COMMUNITY
Montgomery Attorney Fred Gray Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Biden named 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Attorney Fred Gray was one of them. Gray received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor that is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. Gray was one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature since Reconstruction. As an attorney, he represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King, who called him “the chief counsel for the protest movement.”
Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed commented on Gray receiving the Medal of Freedom. “Perhaps more now than ever, as our country grapples with its painful history of racial injustice and inequity, there would be no better testimony to our path forward than awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Civil Rights icon and national treasure, Attorney Fred Gray. Thank you to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Representative Terri Sewell for choosing to bestow America’s highest honor upon an Alabamian—a Montgomerian—who began as the lawyer for the Movement, only to become the lawyer for all humankind.”
Alabama Power Receives Two Emergency Response Awards
Alabama Power is a recipient of two Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Awards. Presented to EEI member companies, the awards recognize recovery and assistance efforts following disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process. The awards were presented during EEI 2022, the organization’s annual thought leadership forum.
Alabama Power earned the award in part for its response to Winter Storm Landon that brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across a 2,000-mile stretch between Texas, the Midwest and the Northeast in early February 2020. Alabama Power sent 173 company lineworkers, 245 contractors and 178 trucks to Plano, Texas, providing Oncor Electric Delivery assistance with downed lines in freezing temperatures with heavily iced roads and bridges. Alabama Power has earned the Emergency Response Award 31 times since its inception in 1998.
Highland Avenue Elementary Principal Wins Technology Innovation Award
Highland Avenue Elementary Principal Heather Grayson recently received The Chiquita Marbury Technology Innovation Award. The award is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Education, and only one administrator in the state of Alabama is given this award each year. The award honors Chiquita Marbury’s invaluable years of service as a technology innovator in Alabama by recognizing educators who are exemplary models of technology teachers and leaders. The focus of the award is to spotlight K-12 educators, administrators and support personnel.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Gene Crane Named River Region President at River Bank & Trust
River Bank & Trust’s Chief Executive Officer Jimmy Stubbs announced Gene Crane’s promotion to River Region President. Crane joined the bank in 2011 and currently serves as the bank’s business banking manager and an executive vice president. His 35-year financial career was built in the River Region, making him one of the area’s most recognized banking leaders. Crane graduated from the University of Alabama in 1987, majoring in corporate finance. He graduated with honors from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. A devoted community leader, Crane is a Kiwanis Club of Montgomery member, an Alabama Wildlife Federation board member and the YMCA of Montgomery board chairman. He has also served on the boards of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and River Region United Way.
Warren Averett’s Cody Daughtry Receives AICPA’s Technology Advisory Standing Ovation Award
Cody Daughtry, CPA, CITP, of Warren Averett’s Montgomery office recently received the Technology Advisory Standing Ovation award from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA). This award was presented during the AICPA and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ (CIMA) ENGAGE 2022 event in Las Vegas. The Technology Advisory Standing Ovation award is a part of the AICPA’s Standing Ovation program, which recognizes CPAs under 40 who exhibit exemplary professional achievement in specialty areas. They must also maintain an active CPA license and be an AICPA member in good standing. Daughtry was one of only 12 CPAs honored during ENGAGE.
Dr. Jevonnah Ellison Appointed Official Business Coach for Emerging Leaders Thrive Program
Dr. Jevonnah Ellison specializes in tailored business coaching for high achievers. She is an expert in executive coaching, consulting and professional development. Her company, The Entrepreneurial First Lady, LLC, has helped thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs clarify their purpose, amplify their strengths and significantly increase their profit margins. She was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2020 by the Montgomery Chamber, and with nearly 18 years of coaching experience, she is committed to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs truly thrive. She will now serve as The Official Business Coach for the SBA Emerging Leaders Thrive Program—Montgomery/Mobile Cohort. The program is for established C-suite business owners who want to take their businesses to the next level.
AWARDS
Public Interest Attorney Award
John Craft, Clinical Associate Professor of Law at Faulkner Law, was awarded the 2022 Public Interest Attorney Award at the Alabama State Bar’s 145th Annual Meeting in June. Craft was presented the award by the Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program for his pro bono efforts in the area of elder law. Craft, who serves as the Elder Law Clinic Director at Faulkner Law, joined the law school faculty in 2010. He teaches and supervises the Elder Law Clinic and the Externship program, and teaches Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation.
Timothy Gallagher Honored with Albert Vreeland Pro Bono Award
The Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program has awarded Timothy J. F. Gallagher with the 2022 Albert Vreeland Pro Bono Award. Gallagher was presented with the award at the 145th Annual Meeting of the Alabama State Bar in June. Gallagher was celebrated for the many ways he has impacted his community and profession through his pro bono work. Gallagher was a 2007 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law. He is a shareholder with Sasser, Sefton and Brown, P.C., in Montgomery.
Fred D. Clark Receives APPA Statesmanship Award
Fred D. Clark, Jr., President & CEO, Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA), was recently awarded the 2022 Alan H. Richardson Statesmanship Award by the American Public Power Association (APPA). The award was presented on June 14 during the APPA National Conference in Nashville. Twenty-three individuals and eight utilities were recognized for service to APPA and the public power industry during the conference. The award honors public power leaders who work to achieve consensus on national issues important to public power utilities.
