NEWS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Mountain Brook Chamber Awards Jemison Visionary Award to Bill Bowron
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Photo courtesy Alan Stabler.
8 • Thursday, January 24, 2019
From left, Karen Odle, Vestavia Hills Chamber president/CEO; Shawn Arterburn, Carlyle Thornton and Millou Callahan, Liberty Park Joint Venture; and Doug Dean, Chamber past-president.
Vestavia Chamber Presents Awards, New Spring Fundraiser for VHHS
At a luncheon on Jan. 15 at Vestavia Country Club, the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce doled out its 2019 awards to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in service to the community during the past year. Recipients and awards were former mayor Butch Zaragoza, volunteer of the year; Erin Holtz of Pure Fitness LLC, ambassador of the year; Ben Chambliss and Mark McCoy, tied for board member of the year; Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, member of the year; John Henley of State Farm Insurance and the Henley Group, the Dr. Charles A. “Scotty” McCallum Leadership Award; Linda Parker of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, president’s award; Liberty Park Joint Venture, service business of the
year; The Lili Pad and Gigi’s Teen, retail business of the year. Awards also were handed out for the chamber’s annual Viva Vestavia event, held in October. Samurai Japan and Wintzell’s Oyster House tied for best food, and Metro Diner won for best presentation. Four Vestavia Hills High School seniors also presented a new spring fundraiser that will take the place of the Relay for Life, which had been a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Ben Barrentine, Avery Richardson, Douglas Thompson and Mary Hanlon Hunton discussed the new event, Rise, which stands for Rebels Impact through Service and Empowerment. The fundraiser will run throughout the spring with a variety of events to raise funds for
the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The fundraiser will conclude April 12 with Rise Day, which will be held from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the VHHS practice field. At the conclusion of the luncheon, the chamber’s 2019 officers were sworn in. Officers are Gary Jordan, chair; John Henley, chair-elect; Doug Dean, immediate past chair; Jeff Florio, vice chair of business development; Scott Perry, vice chair of community affairs; Becky Hicks-Abbott, vice chair of membership development; Taylor Burton; vice chair of programming; Kelly Bottcher, vice chair of public education; Mark Macoy, secretary and legal counsel; and Ben Chambliss, treasurer. —Emily Williams
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
Grandview Growing
A ribbon-cutting was held Jan. 18 to mark the opening of a new floor of inpatient beds at Grandview Medical Center. The construction makes room for another 23 inpatient beds at the hospital. The second phase of the project, to be complete in March, will add seven beds to that number, bringing the total number of licensed beds in the U.S. 280 hospital to 402. The extra beds were necessary to handle growing use of the facility, which was opened in October 2015, according to a statement from the hospital. Grandview officials attending the ribbon cutting, above, from left: Todd Brightbill, James Spann, Drew Mason, David Wynne and Kayla Knight.
From left, Bill Bowron, Jemison Visionary Award recipient; Suzan Doidge, Executive Director Mountain Brook Chamber; Stewart Welch, Mayor Mountain Brook and Dr. Cal Dodson, outgoing chamber President at the Mountain Brook Chamber annual luncheon last week.
Bill Bowron, president and CEO of Red Diamond Coffee and Tea, was awarded the Jemison Visionary Award, the most prestigious award in the Mountain Brook community, at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon. Mayor Stewart From left, Vince Schilleci, Hunter Simmon and Welch presented the Alice Williams award Jan. 17 during the luncheon, held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Named after the developer of Mountain Brook, Robert Jemison, the award honors individuals who have devoted their lives to advancing the community. Bowron is well known for his civic leadership, having served in leadership positions with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Business Alliance, Mountain Brook Sports Park Foundation, PreSchool Partners advisory board, Rotary Club of Birmingham, World Presidents’ Organization, Birmingham-Jefferson Historical Museum, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham United Soccer Club, Industrial Health Council, Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation, Sloss Furnaces National Historical Landmark and St. Vincent’s Foundation. He also is a member of the Beaux Arts Krewe and supporter of the Birmingham Zoo. “As a native of Mountain Brook and someone who believes deeply in our city, I am truly honored and proud to receive this recognition from the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce,” Bowron said. “Our community is filled with talented and dedicated people who work daily to enrich our collective lives. Red Diamond and I are grateful to be a small part of that equation.” Other awards presented at the event included the Emmet O’Neal Library’s 2019 Tynes Award, presented to Alice Williams, a member of the library’s board and the Mountain Brook Planning Commission. While serving on the Mountain Brook City Council from 1996 to 2006, Williams helped generate support for the building project that resulted in the library’s current facility. The city recognized Hunter Simmons, liaison for the Village Design Review Committee, as its Employee of the Year. Among Simmons’ recent accomplishments was his redesign of the city’s website. Originally, Simmons joined the city as a geographic information systems manager and has since held increasing responsibility at City Hall, according to Dana Hazen, Mountain Brook’s director of planning, building and sustainability, who presented the award to Simmons. To conclude the luncheon, Vince Schilleci was inducted as the 2019 chamber board president by outgoing President Dr. Cal Dodson. —Emily Williams