Leadership Hall of Fame

It is the desire of the Morgan County Schools Foundation to promote a culture of leadership and character building within the community and schools by providing students and residents of Morgan County the opportunity to see those who have set examples of leadership for us to follow. This idea was born out of the Foundation’s desire to promote leadership in a way that our entire community can see people being celebrated who have made a difference,” said Kerrick Whisenant, Hall of Fame chair. “We hope our students would aspire to follow these leaders and be leaders themselves.”

Hall of Fame candidates are nominated by the community and voted on by the Foundation Board. The event held in March is a celebration of those who have shaped and influenced the community.

Hall of Fame Inductees

2024 Inductees

  • Mr. A.Q. Oldacre began his career in 1963 in the air and missile defense systems in a short-range air defense project office, followed by an assignment to the Systems Integration Division of the SAM-D/PATRIOT Project Office in 1965. In 1975 he became the Systems and Operations Analysis Branch Chief and was assigned as the Assistant Project Manager for International Programs in 1980. In 1983 he became a division chief of MICOM’s Security Assistance Management Directorate, supporting PATRIOT and other international programs.

    In 1986, Mr. Oldacre was named Deputy Project Manager for the PATRIOT Project Office, responsible for assisting the PATRIOT Project Manager to orchestrate the US Army’s largest missile program. He was responsible for the largest international program ever undertaken by the U.S. Army and assisted in the successful negotiation and management of the largest multi-year contract ever awarded by the Army. He helped guide the PATRIOT program through Desert Storm, having been with it since inception. While acting as Deputy Program Executive Officer he was the chief U.S. negotiator for the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) which successfully concluded an agreement with Germany and Italy for a joint program.

    Mr. Oldacre received the Secretary of Defense’s David S. Packard for Acquisition Excellence in May 1996 and has received numerous foreign awards for outstanding service from Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. He is also a registered professional engineer.

  • Ms. Trudy Grisham relocated to Decatur in the early 1980’s and cofounded the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation, the 501c3 non-profit organization that benefits Decatur Morgan Hospital. During her 33 years serving as the Foundation’s President, Grisham also served as the Vice President of Marketing and Development to the hospital’s Board of Directors. Her first campaign in the community raised approximately $1 million dollars in 1985 to build Morgan County’s first cancer center. Under Grisham’s leadership, the Foundation raised millions of charitable dollars, impacting the community with the creation of annual events such as the annual Dragon Boat Race and Festival and the Power of Pink Walk and Fashion Show.

    Ms. Grisham was the first female to serve as Chairperson to the Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce from 1994 to 1995. She was also the first female to join the Decatur Kiwanis Club, receiving their prestigious Lynn Fowler Award in 2021. She has served on multiple boards within the community including the Morgan County Economic Development Association, ACA Foundation, River Clay Foundation, and United Way, among other civic groups.

    Ms. Grisham has been presented with many recognitions and awards for service. Most recently, she received the Humanitarian of the Year in 2023 from the Decatur-Morgan County Minority Development Association. She has also been awarded Citizen of the Year in 2005 and the Athena Award in 1997 from the Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and the John A. Caddell Award from the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation in 2004. She continues to serve the community as a volunteer following her retirement in 2016.

  • Michael “Soy” Taylor felt the call from God to reach the nations with the Gospel of Jesus early on in life. Mr. Taylor spent the first 10 years of his career in the ministry in Grand Bay, Alabama, working, praying, and visiting foreign countries with mission outreach. In 2017, he and his wife founded the Shining Light Abroad Ministries (SLAM) and moved with their three daughters to El Tejar, Guatemala to serve in international missions.

    Mr. Taylor’s work in Guatemala included working in a feeding/tutoring ministry that served impoverished children. In 2020, a new school, Colegio J.E.T. (Jesus and Education Transform), was opened to help educate those children. He was the technology director for the school, setting up and overseeing the computer lab, teaching the 204 students about technology, and serving as a father figure to many of the children. He also served as a director of Guatemala Relief and Compassion Effort (GRACE Ministries), overseeing their technology needs as well. He was most passionate about locating families in the remote areas of Guatemala who needed housing. His connections to churches and communities in Morgan County, Alabama, led to many mission teams traveling to Guatemala to build those needed houses. Youth, students, and adults from across Morgan County made the trip to serve at GRACE.

    Mr. Taylor, his wife, and their three children were at their home in Guatemala when three armed men approached and demanded money. His wife went inside with the children, while Mr. Taylor confronted the would-be thieves. The men fled the scene, but not before shooting Mr. Taylor once in the stomach. He would later succumb to his injuries and passed away on Oct. 2, 2023.

2023 Inductees

  • Mr. James (Jim) B. Odom was a pioneer in our nation’s space program, including the Saturn launch vehicles that put the first man on the moon. He began his engineering career with Chemstrand Corporation in Decatur, AL. In 1956, while a serviceman, he accepted an engineering position with the U.S. Army’s Rocket & Research Development team at Redstone Arsenal and was involved with the development of Redstone and Jupiter missiles. He transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1959, prior to its formal establishment in 1960. At the Marshall Center, Mr. Odom held various engineering and technical positions that virtually spanned America’s entire spaceflight program. He was actively involved in the development of earth satellites and unmanned space probes prior to his assignment as chief of the Engineering and Test Operations Branch for the second stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. In April 1973, Mr. Odom received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for his outstanding technical and management leadership and effectiveness in the design, development, verification, and launch support of the S-2 stages. In September 1981, he received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding contributions to the development of the Space Shuttle and its successful first orbital flight test. In June1985, he was awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in recognition of sustained accomplishments and exceptional technical and managerial performance marked by contributions to the External Tank; also, in recognition of significant advances made under his leadership in the management of the Space Telescope Project.

  • Mr. Destin Sandlin is an aerospace engineer best known for his educational video series, Smarter Every Day (SED). Launched in 2007, SED - a science-focused YouTube channel, now has over 10 million subscribers and over 1 billion views, making it one of YouTube’s top-rated science channels. His videos explore a wide array of topics including flight, space, and fluid dynamics. In 2016, Sandlin was one of just three YouTube personalities chosen to host a one-on-one interview with President Obama after his final State of the Union address. Prior to finding internet success, Mr. Sandlin served as a Department of Defense Missile Test Engineer at the Redstone Arsenal for 15 years. In 2021, he received the Alumni of Achievement award for Outstanding Young Alumni from the University of Alabama Huntsville. Smarter Every Day continues to grow with the addition of Sandlin’s podcast No Dumb Questions, produced alongside his friend, Matt Whitman.

  • Ms. Peggy Towns is a local historian and author of African American history. After 20 years serving as a district aide in the US House of Representatives, she followed her passion to preserve, promote, and educate others about African American history and legacy. Since 2012, Ms. Towns has published three books that share Decatur’s history, from Civil War to Civil Rights issues, "Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama's African Americans During the Civil War”. The other two titles are "Scottsboro Unmasked. Decatur's Story," and "Scapegoat. The Tommy Lee Hines Story." Ms. Towns has been instrumental in efforts of obtaining the Alabama Historical Markers recognizing Old Town as a historic district and the oldest community in Decatur and the eleven OnCell Tour markers that provide insight on Decatur's Old Town history. Ms. Towns serves on the Decatur Morgan County Tourism Board of Directors and the Morgan County Genealogy Board of Directors, among other civic groups. She has been presented with many recognitions and awards for service. Most recently, she was presented with the Virginia Van Der Veer Hamilton Award by the Alabama Historical Association and the Athena Leadership Award by the Decatur Morgan Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Towns continues to serve by providing lectures and facilitates workshops on genealogy, local people, and historical places.

  • IMr. George E. Crawford was a community leader and career tech education advocate. After other careers including barber and auto mechanic, he began his career in education at Brewer High School in 1984 as the Auto Mechanics Instructor. He was later promoted to assistant principal and Director of Maintenance and Transportation. Mr. Crawford was an entrepreneur. He owned and operated the Morgan City Barber Shop as well as the A-1 Truck Stop and Garage and Crawford’s Garage. He was instrumental in the creation of the Brindlee Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, where he was Fire Chief for 20 years. He also served as an adjunct Instructor for Alabama State Fire College and Chairman of East Morgan County Industrial Development Board for the Industrial Park of Eva, now known as the George Crawford Industrial Park.

2022 Inductees

  • Mr. Douglas R. Bachuss, Jr. is a member of Nowlin, Bachuss & Ray Law Firm practicing in the areas of commercial and residential real estate closings, real estate development, probate law, family law (concentrating on adoptions and custody), estate planning, contract law, and business organizations. Bachuss assisted with the creation of CASA of North Alabama, Inc., an organization that investigates the situations of children in juvenile cases in Morgan and Limestone Counties and served as President of the Board. Bachuss has served the community on several boards and committees. He is a graduate of Leadership Morgan County and Leadership Alabama, and he is a current board member of Leadership Alabama.

  • Mr. Lee Sentell began his career at the Decatur Daily in 1969. The Auburn University graduate covered local government, education, historical topics, and the arts for eight years and spent the last four years at the newspaper as city editor. He went on to be appointed as Decatur and Morgan County’s first director of the Decatur Tourism Bureau at its inception 40 years ago. Sentell moved on to work for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, followed by a lengthy tenure as Huntsville Tourism Director. Classmate, former Governor Bob Riley, appointed Sentell as director of the Alabama Tourism Department in 2003, a position in which he has been reappointed for five terms, making him the longest-serving state tourism director in the nation. Sentell is the author of The Best of Alabama guidebook and the Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail which promotes the regional tourism campaign he organized.

  • Mr. John Seymour became President and CEO of the Decatur-Morgan Chamber of Commerce in 1991.bSeymour was invited to be in a National Think Tank of the Kettering Foundation for a published study on “Creating a Healthy Economy through Civic Involvement”. He has been a presenting speaker at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives annual meetings and appeared with Dr. Stephen Covey as the convention opening program. Seymour oversaw the creation of Youth Leadership Morgan County and The Leader in Me program in schools in Morgan County, a cooperative effort with Franklin Covey. He is a graduate of Leadership Mississippi and Leadership Alabama. He has served as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama and the Business Council of Alabama on the Board of Directors. After 30 years of service, Seymour retired from the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce in May 2021.

2021 Inductees

  • Junior Hill is a Southern Baptist evangelist that began his ministry at the age of nineteen. He served as a pastor for eleven years in Alabama and Mississippi before entering vocational evangelism in 1967. A native of Hartselle, Alabama, Mr. Hill is recognized nationally and internationally for his humanitarian efforts. He has served as First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention and in 1995 was recognized as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has conducted over 1800 revivals and numerous foreign crusades. In addition, he is a frequent speaker at pastors’ meetings, evangelism conferences, seminaries, and state conventions across the country. Mr. Hill is an influential author and an internationally renowned Christian leader.

  • Mr. George F. Mills of Decatur, Alabama, is a distinguished War World II Veteran that served in the 28th Infantry Division of the United States Army. Captured at the Battle of the Bulge, Mr. Mills was declared a Nazi POW and MIA in 1945. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He is also a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, the French Croix de Guerre and the French Jubilee Medal. He is a founding member of the Military Order of Purple Heart and served as a French Ambassador to the French Legion of Honor in 2006. Today, Mr. Mills serves as a motivational speaker and a ROTC and JROTC Mentor.

  • Mr. John H. Willis is a native of Morgan County, Alabama. He is considered a visionary civic leader as the founding member of the Cotaco Volunteer Fire Department in 1972. He served as Fire Chief for the CVFD from 1972 to 1996. Mr. Willis is also the founder of the Firefighters Association of Morgan County and served as President in 1976, serving as a member from 1976 to 1996. He was named Mason of the Year from the Alabama Grande Lodge in 2016.

2020 Inductees 

  • Ronnie Dukes recently retired from Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Decatur as the Marketing Director after 34 years. He is an unfailing supporter of Morgan County Schools and the community. He has served on many civic and non-profit organizations throughout the years. Ronnie served with the 142nd Signal Brigade of the Alabama Army National Guard from 1971 to 1977. His recognitions include the Community Service Award from the Decatur Morgan Hospital amongst many others.

  • Tami Reist is the President/CEO of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA).Tami has served as a board member for a number of tourism and travel-related and civic organizations. Tami is also an instructor at the Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College in Dahlonega, GA. and has been a contributing presenter to the tourism and travel field of study at Mississippi State University. Among her many recognitions is the Alabama Travel Council Partnership Award, the Southeast Tourism Society Dorothy Hardman Spirit Award, and This is Alabama and Birmingham magazine’s Women Who Shape the State honoree.

  • Phil is a native of Decatur, Alabama. He is a speaker for and President of the Phil Waldrep Ministries . He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Northeastern Bible College. Phil is a world-renowned evangelist, is the author of multiple published books and serves as a US House of Representatives Chaplain. He is a recipient of the Robert H. Brindle Church Planting Award and the Alabama Medal of Honor.

  • From 1942-1945, Mr. Stallworth served as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army. In World War II. At the end of the war in 1945, Mr. Stallworth received an offer to teach at the Morgan County Training School. From 1947 to 1969, he served as the sixth principal, based on records, at MCTS. He was instrumental in guiding the integration of Morgan County High School in accordance with federal policy. Mr. Stawllworth was an active member and served in a leadership capacity on several local, state and regional civic organizations and commissions. He also was Inducted into the Hartselle Educator Hall of Fame in 2016, Who’s Who in American Education 1963-1964, and Who’s Who in Negro Education in 1949.

2019 Inductees

  • Mr. Lynn Layton is the owner of Lynn Layton Chevrolet, Cadillac-Nissan, and Ford in Decatur, Alabama. Layton opened the number one Chevrolet dealership in alabama approximately 35 years ago. Mr. Layton has served as past President and Board Member of 20 years to the Automobile Dealers of Alabama Association and received the General Motors Dealer of the Year award 11 times with only 100 dealers being picked from all GM dealerships.

  • Ms. Jody Singer, a Hartselle native, is the Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Appointed in September 2018, Singer manages one of NASA's largest field installations, with nearly 6,000 on-and-near site civil service and contractor employees and an annual budget of approximately $2.8 billion. During her 32 year NASA career, Singer has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility in human spaceflight, technology, and science flight missions programs and projects and was appointed in 2002 to the Senior Executive Service, the personnel system covering top managerial positions in federal agencies.

  • Mr. C. Wallace Terry serves as the Director of Development for the City of Decatur, Alabama. Terry began service to the community by working for Security Mutual followed by Cook's Pest Control before settling into his career as a banker at First Federal Savings & Loan Association and First American Bank in Decatur for a combined thirty-plus years. Terry has served and partnered with many community civic and non-profit organizations and served as Director to many Boards including the Decatur Morgan Hospital foundation, Greater Decatur Community Foundation, and many others.

  • Mr. John J. Sparkman, a veteran of the U.S. Army, was the longest serving U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama from 1946 yo 1978. Sparkman also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1936 to 1946 and led to the creation of the 1943 Sparkman Act, which allowed women physicians to be commissioned as officers in the Armed Forces. Sparkman was instrumental in convincing the United States Department of the Army to transfer their missile development activities to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama in 1949.

2018 Inductees

  • JUDGE BRELAND IS A FORMER MORGAN COUNTY DISTRICT AND JUVENILE COURT JUDGE FROM 1983 TO 2008. JUDGE BRELAND'S COURT WAS HONORED FOR ITS EFFICIENCY AND DEVELOPED MORE THAN 25 PROGRAMS TO SERVE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE COURT SYSTEM. THE STATE COURT SYSTEM ADOPTED MODELS ESTABLISHED BY BRELAND FOR IMPLEMENTATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE. BRLENAD IS A LEADER AND CORNERSTONE FOR MORGAN COUNTY HISTORY AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CURRENT SUCCESS OF THE OLD STATE BANK AND HISTORIC RAILROAD DEPOT FACILITIES. HE IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA AND ROTARY CLUB, RECEIVING MANY AWARDS.

  • MR. FOWLER IS A FORMER MAYOR OF DECATUR AND CHAIRMAN OF MORGAN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION. JOINING THE EDA BOARD IN 1978, FOWLER SERVED AS CHAIRMAN FROM 1983 TO 2014. UNDER FOWLER'S LEADERSHIP, A PARTNERSHIP WAS FORMED AMONG ALL COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES TO FOUND THE MALLARD-FOX CREEK INDUSTRIAL PARK, WHICH LED TO THOUSANDS OF JOBS BEING BROUGH TO MORGAN COUNTY. FOWLER'S CIVIC INVOLVEMENT INCLUDES SERVICE WITH THE DECATUR BOARD OF EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP ALABAMA, PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, KIWANIS, ROTARY, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ALABAMA SHERIFF'S YOUTH RANCHES.

  • MR. JONES HAS BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF DECATUR YOUTH SERVICES FOR OVER 23 YEARS. DURING MR. JONES' TENURE, HE HAS COORDINATED AND LED MANY PILOT PROGRAMS TO SERVCE AND ENCOURAGE THE YOUTH OF DECATUR. JONES IS ALSO A LEADERSHIP COACH FOR THE EAGLE CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP. HE IS ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICE INCLUDING ROTARY, UNITED WAY, VOLUNTEER CENTER OF MORGAN COUNTY, AND THE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. MR. JONES IS A MEMBER OF THE MORGAN COUNTY, LAWRENCE COUNTY, AND UNA SPORTS HALLS OF FAME.

  • MR. SMITH HAS BEEN A LOCAL BUSINESS PROPRIETOR SINCE 1973. ORIGINALLY FROM LEWISBURG, TN, MR. SMITH SERVED IN THE NAVY FROM 1950 TO 1954. HE MADE A DEDICATED MOVE TO DECATUR IN ORDER TO PURSUE A CERTIFICATION IN WATCHMAKING FROM TENNESSEE VALLEY TRADE SCHOOL (HOW CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE). AFTER WORKING FOR OTHERS, SMITH FOUNDED JIMMY SMITH JEWELERS. MR. SMITH HAS BEEN AN EXAMPLE OF A BUSINESSMAN GIVING BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RACKING HORSE COMMITTEE AND AS A CHAIRMAN, MR. SMITH LED THE EFFORT TO BRING THE RACKING HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS TO DECATUR ALONG WITH ITS APPROXIMATE $5 MILLION IN ANNUAL TOURISM DOLLARS.

2017 Inductees

  • FIVE TIME MAYOR OF DECATUR. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. HE WAS A CHAMPION FOR DIXIE YOUTH BASEBALL AND A LEADER OF MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

  • SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS LEADER. HE PIONEERED SIDELINE SPORTS INJURY COVERAGE FOR SCHOOLS. CO-FOUNDER OF ENCORE REHABILITATION INC. HE WAS AN ALABAMA DISTINGUISHED THERAPIST SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT.

  • MORGAN COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT. ESTABLISHED PLAN FOR CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOLS. LED SCHOOLS THROUGH DESEGREGATION ERA WITHOUT FEDERAL INTERVENTION. COMMUNITY SERVANT, VOLUNTEERING IN RETIREMENT.

  • DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR. ACQUIRED FUNDING FOR MORGAN COUNTY'S VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. DIRECTOR OF MORGAN COUNTY SCHOOLS IN THREE DISCIPLINES. COMMUNITY SERVANT AND VOLUNTEER.

2016 Inductees

  • FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALABAMA AND MORGAN COUNTY NATIVE FOR WHOM BREWER HIGH SCHOOL IS NAMED. HE REPRESENTED MORGAN COUNTY THROUGH THREE (3) TERMS AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM 1954 TO 1966. AT THE AGE OF 34, BREWER BECAME THE YOUNGEST IN ALABAMA HISTORY TO BE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. HE WAS ELECTED LT. GOVERNOR IN 1966 AND BECAME GOVERNOR UPON THE DEATH OF LURLEEN B. WALLACE IN 1968. AS GOVERNOR THROUGH 1970 DURING THE TIME IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE END OF SEGREGATION, BREWER PROVIDED MUCH-NEEDED, POSITIVE LEADERSHIP TO ALABAMA IN THE DIFFICULT TASK OF INTEGRATION AND HEALING IN THE COMMUNITY. GOVERNOR BREWER LATER BECAME A LAW PROFESSOR AT SAMFORD’S CUMBERLAND SCHOOL OF LAW WHERE HE STILL SERVES TODAY

  • FOUNDER OF COOK’S PEST CONTROL AND COOK’S NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM. HE WAS A GRADUATE OF RIVERSIDE HIGH SCHOOL (DECATUR), A NAVY VETERAN OF WWII, AND RECEIVED A DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE FROM GEORGIA TECH UNIVERSITY. UPON THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER IN 1950, MR. COOK GAVE UP HIS DREAM OF AN ARCHITECTURE CAREER TO RETURN TO DECATUR AND HONOR THE TERMITE GUARANTEES ESTABLISHED BY THE FAMILY BUSINESS. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, COOK’S PEST CONTROL GREW FROM ONE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE AND A HANDFUL OF ACCOUNTS TO ONE OF THE NATION’S LARGEST PEST CONTROL COMPANIES WITH 1,200 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE ACHIEVED WHILE MAINTAINING A PHILOSOPHY OF PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE AND A GOOD WORK PLACE THROUGH HONESTY, COURTESY, RESPECT, AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. MR. COOK IS BEING INDUCTED POSTHUMOUSLY.

  • FORMER MORGAN COUNTY SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL AND FORMER MAYOR OF PRICEVILLE. DR. SHARP WAS ONE OF TWO WOMEN TO SIMULTANEOUSLY BEGIN AS THE FIRST WOMEN PRINCIPALS IN MORGAN COUNTY. SHE REMAINS THE ONLY FEMALE MAYOR TO SERVE WITHIN MORGAN COUNTY. DR. SHARP MARRIED AT 17 AND PLANNED TO BE A HOUSE WIFE, BUT WAS SOON CALLED INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION. SHE PURSUED HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE AT ATHENS STATE WHILE RAISING TWO SONS AND LATER EARNED TWO MASTER’S DEGREES, HER ED. S, AND DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION. DR. SHARP’S TEACHING CAREER BEGAN AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER AT PRICEVILLE, WITH STOPS AT BREWER AND HARTSELLE BEFORE BECOMING THE FIRST PRINCIPAL OF DANVILLE-NEEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WHILE PRICEVILLE’S MAYOR, SHE LED THE TOWN’S ENDEAVORS TO OBTAIN FUNDING AND APPROVAL FOR THEIR FIRST SEWER SYSTEM AND THE EFFORT TO ANNEX THE AREA AROUND THE I-65 INTERCHANGE.

  • A BREWER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE WHO HAS EARNED TWO (2) PHDS AND THREE (3) MASTER’S DEGREES – ALL IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. DR. TAYLOR HAS WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, NASA, AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FOR OVER TWO DECADES AND IS A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IN ALABAMA. HE HAS AUTHORED OR CO-AUTHORED OVER 16 SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS, TWO TEXTBOOKS, OVER TWO DOZEN SCIENTIFIC PAPERS, AND HOLDS MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF PATENTS. HE HAS REPRESENTED HIS PROFESSION AND COMMUNITY THROUGH NUMEROUS TELEVISION APPEARANCES AND HIS OWN SHOWS, INCLUDING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL’S HIT SERIES ROCKET CITY REDNECKS AND THE WEATHER CHANNEL’S THREE SCIENTISTS WALK INTO A BAR. DR. TAYLOR HAS BROUGHT POSITIVE ATTENTION TO MORGAN COUNTY AND NORTH ALABAMA THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.