannot do in this business.”

SYLVIA BROWDER

Sylvia Browder Owner of Specialty Home Services, LLC “I’m the hard-hat-wearing boss lady,” says Sylvia Browder, behind a big smile. “That’s what the guys call me: Boss Lady.”

Browder is the boss lady for nine part-time handymen at Mobile’s Specialty Home Services, the janitorial and home improvement business she created in 2015. What started as a word-of-mouth cleaning service has grown into a successful enterprise, covering the gamut of home repairs. Browder, born in Phoenix, raised in Detroit and most recently relocated from San Diego, is no stranger to small business ownership; she operated a commercial cleaning company in San Diego. Browder is also a business consultant, helping women start or expand their businesses.

According to her, female ownership in the home repair industry is next to zero, a fact that is reiterated every day by the surprised faces of her new customers.

“I get it, and I understand that I’m not in a traditional industry.

So it doesn’t bother me that they’re surprised,” she says. “Sometimes I get a chuckle out of it, especially when they assume that it’s my husband’s business.”

Female ownership does come with its challenges. Some handymen, Browder says, don’t last long due to an unwillingness to work for a woman or a disagreement over pay. “So I’ve had to get rid of

“I WOULD TELL ANY WOMAN IN ANY INDUSTRY, KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO. KNOW THE INDUSTRY. IF IT’S A MALE-DOMINATED BUSINESS, I WOULD EVEN GET A JOB IN THAT INDUSTRY TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO HIT A LOT OF ROADBLOCKS.” - Sylvia Browder

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LT. JULIA MUNDY

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them,” she says. But most of the time, customers are intrigued by the friendly business owner on their doorstep.

“Whenever I go out and do an estimate, people are pleasantly surprised that I’m the boss and that I came out to the call … they’re surprised that not only am I a woman but a minority. And I know my stuff.” At the end of the day, Browder says, that’s what counts to a customer.

“Success comes to people who do good work,” she says. “Honesty and integrity have to be your ruling qualities.”

Browder’s work as a business consultant also allows her to practice her second passion: helping other women succeed. It’s a mission that’s close to her heart because, without the encouragement of one woman, Browder might not have become a business owner. Before starting her first janitorial company, she approached her friend, Brenda, who already owned a small cleaning service. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to compete with you, but can you give me some advice?” Browder asked.

Taking her by the hand, Brenda replied, “Sylvia, there’s enough work for everybody.”

“It gives me chills,” Browder says, “because those words are still in my mind. If more women helped other women, just think how bright this world would be.”

Lieutenant Julia Mundy Commanding Officer, USCGC Manowar At the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Mobile, near Fort Whiting, Lt. Julia Mundy steps onto the 87-foot cutter Manowar and salutes the American flag at its stern. The 26-year-old has served as the ship’s commanding officer since May of 2018, meaning that, when the ship is underway, she commands a crew of 10 men from the captain’s chair. Easygoing and quick to laugh, Mundy says she leaves a wake of surprise everywhere she goes.

“I guess I don’t portray myself as a hardcore military person,” she admits.

Mundy grew up in Cornwall-On-Hudson, New York, a riverfront village of 3,000 in the shadow of West Point. While attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, she “just fell in love with the Coast Guard mission.” Undeterred by the fact that just 15 percent of the Coast Guard’s active-duty force is female, Mundy hit the ground running during her first assignment in Coast Guard SecGalveston, Texas, receiving all of her tor Mobile annually qualifications in just six months before conducts over 800 being selected to be the only afloat female officer in the Kingdom of Bahrain. When search and rescue assigned to serve as a commanding offi- cases, saving over cer in Mobile, where some of her male 100 lives and procrew members have decades of Coast tecting millions of Guard experience, Mundy says she was dollars in property never daunted by the task. each year.

“I NEVER SAW MY GENDER AS A LIMITING FACTOR IN MY LIFE BECAUSE I GREW UP IN A REALLY GREAT FAMILY, AND NOBODY EVER TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD HOLD ME BACK. SO I NEVER LET IT.” - Lt. Julia Mundy

“It’s a lot easier than you think, because with the position comes the positional respect and power,” she says. “So they know that the Coast Guard trusts me, the Coast Guard picked me to do this job. Obviously, I’ve earned it, and I’m qualified to do it.”

Notably, the USCG Sector Mobile, which annually conducts over 800 search and rescue cases and consists of over 420 miles of coast, is led by Capt. LaDonn A. Allen, the first female captain of the port for the sector’s area of responsibility.

Mundy says that women such as Allen provide an encouraging example to all women considering a career in a male-dominated field.

“If you’re nervous, rise to the occasion,” Mundy says. “If you’re not going to do it, who is? Nobody’s better, faster, stronger than you, but if you let them, they will be.”

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Angie Leaver Owner, Big Bill’s Appliance Repair Angie Leaver once knocked on the door of a 95-year-old woman who had a broken washing machine. The customer cracked open the door.

“Can I help you?”

“Good morning, I’m here to fix your washer,” Leaver answered.

“You?” she asked skeptically. “Well, come on in. I’ve got to see this.”

Leaver, owner of Big Bill’s Appliance Service in Mobile, laughs at the memory. She says that after 20 years at the helm of the appliance repair business, such encounters are much less frequent. The word has spread about the female repair technician, although there are still clients who expect to find someone matching the description of “Big Bill” on their doorstep.

“Bill was my father,” Leaver explains. “He was a red-headed Yankee, 5-foot-11, 250 pounds. He looked just like the old Maytag Man.” Big Bill started his business in 1989, and it wasn’t long before he began taking his daughter along on service calls.

“My dad expected a lot of us and often passed out pieces of advice. One thing he always said was, ‘There’s three things you never talk about in a customer’s house: religion, politics and Alabama and Auburn football.’”

When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Leaver began taking on more of the responsibility. When her father died two years later, she

decided, at 24, to carry on his legacy — under the Big Bill banner.

“Keeping the business name was a no-brainer for me,” Leaver says. Twenty years and “a lot of trial-and-error” later, Leaver and her mother, Ronnie, have carried the business to new heights.

“My mom and I are the only repairwomen in Mobile that I know of,” Leaver says. “It’s completely male-dominated.” Whether as a result of her reputation or a sign of changing attitudes, Leaver says she’s witnessed a lot of the skepticism towards repairwomen melt away in the past 10 years. “Ten years ago, I got it a lot. People assumed that, because I’m a woman, I couldn’t repair something or that I couldn’t pick up a washer or throw around a stove.”

Averaging 15 to 18 service calls a day, often with her 27-year-old son in tow, Leaver hardly stands still, but she likes it that way. “I’m trying to keep that legacy going and trying to show my children that you can do whatever you want to do. You’re not limited. You limit yourself, but you’re not limited.”

Alexa Stabler Sports Agent at Stabler Sports

ANGIE LEAVER

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Representing her father, Kenny Stabler, at the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was a jumble of emotions for Alexa Stabler. The legendary Alabama and Oakland Raiders quarterback had passed away 13 months prior, and, despite the tremendous honor of the occasion, his daughter was still grappling with the loss. She had watched his body breakdown as a result of 15 seasons in the NFL and, just months earlier, doctors at Boston University had confirmed that Stabler’s brain exhibited all the signs of CTE, a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. Had he not died of colon cancer, they concluded, he almost certainly would have developed dementia.

“I was dealing with a lot of negative emotion — anger to some extent,” Stabler says. “I decided I needed to do something positive with those feelings.”

In her office at Stabler Sports, the agency she subsequently founded in 2017 on lower Dauphin Street, Stabler sits at her desk among commemorative footballs and photographs with her father. The building also serves as the head-

ALEX A STABLER

quarters for AdamsIP, the intellectual property and business law firm started by her husband, Hunter Adams, for which Stabler also works as a trademark attorney. With the conclusion of the 2020 Senior Bowl just days earlier, much of Stabler’s attention is focused on April’s NFL draft.

“This year I have two players who are drafteligible,” she says, “so my job is to help them get ready for their pro days or different events they’re attending.”

Although only 5 percent of sports agents are female, people who know the Orange Beach native and Alabama Law School graduate say the job is a natural fit, combining her legal knowledge with her unique perspective on professional football.

“I thought perhaps I could use that knowledge and experience on behalf of younger players to help prevent some of the things I saw my dad go through,” Stabler says. “My dad is the entire reason I do this. Additionally, the way my dad raised my sister and me, gender was never even a topic. Now, I see that it was tremendously

valuable for me to go into life without a ‘me versus the boys’ mentality.

Growing up with that mindset, I’m just not daunted by being a woman in this industry.”

Janet Nodar Senior Editor, Journal of Commerce

Stabler’s clients include former South Alabama punter Corliss Waitman, current XFL quarterback Brandon Silvers, and JK Scott, Alabama graduate and current punter for the Green Bay Packers.

On a hook in Janet Nodar’s office hangs dozens of name badges in every color, souvenirs from breakbulk shipping shows around the globe. While her current role as a senior editor of project and heavy lift at the Journal of Commerce (JoC) doesn’t require nearly as much international travel as her six years as a content director for Breakbulk Magazine, Nodar fondly looks back on her exciting, yet exhausting, travels in the name of breakbulk shipping.

“Breakbulk is a very small niche of the shipping industry,” Nodar says, describing the cargo as oversized or overweight and often related to capital projects. As a result, breakbulk cargo is not shipped in containers and has to be handled with very specialized equipment.

“I was in the right place at the right time to learn about it, and it became my specialty to write about it,” she says.

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JANET NODAR

The Journal of Commerce is a biweekly magazine focused on global trade topics. It was founded in 1827 by Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the Morse Code.

Nodar, wife of WKRG meteorologist John Nodar, says she’s “always been a writer,” but it wasn’t until she began working as a freelancer for Alabama Seaport magazine that the world of cargo came alive for the journalist.

“It was so interesting to me,” she says, “the movement of cargo around the world and how everything interrelates.” With an undergraduate degree in finance, Nodar has always been business-minded, and a master’s degree in English helps put the finishing flourish on her reporting. Now, as the only female senior editor who’s a subject matter expert at the JoC, Nodar says she enjoys the challenge of speaking with shipping experts and making their jobs understandable for an audience. “In other words, using my skillset to bring their skillsets to the page,” she explains.

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While those in the shipping industry, and those who write about it, are overwhelmingly male, Nodar says she has “never, that I know of, been treated differently because I was female.” What matters most, she says, is “if you’re fair and if you treat people well.” Nevertheless, for women, and for writers in general, Nodar stresses preparation.

“There were people that would not have been patient with me if I hadn’t done my homework — men and women, but mostly men because there are so many in the industry. But if I demonstrated that I knew at least a little bit, if I could understand their vocabulary and I could understand what they were trying to say, that went a long way.” MB

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN BUSINESS-MINDED, AND I JUST WAS FASCINATED BY HOW LOGISTICS AND SHIPPING WORKED.” - Janet Nodar

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LA LOUISIANNE ON DOG RIVER

Two Louisiana transplants bring the vernacular of the river parishes to the architecture of their new home in south Mobile.

text by MAGGIE LACEY home photos by JUSTIN CORDOVA and courtesy of COCHR AN INVESTMENTS portrait by ELIZABETH GELINEAU 56 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

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I

t’s 5 a.m., and the clouds above the water suddenly turn a vibrant pink and orange before gently fading to blues, greys and white as the sun rises behind the Dog River bridge. From Mike Finan’s “natural habitat,” sitting in his easy chair with a cup of coffee, he watches the morning unfold before his waterfront home south of Mobile. A lone boat eases toward the Bay for some early morning fishing. There aren’t too many creatures awake at this time of day, but the hours of a surgeon die hard. Even in the first few months of his retirement from the USA Mitchell Cancer Center, Mike is an early riser.

Leaving the house at 6:30 a.m. every morning for rounds, surgery and meetings as the director of Mitchell Cancer Center, Mike came to appreciate a good sunrise.

He had a lot of practice. But it wasn’t just early work hours that gave sunrises meaning for the Finans.

When Mike and his wife Melinda first viewed the lot on Dog River where their home now sits, they were thrilled with its east-facing shoreline. While others may prize sunsets, the couple wanted to be able to face the water in the cool comfort of afternoon shade while enjoying their signature gin and tonics. The Finans had finally found their forever home on The Dog River, as Mike calls it.

Transplants The minute you meet Mike and Melinda, it is apparent they were born and bred a touch further west than The Grand Mariner. If Mike’s New Orleans accent isn’t a dead giveaway, his purple and gold fleur de lis socks are. The American, Alabama and LSU flags fly proudly together next to a lone cypress tree, hugging the shore where the Finan’s dock meets the land along the widest part of Dog River. But the strongest nod to their native territory is in the architecture of their raised home, whispering “Acadiana” at every turn. They chose to build a life and raise a family here in south Alabama, but not without bringing a taste of home with them.

Back in 2005, the Finans were living a comfortable life in New Orleans with their 8-year-old twin daughter and son when Mike came home one day and told Melinda he had accepted a job in Mobile. “I was so mad,” she remembers. “He never even told me he was interviewing.” Mike closes his eyes hard, remembering a tough marital lesson learned. Their house sold quickly — a bittersweet blessing — as they said goodbye to a home that was walking distance to Mike’s mom and close to family and friends they had known for years. The move along the Gulf Coast began a new chapter.

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“We were supposed to be downsizing, but it ended up bigger than what we needed or wanted. It turned out so beautiful we just couldn’t stop. I guess that’s a good summary.” – Mike Finan of the design and construction process

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Hurricane Katrina hit less than two months later. “I looked at Mike and said, ‘You’re the smartest guy in the world.’” The couple laughs in disbelief — and with a tinge of guilt — about how pure luck moved them out of harm’s way just in the nick of time. Despite the incredible suffering the hurricane brought to the Finans’ hometown, it became a touchstone for them when they settled in Mobile. “I think people assumed we were displaced by the storm,” Mike adds. Anyone at that time who had just moved to town from New Orleans had moved for one big reason. It was an easy assumption to make, and people reached out and made them feel welcome instantly. “It was such a tragic time for the Gulf Coast,” Mike remembers. “It really brought people together.”

Acadian Inspirations Mike and Melinda drew on their Louisiana roots when they began to dream up their forever home, turning to the historic Antebellum cottages along the Mississippi River’s fabled River Road for inspiration. The French Creole homes lining the shoreline between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, built by sugar planters in the years preceding the Civil War, are some of the most iconic Southern structures, inspiring a regional vernacular. It is a style that was

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“The first thing we did was build the pier.

We moved into an RV on the lot while the home was under construction and grilled out and enjoyed the pier. We’ll cast, fishing the bottom for hours in the afternoons in the fall and spring.”

– Mike Finan

later perfected by architect A. Hays Town, whose work was the model for many a creole and Spanishinfluenced home across the Gulf Coast. As one of the first architects to use reclaimed timbers and patinaed surfaces as far back as the 1960s to ‘80s, Town set the standard for building modern Acadian homes with perfect historical appeal. His mark is all over the Finans’ Dog River home. The house plans were drawn by Covington draftsman Andy McDonald, whose 40-year career has drawn direct

opposite page The second story porch offers a view of the Dog River bridge. this page, clockwise The pecky cypress mantle was salvaged from the recent Grand Hotel renovation by Fairhope’s Deas Millwork. Melinda’s favorite spot in the house is at the kitchen sink and looking out this window. A galley kitchen is the perfect fit for this passionate cook, while the back side of the kitchen’s large marble counter works like a serving buffet. Cochran Investments in Spanish Fort built the home with quality materials and plenty of historical references.

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left The railings and shutters on the home are Chrome Green by Benjamin Moore, one of only two traditional paint colors used for shutters in New Orleans. The porch ceilings are Wedgewood, also by Benjamin Moore. this page, clockwise Homeowners Mike and Melinda Finan and dog Delta. On the ground floor, a window lifts to reveal a bar, flanked by “arm” sconces that look like they were sourced from a New Orleans antique dealer but that Mike actually found on Amazon. The lower level is all stucco and cement block, with doors that come off to allow flood waters to flow through and a “must have” double-sided wood burning fireplace. The family’s player piano came from an antique store on Canal Street in New Orleans.

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 63

inspiration from the work of Town. Deep raised porches across the front and back of the house with exterior stairs, dark green working shutters that close across pristine French doors, twinkling gas lanterns from Bevolo Lighting in New Orleans and triangleshaped shingles are all built to historic proportion. One has to look twice to see if the home is truly old or just very well done new construction. The Finans’ is the latter. Clean lines on the interior and simple crown moulding also keep with the historical accuracy, but while the exterior staircases feel period appropriate, the Finans added a sleek elevator in the inside for modern convenience and to ensure it would be a home in which they could retire.

The Next Chapter Turns out Mike doesn’t sit still for too long, even in his “natural habitat.”

“I think I still have one more phase of my career left,” he explains. “I still have something left to give, and I’m looking to make a difference.” Although he was recruited by several hospitals around the country upon his recent retirement, and they even entertained the thought of a big move, the Finans chose the option that allowed them to make a difference while staying in their home on the river. He will start work with Singing River Health Systems in Pascagoula this fall. “I just pinch myself when I stand at the kitchen sink and look out this window,” Melinda gushes. “How could we ever leave this?” MB 64 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

this page The heart pine wood floors were taken from a mill in North Carolina. The nail marks and bolt holes give the home a historic patina in a way that would make architect A. Hays Town proud.

Mike built the outdoor shower himself out of cedar with stone pavers, perfect for rinsing the dogs every evening in the summer after a cool dip in the river.

After enjoying an evening of drinks at a friend’s home on Dog River,

the Finans were completely smitten. “I don’t think I even realized

The Dog River existed,” Mike laughs. march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 65

Wheeling & Dealing A small local woodshop is carving skateboards with cutting-edge techniques and super-cool designs — and celebrities can’t get enough of them. text by STEPHEN POTTS photos by MATTHEW COUGHLIN

“W

hat I love about doing this,” Bear Walker says, “is that the artwork has to look good, but it’s, like, a functional thing. We ride the shit out of these boards, and they hold up.”

He’s standing in his workshop, located in the back of a nondescript building in Daphne. Inside his office, 150 skateboards sit boxed, stacked and waiting on the delivery truck Pokémon sent to retrieve the last of their massive order — five different custom designs featuring the video game giant’s most popular characters. It’s part of his latest collaboration.

“I find someone I want to work with, I make them a custom board, and I find out where they’re going to be. That’s what happened with Pokémon. They were at the Licensing Expo in Vegas, so I signed up to go, and the only custom I made was for them. I scheduled a meeting with them, met up, gave them the custom. And about six weeks later, I start getting on phone calls with them, and it evolved from there.”

It’s that sort of initiative and entrepreneurship that has helped Bear turn his artistic talents and passion for skateboarding into a career. His five-person team will build about 4,000 boards this year, a significant jump from the roughly 1,500 they made last year.

Bear’s popularity has soared thanks in part to relationships with celebrities.

When famous actors like Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Zachary Levi (Shazam!), or a brand like Pokémon, post pictures on their social media with Bear’s boards, their fans flock to his site and place orders.

But the underlying reason for Bear’s success is rooted in talent, perseverance and resourcefulness.

He learned general woodworking from his dad, who had a custom home building

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company in Charleston (“My dad actually built houses for Martha Stewart and Oprah, so he was doing custom things for celebrities way before I was,” he says). Bear taught himself how to use an automated machining tool that can carve the intricate designs in the boards based off codes he writes. “I have to tell every line what bit to use, how deep to cut and how fast to move,” he says. “There’s about five different programs that I have to put into place.”

Bear was an avid surfer growing up, but when he went to college at Clemson University, he found himself 250 miles from the closest breakers. He turned to skateboarding to get his riding fix and, after graduating with a degree in graphic design, he opened up a skateboard shop.

He tried selling his boards to retail stores, but the shops weren’t receptive. When that didn’t work out, he had to move back in

top Bear Walker monitors an automated machining tool as it carves a board. bottom After painting, Bear sands the color away from portions of the skateboard to reveal the carved design.

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 69

“MY DAD WAS PRETTY HELL-BENT ON ME NOT DOING CONSTRUCTION. BUT I CAME KIND OF CLOSE I GUESS. I JUST PUT AN ARTISTIC SPIN ON IT.” – Bear Walker

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with his parents, who had relocated back to Baldwin County after 20 years in South Carolina. The move gave him a chance to save up enough money for his current venture, and it gave him access to his family’s woodworking shop.

Bear knew his boards would work, but he just needed time. “It took two solid years of just making them and putting them out there and getting traction,” he says. “The carved-out grip is the main thing.” The unique grip is something that he just sort of stumbled upon while making trophies for a surf competition.

While most boards require the use of grip tape to keep your feet from sliding off, Bear’s grips are strategically implemented into the design and carved into the wood.

“No one has ever done anything like this for the foot. It’s grippier than grip tape.”

This is also where Bear’s entrepreneurial side kicks back in. He envisions the patent-

pending grip being used in other fields. “It won’t only apply to skateboards. We can do handicapped ramps, stair treads, boat decking,” he says.

Ideally, he’d like for people to earn rebates for using his grip as an all-natural abrasive surface. “That would fund years of skateboards,” he laughs.

Bear regularly puts in 70-hour workweeks, although he did recently start taking Sundays off. “A custom board generally takes between 20 to 30 hours,” he says, “depending on how cool the idea is and how pliable the customer is. No one touches the custom boards but me, start to finish.”

Over the years, he has developed and refined his technique. He uses a water-based stain when painting for durability — the stain soaks into the wood so nicks don’t show as much. And his designs use contours, gradients and different focal points to help hold off natural wear and tear that comes as a resulting of skateboarding.

The boards are made out of 9-ply maple, which is the best wood because it has a little flexibility but it’s really durable. He uses it in every layer on the board (most board makers just use it on the top and bottom layers).

The Pokémon boards launched February 11, and his next collaboration is in the works. Bear is opening up a custom shop in Los Angeles this year, and he’ll be exhibiting at an art gallery out there as well.

His manager is getting him more plugged into the Hollywood scene. The past three months have been busier for Bear than the past three years.

But as the business has “become more business-y,” he still takes time to create boards for himself to stay inspired. “My dad was pretty hell-bent on me not doing construction. But I came kind of close I guess. I just put an artistic spin on it.”

Like his boards, Bear is a unique blend of artistry and functionality. MB opposite top Bear Walker skateboards featuring the Pokémon character Mewtwo hang ready for assembly. bottom A detail of Bear’s patentpending carved wood grip.

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MOBILE BAY MAGAZINE CELEBRATES

DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS Having a diverse workforce is not just a politically correct fad — it’s a competitive advantage. Businesses that employ people with different characteristics, from ethnicity to education level, report experiencing higher creativity, greater employee engagement and faster problemsolving. The following Bay-area businesses certainly walk the walk when it comes to successfully diversifying their teams.

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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SPECIAL SECTION | MOBILE BAY DIVERSITY

PICTURED: KIRSTYN BLISS, COURTNEY CORTOPASSI, COLE KENNEDY, PAIGE YARBROUGH, SARAH HUGHES, MISTY HUDSON WHITEHEAD, JOSH ROBES, MARCUS HIGGS, ALI HUGHES, MISTY WHITEHEAD. PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY

Chicken Salad Chick Why is cultivating a diverse work environment a priority for your business? Chicken Salad Chick believes that diversity in the work environment is not only important for the success of the business but also important in allowing opportunities for people from all walks of life. One of the most important points of Chicken Salad Chick’s mission statement is to “enrich lives,” and this starts with building a team of diverse people and giving them an opportunity to build upon the skills they posses while also developing new ones. Here at the Chick, we understand that one of the most vital aspects of success is opportunity, and thus

CHICKEN SALAD CHICK IS A FAST CASUAL RESTAURANT THAT HAS MANY FLAVORS OF CHICKEN SALAD. FROM FRUITY AND NUTTY TO SPICY AND SAVORY ... WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

we strive to allow any and all opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background.

We not only value our team members for their work ethics, but also for their individuality and creativity.

What strides has your business made in diversifying your organization and your leadership team? The only requirement to become a part of our team is to believe in our mission statement — spread joy, enrich lives and serve others — and to uphold the values of Chicken Salad Chick. Any person can do so, thus we believe we allow equal opportunity to succeed as a part of our team.

How do you see your business leading the charge to cultivate an environment where everyone thrives? Our management does not build a team based solely on how members can meet the needs of the Chick. Instead, all efforts are made to meet the needs of the team members themselves first. We are a family. We know and trust that treating everyone with compassion and fairness is the way to build true lasting relationships. Building relationships is what Chicken Salad Chick believes to be the best option to leading the way in cultivating an environment where everyone not only thrives but loves to be a part of.

5753 Old Shell Road • Mobile • 408-3236 • chickensaladchick.com/mobile-university 74 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

SPECIAL SECTION | MOBILE BAY DIVERSITY

PICTURED: SHARON KING, MAHIR BUTT, CALRESSIA CLARK, MITCHELL JACKSON, MONICA ALLEN. PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY

MAWSS (Mobile Area Water & Sewer System) Why is cultivating a diverse work environment a priority for your business? Cultivating a diverse work environment is important to the Mobile Area Water & Sewer System. MAWSS human capital is over 54 percent black employees, 45 percent white and .12 other, including Asian and Hispanic. We want to make sure the leadership at MAWSS mirrors our workforce and promotes diversity and inclusion for all of our employees and vendors.

What strides has your business made in diversifying your organization and leadership team? In the past five years, MAWSS has made significant changes and forward movement toward diversifying the organization, specifically as it pertains to leadership. We have increased the diversity in many of our departments and

increased the number of black employees in leadership. MAWSS currently has minorities running pivotal departments, and these employees are key members of our executive staff. MAWSS also introduced a Diversity Supplier Program in an effort to extend diversity to the people we do business with. The program helps to grow our community and promotes inclusion with our neighbors.

Have there been any exceptional contributions made to your business by women and men of color? MAWSS is known for promoting from within. We have several employees who started from the lowest level and rose to become critical members of our executive management team. Sharon King has been MAWSS’ HR Officer for more than two decades. As the first black executive committee member, King has created

policies that ensure MAWSS remains compliant and steadfast in areas of diversity, inclusion and fairness. Pakistani-American Mahir Butt, IT Director, has implemented technology and software upgrades in an effort to improve data collection, storage and consolidation of information. The leadership and efforts of Calressia Clark, MAWSS’ first black engineer, have resulted in significant decreases in the sanitary sewer overflows occurring. Mitchell Jackson, Customer Operations Manager, is guiding the $28 million investment of the latest digital technology in water meters and implementing a program to provide better residential customer response time. Monica Allen, the first black public relations manager, has taken our education and marketing efforts to a dynamic level by implementing our well-received Citizens Water Academy and revamping our community outreach.

4725 Moffett Road • Mobile • 694 -3100 • mawss.com march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 75

SPECIAL SECTION | MOBILE BAY DIVERSITY

Springhill Medical Center “We are a family!” To establish a new familyfocused hospital in 1975, in an already crowded healthcare market, founder Dr. Gerald L. Wallace overcame great odds.

Today, Ms. Celia Wallace, along with her son, Dr. Gerald L. Wallace, Jr., and her daughter, Mrs. K.C. Rudolph, continue his mission.

“It’s important to me that this legacy of creating a warm, caring environment for the Mobile area remains our focus. And this unique family feeling is evident to employees, patients and visitors at Springhill.

It’s embedded in our history and culture. It’s not something that can be taught.”

Our staff comprises various backgrounds, religions, ancestries, levels of expertise and includes multi-generations with diverse opinions and approaches. Springhill has created something unique in health care. We offer state-of-the-art technology and support higher learning for our professionals like many other hospitals; however, we prioritize our family environment. Ownership belongs to each of us, and that’s why employees feel like they are a part of a big family here.

Our mission has always been to provide quality, unmatched care for our patients.

We continue to build on this legacy despite past challenges and those still to come.

Never say “can’t”! It takes our strength of diversity to make us who we are and enable us to sustain such a unique hospital offering family centered care.

MS. CELIA WALLACE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, SOUTHERN MEDICAL HEALTH SYSTEMS. PHOTO BY DEVIN FORD

3719 Dauphin Street • Mobile • 344 -9630 • springhillmedicalcenter.com 76 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

SPECIAL SECTION | MOBILE BAY DIVERSITY

Stewart Steelwood Investments dba “The Stewart Lodges”

OUR VISION IS TO CREATE AND DELIVER A PRIVATE, EXCLUSIVE, CUSTOMIZED EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CLIENTS. OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT, CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF CONNECTION.

Diversity encompasses more than just race; it also includes an individual’s background, the stories — good and bad — that make them who they are. Jennie Campbell, CEO/ President of Stewart Steelwood Investments LLC dba “The Stewart Lodges,” understands this and openly shares her life’s experiences.

Campbell knows the importance of persistence, hard work and mentoring, all skills she’s had modeled to her and skills she now eagerly shares with her team.

Campbell’s business mentor, Frank B. Stewart Jr., helped her navigate through more than 28 years of business and personal adversities. Over time, she’s learned to take these hardships, figure out what she learned and then turn them into teachable moments and inspiration for employees at The Stewart Lodges.

“I’m thankful for adversities because I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” she says. “It’s now my turn to give guidance to people who come alongside me.”

Campbell looks forward to serving clients in a space that encourages people to sit down, to be heard and to listen. “The Stewart Lodges fosters simple, human connection; its a privilege to be part of the process. I trust the team we have assembled to uphold our vision.”

JENNIE CAMPBELL, CEO/PRESIDENT, STEWART STEELWOOD INVESTMENTS LLC DBA “THE STEWART LODGES.” PHOTO BY NOEL MARCANTEL

32311 Waterview Drive East • Loxley • 251- 602-1300 • stewartsteelwood.com

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 77

SPECIAL SECTION | MOBILE BAY DIVERSITY

PICTURED, STANDING: VY TAYLOR, JANA FREDRIKSEN, CHARITY AVERY, MICHAEL EVANS. SEATED: KINDRA MCCORMICK, NIKI LESLEY, DR. PHILLIP GREER, LOURDES CONTRERAS, KATLYN ROBERTS. PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY

Sweet Water Dentistry Why is cultivating a diverse work environment a priority for your business? Cultivating diversity in the work environment is a priority for our business because it is essential for the growth and strength of the practice. We are passionate about diversity — we believe that it gives us a little taste of heaven on earth. God blessed us with diversity for His purpose, so it is our job to enhance and embrace it.

What strides has your business made in diversifying your organization and leadership team? We have diversified our organization by incorporating many different

backgrounds and ethnicities into our practice. We have embraced their additions, which has deepened our horizons, not only in the workplace, but in the world as well. Their individual strengths shine within our organization, which have, in turn, strengthened us as a team. Allowing everyone to have an equal voice will grow and strengthen our practice.

How do you see your business leading the charge to cultivate an environment where everyone thrives? Just like a puzzle, there are several different shaped pieces, with different pictures that all have to fit together to achieve the completed masterpiece. Here

at Sweet Water, each team member is their own unique piece that, when put together, creates our practice. By working together with everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, we are able to create a stable and productive dental practice.

How do you see your organization and all business across our area working to promote inclusion and recognize the skills of all people? We see great improvement in the workplace. Our diverse patient base has been one of our greatest assets as they have joined our team, promoting our business.

5915 Sweetwater Circle • Fairhope • 210 -2773 • sweetwatersmile.com 78 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 79

EXTRAS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Spring is Here!

MARCH 15 LEPRECHAUN RIDE 6 - 9 p.m. The ride, benefitting Camp Rap-A-Hope, will take place rain or shine.

Block party to follow. Ages 21 and up.

OLDE TOWNE DAPHNE CAMPRAPAHOPE.ORG

MARCH 17 FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK PARADE 11 a.m. Watch men in green march down Dauphin Street in celebration of St. Patty’s Day. DOWNTOWN MOBILE

MARCH 19 - 22 MARCH 1

MARCH 6

ORCHID SHOW AND SALE 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. View spectacular orchids and get advice on growing and caring for the unique plants.

FESTIVAL OF LAUGHS 8 p.m. Comedy heavyweights will bring down the house with their sharp wit.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

MARCH 1 - 31 AZALEA BLOOM OUT More than 250,000 colorful blossoms will be on display.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

MARCH 6 JOHNNY HAYES 6 - 9 p.m. Enjoy tunes while supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

FAIRHOPE BREWING COMPANY FARIHOPEBREWING.COM

MARCH 6 “SEUSSICAL JR.” 6 p.m. A musical presented on the Great Lawn by The PACT, a performing arts organization for young people in Mobile.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME THEPACTMOBILE.COM

MOBILE CIVIC CENTER MOBILECIVICCTR.COM/EVENTS

MARCH 7 AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CHILI COOK-OFF 11 a.m. Compete for bragging rights and other prizes.

MARDI GRAS PARK • ACSMOBILE.EJOINME.ORG/ MOBILECHILICOOKOFF

MARCH 14 TOUCH-A-TRUCK 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. An event benefitting pediatric cancer research at USA Health and Adoption Rocks.

HANK AARON STADIUM USAHEALTHSYSTEM.COM/EVENTS

SPRING PLANT SALE 4 - 7 p.m. Th. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. F / Sa. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Su. Get the best plants for your garden at the largest sale of the year.

MOBILE BOTANICAL GARDENS MOBILEBOTANICALGARDENS.ORG

MARCH 20 - 22 FAIRHOPE ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Shop one of the 230 vendors and exhibitors.

DOWNTOWN FAIRHOPE • FAIRHOPEARTSANDCRAFTSFESTIVAL.COM

MARCH 20 - 22 WHARF BOAT & YACHT SHOW 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. F / Sa. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Su. Come find your next dream boat!

THE WHARF MARINA AND LAWN WHARFBOATSHOW.COM

MARCH 14

MARCH 21

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BLOCK PARTY Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a burger and green beer.

MOBTOWN MAC ‘N CHEESE FEST Noon - 3 p.m. Help determine who has Mobile’s best macaroni.

CALLAGHAN’S • CALLAGHANSIRISHSOCIALCLUB.COM

CATHEDRAL SQUARE • UCPMOBILE.ORG/MOBTOWNMACNCHEESEFEST

 To have your event included in the online or print edition of Mobile Bay Magazine, email calendar@pmtpublishing.com.

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CITY STAGES MARCH 21

MARCH 26 - 29

DAUPHIN ISLAND NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Live storytelling, arts and crafts, and demonstrations round out this second annual event.

FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Th - Sa. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Su. Fabulous floral creations await.

FORT GAINES DAUPHINISLANDARTS.ORG

MARCH 21 MOBILE CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Indulge in all things chocolate while benefitting the Penelope House.

THE GROUNDS MOBILECHOCOLATEFESTIVAL.COM

MARCH 22 ST. BALDRICK’S FOR AIDEN 2 - 4 p.m. Shave your head, volunteer or donate to help St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

USA CHILDREN’S & WOMEN’S HOSPITAL STBALDRICKS.ORG/EVENTS

MARCH 25 BAY BITES FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL 5 - 9 p.m. The annual food truck festival features delicious food and live entertainment.

GOVERNMENT STREET MOBILEBAYKEEPER.ORG/BAY-BITES

MARCH 26 GIRLS NIGHT OUT 5 - 9 p.m. Grab your girlfriends for a fun night of local shopping, eating, and live music!

THE PILLARS • THEPILLARSOFMOBILE.COM/ GIRLS-NIGHT-OUT

MARCH 26

PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL CAMPUS FESTIVALOFFLOWERS.COM

MARCH 27

MARCH 7 - 8 “VIVACE” 7:30 p.m. Sa. 2:30 p.m. Su. Presenting cello prodigy Sujari Britt.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESYMPHONY.ORG

THROUGH MARCH 8 “BLACK COFFEE” 7:30 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. A play from Agatha Christie.

MOBILE AREA SPECIAL OLYMPICS TRACK AND FIELD COMPETITION 8:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. Approximately 400 very special athletes will be representing 52 Mobile area schools in track and field events.

CHICKASAW CIVIC THEATRE • CCTSHOWS.COM

ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL • FACEBOOK. COM/PG/MOBILEAREASPECIALOLYMPIC

PUBLIC SAFETY MEMORIAL PARK FACEBOOK.COM/SOULMEXICAN

MARCH 27

MARCH 15

AZALEA TRAIL RUN The Azalea Trail Run is the premier running/ walking event produced by the Port City Pacers. It includes 10K and 5K races and a 2K Fun Run/Walk.

JAKE OWEN 7:30 p.m. The platinum-certified, chart-topping entertainer takes the stage.

MOBILE CIVIC CENTER FACEBOOK.COM/MOBILEATR

MARCH 20 - APRIL 5

MARCH 28 ELBERTA GERMAN SAUSAGE FESTIVAL 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sample food, dance to polka, shop crafts and more.

THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN STREET AND STATE STREET • ELBERTAFIRE.COM

MARCH 28 DOWNTOWN CAJUN COOK-OFF 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Enjoy food, live music, drinks and games to benefit the Child Advocacy Center.

CATHEDRAL SQUARE, MOBILE CACMOBILE.ORG

LITTLE BLACK DRESS 6:30 p.m. Join the 21-and-up cocktail party and runway show in support of Ronald McDonald House. Cocktail attire.

MARCH 28

FORT WHITING AUDITORIUM RMHCMOBILE.ORG

MCGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CYOMOBILE.ORG

ADULT BIG FIELD DAY 4 - 10 p.m. The Catholic Youth Organization presents its first annual Adult Big Field Day.

MARCH 15 RED AND THE REVELERS LIVE! 2 - 5 p.m. An energetic blend of rock and soul.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

“SISTER ACT” 7:30 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Sing along to Motown hits.

JOE JEFFERSON PLAYERS JOEJEFFERSONPLAYERS.COM

MARCH 24 BUDDY GUY AND KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND 7:30 p.m. Two blues legends perform.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

MARCH 27, 29 “LA RONDINE” 7:30 p.m. F. 2:30 p.m. Su. See Puccini’s classic.

THE TEMPLE DOWNTOWN • MOBILEOPERA.ORG

MARCH 28 JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT 7:30 p.m. It’s a rock ‘n’ roll show that feels like fellowship.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 81

[APRIL HIGHLIGHTS]

APRIL 3 - 4 MOBILE CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS TRACK MEET 3 - 10 p.m. F. Noon - 6:30 p.m. Sa. Watch top track athletes compete.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS MOBILECHALLENGEOFCHAMPIONS.NET

APRIL 4 EASTER EGG HUNT AND BREAKFAST WITH THE EASTER BUNNY 8 a.m. Breakfast. 9 a.m. Easter egg hunt begins. Registration is required in advance to attend the breakfast.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

APRIL 4 - 5 “AMADEUS” 7:30 p.m. Sa. 2:30 p.m. Su. Featuring music from the 1984 movie “Amadeus.”

MOBILE SAENGER THEATRE MOBILESYMPHONY.ORG

APRIL 9 - JULY 4 RIGHT OFF THE ROYAL RUNWAY ...

CARNIVAL AND COUTURE View the chic and one-of-a-kind couture from Mardi Gras celebrations of old.

MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM MOBILECARNIVALMUSEUM.COM

APRIL 11 GREAT DRIFT PADDLE Participants bring their own canoe, kayak, or SUP. Registration is required.

HALLS MILL CREEK • DOGRIVER.ORG

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[APRIL HIGHLIGHTS]

APRIL 18 EARTH DAY MOBILE BAY 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Engage in various activities and discussions that promote environmental awareness.

FAIRHOPE MUNICIPAL PIER EARTHDAYMOBILEBAY.ORG

APRIL 18 GUMBO COOK-OFF 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sample some of the best gumbo around for a good cause.

DAUPHIN ISLAND DAUPHINISLANDCHAMBEROFCOMMERCE.COM

APRIL 18 CAMELLIA CLASSIC OPEN CAR SHOW 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Look at hundreds of classic and vintage cars.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME MOBILEBAYMUSTANGCLUB.ORG

APRIL 24 - 26 MULLET TOSS 10 a.m. Enjoy the sun, sand, beer, flying mullet and more at the annual event.

FLORA-BAMA FLORABAMA.COM/MULLET-TOSS

APRIL 26 MUD BOTTOM REVIVAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 3 - 7 p.m. Bring coolers, tickets, chairs and more to this music festival that raises money for the Dog River Clearwater Revival.

Tickets: $35.

BENDER POINT, RIVIERE DU CHIEN, MOBILE DOGRIVER.ORG

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Unloading a banana steamer, Mobile, circa 1906. PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

HISTORY | TRADITIONS

Banana Pudding Local author Emily Blejwas finds that much of Mobile’s story can be told through the history of one classic Southern dessert. text by EMILY BLEJWAS

Excerpt from the book “The Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods”

B

y 1890, the city of Mobile had been languishing in an economic depression for twenty-five years, brought on by the post-war market collapse of cotton, its primary export commodity. To revive the city, its leaders turned to imports, which would both diversify the economy and make use of existing harbor infrastructure that went unused during cotton’s off-season.

City leaders also had another reason for improving Mobile’s harbor. With its French and Spanish heritage and laissez faire

lifestyle, Mobile had always been different from the rest of Alabama. But in the 1890s, following the long economic downturn, Mobile had earned a reputation as a loose city known for horse racing, gambling, drinking, and prostitution. City leaders aimed to clean up Mobile, push it forward, and brand it with a new identity in the twentieth century.

With this in mind, the Mobile Chamber of Commerce offered an incentive of $1,500 to the first company to operate regular fruit ships from Central America to Mobile for one

march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 85

year. In 1893, the first commercial shipment of bananas arnation as a banana port. By 1910, bananas had transformed rived in Mobile on the ship Sala, consigned for the Mobile from novelty into common household commodity, found Fruit and Trading Company. The Snyder Banana Company in grocery stores nationwide. By 1915, Mobile’s city leadsoon entered the trade as well, making Central American ers had secured $3 million in federal funds for harbor imbananas Mobile’s first regular import. provements, allowing for extensive waterfront and harbor Mobile joined the banana trade just as bananas were poised development in the 1920s. The Alabama State Docks had to become an American staple. In 1876, Americans had still become a modern port by 1927, and bananas remained one considered the fruit exotic. Most Americans had never even of the city’s most important exports throughout the 1930s. seen one. Wrapped in foil, bananas sold for a dime (roughThe Mobile banana docks sat at the foot of Dauphin and ly two dollars today) at the Philadelphia Centennial Expo Government streets, in the heart of the downtown waterfront. that year. The banana plant, located in the Expo’s forty-acre Here, the United Fruit Company docked their signature white display of tropical plants, “was so popular that a guard had banana boats, “the Great White Fleet,” painted to reflect the to be posted near it so that visitors would not pull it apart Caribbean sun. When the boats arrived, longshoremen heftfor souvenirs.” But by the 1890s, the combination of faster ed the banana stems, weighing forty to eighty pounds each, steamships and locomotives, an extensive railway system, and onto their backs and carried them down the gangplank. The refrigerated boxcars brought more bananas stems then passed down a long line of men to more regions of the country. In Alabama, extending from boat to warehouse, where “JUST AS BANANAS new steamships rapidly crossed the Gulf of they were weighed, checked, and loaded onto TRANSFORMED Mexico to Mobile Bay and rail connections refrigerated boxcars. The trains that carried FROM LUXURY TO took bananas directly to the cities of St. Loubananas north would return to Mobile with STAPLE, BANANA is and Chicago.

Jonathan apples and concord grapes grown in PUDDING BEGAN AS By 1900, the banana trade was a thrivcolder climates.

AN EXTRAVAGANCE ing enterprise and a linchpin in Mobile’s Banana dockworkers were predominantly BEFORE BECOMING A economy. The third-largest US importer of black men. As Mobile native and folklorbananas (behind New York and New Orist Julian Rayford recalls, “that was a black CLASSIC SOUTHERN leans), Mobile was known throughout the man’s job. White men were bosses or checkDESSERT. ”

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ers or spectators.” In fact, from 1890 to 1900, when the banana trade took root in Mobile, the city experienced its largest influx yet of black migrants from rural Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Many fell into the informal banana docks trade: picking up work when they could and collecting pay at the end of the day. It was not steady or unionized work, and it was certainly difficult, hot, backbreaking labor.

The banana docks eventually spread along the Mobile waterfront, occupying the equivalent of four city blocks. A hub of activity and noise, the docks were popular with local children who came after school and on the weekends to watch the commotion, eat free bananas, search for tropical spiders, and fish from the docks. Rayford, who grew up in Mobile during the 1910s and 1920s, describes the scene in his novel, Cottonmouth: “White kids stood hopefully watching for ripe fruit to drop off the bunches. They darted quickly under the guard lines and grabbed a fallen ripe banana and ran, or, kids with steadier nerves artfully gathered ripe ones and hoarded them inside their shirts, and, with a bulging shirt and bulging pockets, said to any kid who might ask for one, ‘To hell wit’ you! Go git your own!’ Kids with a shirt full of ripe ones, rich, lush bananas, walked off proudly. If they shared them at all, it was done magnanimously, with a buddy. Only with a buddy.”

Rayford’s “Banana Docks” chant is one of the few descriptions of Mobile’s banana docks in existence. He first wrote the chant in 1939, continued to modify it until 1974, and always performed it with the changes in volume, pitch, tone, and speed that he heard at the banana docks as a child.

In the opening stanza, Rayford sets out to describe “the confusion and excitement, the great hurly-burly of hap-

opposite, left In 1929, Nabisco became the first company to distribute vanilla wafers in cartons to preserve freshness and their popularity soared, coinciding nicely with the rising demand for bananas. PHOTO BY BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER, COURTESY ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

opposite, right Loading bananas onto a boxcar in Mobile, 1932. ERIK OVERBEY COLLECTION, THE DOY LEALE MCCALL RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

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piness, the noise, the singing and chanting on the banana docks in Mobile.” He details the landscape: the waterfront backdrop, the docks, and the noise of workers singing and chanting, machines running, foghorns, bells, train whistles, and boat whistles. He describes “the ching of tabulating machines, the hum and the click and the roll and the bumpity-thumpity clanking of the conveyors. The chanting of the checkers and the steady hum of the men totin’ bananas and occasionally, a fragment of a song:—a long time, sweet daddy! a long time, sweet momma!”

At the docks, Rayford recalls the “waves that slap-slapslapped against the pilings, the whine of ropes tightening as they were strained around pilings, the groan of pilings as a ship’s weight nudged them, the creak of planking in the wharf, the short echo of a violent gust of sound when a tug captain yanked the whistle cord.” He describes seagulls crying, mewling, wheeling, diving, ascending, and the “soft splash of their clean forms on waves.” He recalls water lilies riding the waves and “the smell of blackstrap molasses drifting down from Beauregard Street.”

Rayford describes the hundreds of riverboats moored at the docks, along with a cluster of tugboats and many small, white banana boats. He recalls some of the banana boats’

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names: the Musa, Herman Winter, Mexico Trader, Vera, Gansgourd, and Liasgourd. And “all along the docks, gangs of men loading and unloading ships” including “hundreds of men toting bananas, burdened like Atlas with monstrous stems of bananas” to the warehouse, with bosses yelling and chanting “in a vast hum-shuffle-roar come on move along, move along—pick ’em up! pick ’em up! pick ’em up! come along there, now!, step along there, now, step along!”

Rayford once referred to the banana docks voices as “the most exciting thing you ever heard in your life.” He performed them in rapid succession so that they blended into a cacophony, giving listeners the impression of hearing all of the voices at once.

There is the yelling of the bosses: Come on here, boy. Pick it up! Pick it up! Git that lead out’n you’ ass and pick it up! Tote ’em on down, son! Come on, move along, pick ’em up, pick ’em up! Speed it up!

Speed it up! Come along there, now! Take ’em on down!

Step along there, now! Step along!

The cries of the checkers: Yellow 23! Yellow 23! Yellow 23! Red car 19! Green car

21! Green 21! Green 21! Hey you, god damn it, green 21! Where you going! Yellow 23! Yellow 23!

And the mellow hum of the singing dockworkers: Tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, Tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, Tell Louise I see her in the mornin’, When the daylight come When massive amounts of bananas began arriving in Mobile, locals were intrigued by the foreign fruit and tried them in many existing recipes, including pudding. And just as bananas transformed from luxury to staple, banana pudding began as an extravagance before becoming a classic Southern dessert. Before the 1880s, according to historian Virginia Scott Jenkins, bananas “were served only on important occasions and used in small quantities to display wealth and sophistication.”

When the fruit became more affordable and available, more cookbooks began including recipes for banana pudding, made by combining homemade custard, bananas, cake, and sometimes rum. In the 1910s and 1920s, as banana imports to the United States continued to increase, a torrent of discoveries was made about health and nutrition. Newly minted women’s magazines, cookbooks, and home economics manuals marketed new information about calories, germs, and vitamins to women. Fresh fruit was widely promoted, and bananas were touted as nutritious, filling, affordable, and germ free due to their protective peel.

To capitalize on the trend, the United Fruit Company, one of the largest US enterprises, created marketing divisions and educational programs to convince Americans to eat bananas every day.

Banana pudding became a dessert for all classes. Often made with leftover cake, it provided a way to use stale or extra ingredients by combining them with something

opposite Mobile banana dock workers, 1920s.

ERIK OVERBEY COLLECTION, THE DOY LEALE MCCALL RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA.

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fresh and affordable. Alabama native and chef Scott Peacock recalls his grandmother making banana pudding by combining bananas, eggs, and milk “with whatever she had on hand—leftover cake, toasted white bread [or] stale biscuits.” More affluent Southerners used vanilla wafers, cookies that originated in southern homes and local bakeries. In 1929, Nabisco became the first company to distribute the wafers in cartons to preserve freshness, and their popularity soared.

But for rural families, banana pudding made with vanilla wafers was an extravagance. Bettye Kimbrell, raised on a farm in Fayette County, Alabama, in the 1940s and 1950s, recalls her mother making banana pudding only for special visitors and cemetery Decoration Days. Most rural desserts were made from ingredients at hand, including homegrown fruits and homemade syrup. Banana pudding with vanilla wafers was “a real rarity” for Kimbrell’s family since both ingredients had to be purchased from the rolling store that came by the house each week.

With the outbreak of World War II, Mobile’s economy changed dramatically. As the port of the nation’s second-largest interior river system with rail connections stretching into the Midwest, river connections to Birmingham’s steel and iron industries, and a long shipbuilding tradition, Mobile became the ideal wartime port. Though still the city’s leading import in 1939, bananas were soon replaced by bauxite, raw wool, and manganese ore.

Banana imports resumed prewar levels by 1953 and continued to increase yearly until 1963, when the United Fruit Company cut operations in Mobile. Del Monte shipped bananas through Mobile from 1974 to 1985 but then shifted to Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi, in the late 1980s. Though bananas had played a pivotal role in Mobile’s economy, identity, and industry for over fifty years, the banana docks were razed in the late 1980s and early 1990s to make way for a new convention center.

At the time, Chris Raley, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, was in his twen90 mobilebaymag.com | march 2020

“THE CHING OF TABULATING MACHINES, THE HUM AND THE CLICK AND THE ROLL AND THE BUMPITY-THUMPITY CLANKING OF THE CONVEYORS. THE CHANTING OF THE CHECKERS AND THE STEADY HUM OF THE MEN TOTIN’ BANANAS AND OCCASIONALLY, A FRAGMENT OF A SONG:—A LONG TIME, SWEET DADDY! A LONG TIME, SWEET MOMMA!” ties, a new arrival to Mobile, working at a downtown hotel across from the banana docks. One afternoon, as Raley sat across from the demolition site drinking a cold beer, he decided that if they could tear the docks down, he could build them back. Once occupying the shoreline along four city blocks, the docks included large warehouses, cranes, and floating barges.

“Those warehouses were gorgeous,” Raley recalls. “Brick, with twelve-foot windows and beautiful architecture. They could have converted them into shops and loft apartments. They could have made a whole historic waterfront area like they did in Charleston.”

Instead, despite protest by some Mobilians, the demolition went forward. Until it closed in 2010, Raley’s restaurant, the Banana Docks Café, which opened across from the former site of the banana docks in 1991, was the lone reminder of Mobile’s banana industry in the entire city. Raley pulled historic banana docks photographs from the University of South Alabama archives to hang on the walls, infused the restaurant with a tropical décor, and put banana pudding on the menu.” MB

Emily Blejwas is a writer and the director of the Alabama Folklife Association.

Stay tuned over the coming months as MB presents excerpts from her fascinating book, “The Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods.” march 2020 | mobilebaymag.com 91

HISTORY | ARCHIVES

The Largest and Most Commodious Bay A 1558 Spanish voyage yields one of the oldest descriptions of Mobile Bay.

text by JOHN SLEDGE • illustration by STIG MARCUSSEN and courtesy of ASHLAND GALLERY

I

n the autumn of 1558, a small Spanish squadron hove into Mobile Bay and furled its stained sails. During the following days, lightly armed soldiers and barefooted sailors explored the environs in small boats and afoot. Their commander liked the place, and after returning to Veracruz, New Spain (modern Mexico), he sat down with a scribe and witnesses to provide a report, or “declaration” as it was called, to the viceroy. The commander’s account was sworn to, signed and sent up the chain of command. Thereafter, it was archived and forgotten.

Almost three centuries later, during the 1850s, the American lawyer, diplomat and historian Thomas Buckingham Smith stumbled upon it in a Spanish library and made a copy for his files. After Smith’s death, a researcher named Herbert Ingram Priestly found the document and included it in his monumental two-volume study, “The Luna Papers, 1559-1561” (1928). The University

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of Alabama Press reprinted these two books in 2010 as a single volume, but despite that, the declaration remains obscure to all but a few specialists. This is unfortunate, because it represents one of the oldest and most detailed descriptions of Mobile Bay on record and deserves wider circulation.

The 1558 voyage was launched to scout a suitable landing site for Tristán de Arellano y Luna’s large colonization fleet. Luna’s goal was to establish a Spanish presence on the northern Gulf, and then to reach the Atlantic and build a fort to protect vital trade routes. Despite earlier entradas like those of Panfilo de Narváez and Hernando de Soto, the Spanish were woefully ignorant of the northern Gulf littoral, and Luna needed accurate information to avoid unknown perils.

Enter Don Guido de Lavazares, a Seville native who moved to New Spain around 1530. He was a capable seaman and businessman “of great prudence and noble intention,” in the words of one 19th-century

historian. Given this competence, the viceroy ordered Lavazares to reconnoiter from Veracruz all the way to the Florida Keys, better than 2,000 miles, and hurry back.

Three ships were provided — a bark, a lateen rigged sloop and a shallop — frighteningly small by modern standards but wellbuilt, fast and seaworthy. Sixty sailors and soldiers were attached to this tiny fleet. They included skilled pilots like Bernaldo Peloso and Rodrigo Ranjel, Soto veterans who owned at least some familiarity with the intended destination; and a sun-bronzed mix of carpenters, caulkers, sail menders, helmsmen, seamen and fighting men with deadly Toledo steel rapiers.

Lavazares’s flotilla departed on September 3 and within a few days was coasting the Texas shore. Several bays and inlets were probed but proved too shallow. The ships sailed further east and threaded the Chandeleur Islands and then approached the Mississippi River’s muddy mouth. Lavazares

found the marshy country there “all subject to overflow” and unsuited to settlement.

Farther eastward the fleet sighted an island (Dauphin) and a long peninsula backed by a large sheet of water. This looked promising, and one by one the ships tacked into the expansive bay and dropped anchor, blessed relief to the men after relentless offshore tossing.

“This was the largest and most commodious bay … found in that region for the purpose which his Majesty orders,” Lavazares reported. He duly named it Bahia Filipina in honor of Spain’s King Phillip II. Securely positioned inside the bar, the Spaniards ranged both sides of the bay and even reached the delta’s muddy margins.

“The country to the east of the bay is higher than that on the west side,” Lavazares’s report continued. It detailed “red broken lands … where bricks can be made” (Montrose), and “yellow and grayish clay” on the western side perfect for making “jars

and other things.”

Resources were everywhere. “In the bay and its vicinity are many fish and shellfish; there are many pine trees suitable for making masts and yards; there are oaks, nut trees, cedars, junipers, laurels, and certain small trees which bear a fruit like chestnuts. All this forest from which ships can be made begins at the water’s edge and runs inland. There are many palmettos and grape-vines.”

The awestruck men wandered beneath soaring longleaf pines, marveling at the lack of undergrowth. It was perfect cavalry country where riders could freely gallop brandishing lance and sword. Others thirstily ladled fresh water out of the “copious” Mobile River, while birds of seemingly every variety wheeled overhead. The woods were populated by deer, bear, fox and possum, and copper-skinned Indians scooted across streams in dugout canoes checking their fish traps. Cultivated corn, beans, pump-

kins and squash ringed villages where thin columns of blue smoke drifted skyward, children played and women tended to domestic chores.

Satisfied by his reconnaissance, Lavazares ordered the fleet to set sail. Unfortunately, further progress was blocked when the ships were buffeted by contrary Gulf winds. With winter looming, Lavazares deemed it prudent to return to Veracruz. There, he personally emphasized Bahia Filipina’s advantages to both the viceroy and Luna.

But Luna found Filipina unsatisfactory during his 1559 voyage and relocated to deeper Pensacola Bay instead. A strong hurricane wrecked the fleet shortly thereafter, dooming the colonization effort before it had properly begun. What Lavazares thought of Luna’s fateful decision is unknown, but half a millennium on, his assessment of Mobile Bay’s charms certainly rings true to those who call it home today. MB

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THE ARTS | LITERATURE

You Got to Recognize Southern accents and technology go together like oil and water. excerpt from the book THEY CALL ME OR ANGE JUICE

by AUDREY MCDONALD ATKINS

I

have a love-hate relationship with voice recognition technology.

I love that it is, in theory, an easy and convenient way to avoid having to use the keypad or talk to a human should you actually have the misfortune to reach one. I hate that while it recognizes that I do indeed have a voice, it does not recognize that my particular voice has a particular accent.

My first encounter with the technology that has since become my nemesis was at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Brother was flying home from Rome (Italy, not Georgia), and his plane did not arrive at the appointed hour, nor was there an updated arrival time on the board. I marched over to the airline’s desk to find out what was going on, but since it was the evening, the desk was unmanned and dark. There was, however, a sign taped to the desk with the 800 number for the airline.

So I pulled out my cell phone and called.

“Thank you for calling our airline,” answered a nice robotic lady voice.

You are most welcome, I thought to myself.

The nice lady instructed me to speak the flight number about which I wished to inquire.

“4965,” says I. “I’m sorry. I didn’t quite get that. Please repeat your flight number,” says she.

I repeated, “4965.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite get that. Please repeat your flight number,” says she.

“4965,” I said a little slower and a little louder, because we

all know that you are vastly more understandable if you just slow down and holler.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite get that. Please repeat your flight number,” says she.

“4-9-6-5,” I holler into the phone again, a little louder and a lot more emphatically.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t …” I hung up in frustration. And let me add that it is not at all satisfying to hang up on someone, even a robot lady, when you have no receiver to slam down.

As I was trying not to have a hissy fit right in the middle of the airport, it dawned on me. What I was saying was “4965,” but what the robot lady was hearing was “foe-wer neye-un see-ux feye-uv.”

Damn you, robot lady, and your emotionless pleasantries!

Damn you, for not recognizing the Southern accent!

From then on, I was all keypad all the time.

From time to time, I think that maybe I should pull a Don Williams and learn to talk like a man on the six o’clock news (if you don’t get the reference, listen to him sing “Good Old Boys Like Me”). I mainly have this thought on weekday

 Born and raised in Citronelle, Atkins shares stories about growing up and living in the South in her book, “They Call Me Orange Juice,” and at her blog audreyatkinswriter.com.

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mornings a little after seven. “Why on particular days at a particular time?” you might ask.

The answer is number one in my heart and number one on my dial: public radio. Every morning I listen to my local station and hear the morning news delivered by a nice lady voice.

She always says in a very soothing way, “It’s 7:10. Thank you for listening to WBHM.” Except what she really says is, “It’s sehvehn tehn. Thank you for listening to double-ewe be aych ehm.”

Every morning I look in the mirror and say, “Tehn. Ehm. Tehn. Ehm. Tehn. Ehm.” What I hear is, “Tee-uhn. Ay-um.

Tee-uhn. Ay-um. Tee-uhn. Ay-um.”

I just can’t make my mouth say those two words. And I wouldn’t sound like me if I did.

So at seven tee-uhn tomorrow, instead of “Tee-uhn. Ay-um. Tee-uhn.

Ay-um. Tee-uhn. Ay-um,” I plan to say, “You are most welcome.”

After all, it’s our differences that make us who we are — unique and beautiful, intriguing and special. You just got to recognize it.

Note: When I was writing this piece, my beloved husband asked me if I had finished it. “I did,” I answered. At which point he mimicked me with a loud “Ah deeeeee-uuuuhhhddd.” Please note that he lives in a house of North Georgia hillbilly glass and should not be throwing dirt clods. MB

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HISTORY | ASK MCGEHEE

Is it true that Walt Disney visited Mobile to consider it a possible site for Disney World? text by TOM MCGEHEE

Yes and no. In 1957, Walt Disney and his wife Lillian stopped in Mobile to visit the Bellingrath Home, which had opened to the public just a year earlier amidst much fanfare. At the time, it was Mobile’s star attraction. It would be well into the next decade before the arrival of other tourist attractions such as the battleship USS Alabama and various museums.

Years later, many speculated that Disney’s trip through Mobile had been due to his interest in finding a location for a second theme park. History has proven this to be highly doubtful. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, had only been open for a little over a year at the time. Six years later, Disney discovered that only 5 percent of the visitors jamming the gates were traveling there from east of the Mississippi.

In November of 1963, Disney flew over central Florida, scouting a location for his planned Disney World. The area was undeveloped and would soon be linked by interstate highways that were under construction.

Eventually more than 25,000 acres were purchased under the names of various dummy corporations to prevent sellers from realizing the plan. Many small landowners happily sold swampy tracts for as little as $100 per acre.

In April of 1965, a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel got suspicious and reported that the real buyer was Disney.

Although Disney denied it, the investigation continued until the creator of Mickey Mouse admitted the truth in October of that year.

Construction of the park began in 1967, a year after Disney died from complications of lung cancer. Disney World opened in 1971 and today attracts an astounding 52 million visitors a year.

Numerous cities from New Orleans to Niagara Falls have often repeated the urban myth that Disney looked at their areas for a potential development site, but these rumors are as false as believing he was considering Mobile for the next Disney playland. MB

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ABOVE The following are captions from a 1957 newsletter in which these photos appeared: Mr. and Mrs. Walt Disney of movie and TV fame pose in a wrought iron frame on a balcony of the Bellingrath Home. This ironwork came from the old Southern Hotel, which once stood in Mobile. Mr. Disney may be reminded of the wicked queen in “Snow White” as he and his wife look into the handsome mirror in the formal dining room. The Disneys beam their approval of the Bellingrath Home as they emerge from an old brick and iron lace cloister overlooking the patio. PHOTOS COURTESY BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME

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END PIECE | IN LIVING COLOR

Azalea Trail, 1951 Photo courtesy History Museum of Mobile Collection, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama Colorization by Dynamichrome Limited

Seen cutting the ribbon to officially open Mobile’s 1951 Azalea Trail is Yolande Betbeze, accompanied by her escort Jack Stallworth. Along with the title of Azalea Queen, Mobile-born Betbeze was also that year’s Miss America. During the 1950s, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Mobile Jaycees, bestowed the reigning Miss America with the role of Azalea Queen, a title that is now held by a young lady chosen from Mobile County schools.

The creation of the Azalea Trail is credited to horticulturist Sam Lackland. In a letter to the Mobile Register dated 1928, Lackland wrote, in part, “Mobile [is] blessed with a soil that has grown so many large azaleas that could … bring in the tourist money that Mobile needs.”

The Mobile Garden Club, with the help of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, opened the trail in 1929.

Do you have memories of traveling the Azalea Trail? Let us know!

Email ahartin@pmtpublishing.com.

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