St. Clair Mayors Association

Celebrates 25 years and still going strong

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

The year was 2000. Y2K. It was a time for thinking about new beginnings. After all, a new century was dawning.

Meanwhile, a new, young mayor had come on the scene in St. Clair County – full of ideas, yes, but a yearning to learn from his older counterparts, too. So, Guin Robinson, mayor of Pell City at the time, took an old idea, resurrected it and helped put it on the road to revitalization.

This past December, the St. Clair Mayors Association celebrated its 25th year as what has become a catalyst for engaging leaders from around the county with programs, conversations and informational resources to play a role in moving the county forward as a team.

Springville Mayor Austin Phillips, St. Clair School Board Member Bill Morris and Moody Councilman Ellis Key

Robinson, no longer mayor but dean of economic development for Jefferson State Community College, welcomed the group to the college’s Pell City campus to celebrate. In the midst of the reminiscences, it was easy to detect the camaraderie developed over the years.

“When we organized the St. Clair County Mayors Association 25 years ago, the county was in a very different place than it is today,” Robinson recalled. “The St. Clair County Economic Development Council was still new, and the idea of cities and towns working together was, for the most part, untested.

In 2000, a largely new group of mayors from across the county was elected. “Early in that first year, we met as a group and quickly recognized that we had much in common, enjoyed working together and could accomplish far more collectively than we ever could alone,” Robinson said. “That moment was significant and, in my view, marked the beginning of a new spirit of cooperation that continues to this day.”

The original mayor’s association had been established years before but had gone dormant for some time before Robinson suggested it be revitalized.

Guin Robinson addresses the crowd

Robinson served as its first president and soon, the group was up and running and making an impact. They exchanged ideas. They heard updates from state and county officials. They shared what worked and what didn’t in their own towns and cities.

The end result was a more unified county of leaders, sharing in each other’s triumphs and learning from each other’s tries that may have fallen short of success. They found common ground, and they worked together to make a positive impact.

“Over the years, the Association has grown to include non-mayors, a change that has only strengthened both the organization and its impact,” Robinson said. “Today, it serves not only as a forum for leaders to gather, but also as a catalyst for collaboration aimed at improving the quality of life for citizens throughout our municipalities and the county as a whole.

It became a resource center for not only mayors, but county officials – even state officeholders. They were able to hear the latest news from all parts of the county from those who knew it best, and they impressed state and federal officials with a unified front when requesting funding.

In an editorial the same year the association reorganized, The Daily Home newspaper endorsed the concept, calling it “a major breakthrough in effective communication with the ability to bring about improvements all around the county.”

The editorial rightly noted that issues like transportation, infrastructure and water are not unique to a single town. They are shared. “But, more important,” the newspaper said, “they realize the answers are shared, too.”

That has been the key to this success story since 2000. It’s a cooperative effort that continues to provide a strong foundation for progress that still thrives today.

“In my opinion,” Robinson said, “the Mayors Association has exceeded our earliest hopes for what could be accomplished.”

Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden

Much-anticipated restaurants set to open in Pell City

Story by Paul South
Photos by David Smith

There’s a recipe for cooking up a broader restaurant menu for hungry St. Clair County residents and visitors – patience, hard work and teamwork.

And that formula will come to life in 2026, with two popular national chains coming to Pell City in early Spring – Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. Groundbreaking for the restaurants took place in March 2025, and Longhorn Steakhouse is expected to open first with Olive Garden’s following about three weeks later, officials say.

The two newcomers will join Outback Steaks and prove an unwritten economic development adage, said Pell City developer Bill Ellison. Brands follow brands.

Classic western vibe at Longhorn Steakhouse

The restaurants come on the heels of the Pell City Square retail development that features Hobby Lobby, PetSmart, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Ross, Ulta and others. Ellison was a co-developer of the shopping center.

The new restaurants, located at the intersection of U.S. 231 and Hazelwood Drive adjacent to the I-20 interchange, are in response to residents who have long hungered for new full-service eateries in one of Alabama’s fastest growing counties.

“This has been something  the community has really wanted,” Ellison said. “We’ve  had a lot of retail success, but we just didn’t have the full-service restaurants. We’ve done well with everything else.”

He added, “I think when Pell City Square shopping center came in with that store mix, that’s  sort of a regional type shopping center. The tenant mix that’s there, we had hoped, would bring in at least one full-service restaurant to the community, and we got Outback.”

Outback has had blockbuster success, Ellison said. “It’s a truly outstanding restaurant. As I understand it, the restaurant had the highest opening volume of sales in the history of Outback, and it’s been extremely high volume ever since.”

Booth waiting on customers to sit at Olive Garden

Pell City Square’s arrival lured more shoppers to Pell City than had shopped there in the past, Ellison said. The restaurants are the culmination of two to three years of work, Ellison said.

“The expansion of the trade area helped us to recruit Olive Garden and Longhorn to Pell City. It’s kind of like brands follow brands. When we got that shopping center, and Outback came, other brands look at Pell City, and they say, ‘Those stores came to Pell City. We might need to look at that.’ That just kind of gets the synergy going.”

Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, said bringing in new full-service restaurants was part of the public’s wish list.

“Having more sit-down restaurants was something that the community had expressed a desire in having here,” Smith said. “The elected officials have listened and made it a priority for us to work on. Through collaboration and partnerships with the developer, property owner, the city, the county and the EDC, we were fortunate to get those national chains to come to the community, to go along with those shoppers who are coming from outside of Pell City to shop at the new Pell City Square.”

Longhorn and Olive Garden are under the Darden Restaurants umbrella of brands, Ellison said. Darden operates 2,100 restaurants nationally with more than 200,000 employees.

Pell City’s growth, local industries and the Honda plant, tourism with Logan Martin Lake and a growing health care landscape all fueled the company’s decision to come to the county.
“Needless to say, that’s a big honor for Pell City, Alabama,” Ellison said. “To attract those restaurants to this city, that really says something.”

All of this economic activity can have a snowball effect that can bring more restaurants and retail to the area. Big picture is that it can mean a regional boost to northeast Alabama.

“Like I said  earlier, brands follow brands,” Ellison said. “It’ll just be a continuing progression. We’re expecting St. Clair County to continue  to grow with a very bright future moving forward. As long as St. Clair County continues to grow and Pell City continues to grow, our region will continue to grow.”

Smith credited Ellison’s efforts.

“Bill Ellison worked really hard on a number of different retailers and eateries,” Smith said. “He felt, and we felt that these two brands (Longhorn and Olive Garden) filled a void that had existed. I think the community’s demographic fits really well with (the restaurants’) target customer.”

Ellison makes a critical point. “I didn’t do this by myself. I’m a hard worker and the rest of it. But the elected officials in Pell City and in St. Clair County and the EDC and Metro Bank through the years, have been with me hand in hand through all of this. It’s a team effort.”

Jefferson State Community College

Celebrating 60 years of education excellence

Story by Roxann Edsall
Submitted Photos

For the past six decades, Jefferson State Community College has been guided by a single principle – opportunity. Since it’s opening in 1965, it may look different – much bigger, in fact, but it hasn’t wavered in providing opportunities.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this past fall, Jefferson State now has its highest enrollment ever – 10,400 and eclipsing its old record set in 2010 by 800 students. The Pell City-St. Clair Campus experienced enrollment gains as well.

Whether it’s opportunities for students to learn and find gainful employment or those doing the hiring having an opportunity to hire workers with the skills they need, its workforce development program has been making a sizable impact in both sectors.

Lineman, welding and construction programs are part of the offerings at Jeff State

Keeping pace with the needs of today’s industries, Jefferson State has unveiled a new milestone in its mission. The college opened a new Workforce Education Center building on the Jefferson Campus, which serves the entire system.

Housing industrial and craft skills training courses, it includes their existing line worker program and new electrical, HVAC and multi-craft maintenance technician programs. The 7,500 square-foot building features flexible classroom spaces and laboratories that can be adapted to a variety of needs within the college’s short certificate Fast Track program.

The Fast Track program is a credentials program offering 35 options within their portfolio of skills training, specifically focused on developing skills needed for high-demand entry level career opportunities. “The new building really represents opportunity for our community,” says Leah Bigbee, dean of Workforce Education for JSCC. “We’ve been strategically focused on industrial and craft skills training because business and industry have been asking for these programs.”

Bigbee says the Workforce Development Program relies on relationships with local businesses and industry to share their needs and help develop and refine the curriculum in each specialty. “Across the board, our programs are developed with actual jobs in mind – from developing the curriculum to having seasoned veterans teaching classes to mock interviews to actual job interview days,” said Bigbee.

“Our programs are really co-created with industry, which is especially helpful in teaching the specific, current skills needed by area businesses,” said Bigbee. “We have the ability to adapt and be flexible to meet those needs. Really, our north star is those companies who give us continuous feedback.”

CDL drivers are in high demand these days

Guin Robinson, Jefferson State’s dean of Economic Development, has a unique perspective and understanding of the workforce needs of area businesses, having served as mayor of Pell City for five years and at Avondale Mills in Pell City as manager of Human Resources.

“When I was mayor, it was all about community and connecting industry and business and recruiting through the Economic Development Council. It’s what I’ve always done and love doing, connecting community to, in this case, the college.” 

Jefferson State offers 116 transfer programs, 40 career and technical programs, and 35 non-credit, credentialed workforce education programs. They also offer online courses and 100 dual-enrollment course options.

“The credit classes that transfer to four-year institutions is still a lot of what we do,” Robinson says. “But not everyone has to have a four-year degree. As we came out of the COVID experience, that helped to highlight and better articulate what training and workforce needs we had. Our Fast Track program is playing a vital role in developing and training that workforce. Our new building, being the first completely new building on campus in years, speaks to the significance of the program.”

The short-term Fast Track programs include electrical, HVAC, lineworker, forklift operator, commercial driver (CDL), welding and a host of business and healthcare options. These credential programs help meet the needs of fresh high-school graduates beginning their careers, as well as those reentering the workforce or wanting to change career paths.

“We serve almost three thousand students in the Workforce Department,” says Bigbee. “Our data shows us that 80 percent complete the program and go on to find employment. Companies depend on us to create these customized training programs that really do give someone a leg up and give them a better chance to make it in an entry-level role and be retained, as opposed to someone who is just hired off the street.”

“At the end of the day,” adds Robinson, “it’s about providing economic opportunity for our students and marrying that with the needs of business and industry. It’s very rewarding.”

Some of the Jefferson State workforce development partner companies in St. Clair County include Goodgame Company, Ford Meter Box, Hubble Power and Gorbel. Jefferson State welcomes inquiries from other companies who might want to partner with their workforce development programs.

Several Fast-Track programs are offered at the Jefferson State St. Clair-Pell City Campus each year, including a clinical medical assistant class funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

In the spring, additional fast-track offerings such as welding, field engineering, and clinical medical assistant will be available.

Editor’s note: For more information, go to jeffersonstate.edu/fasttrack.

CVEC marketing staff earns state recognitions

Photo: Winners at the convention. Kylie Entrekin of Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative’s marketing team is second from left. Kylie Mason is third from left. She is in sales and marketing for Coosa Valley Technologies.

The marketing team from Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative and Coosa Valley Technologies received six awards at the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives Communications Awards, which recognize excellence in marketing, communications and public relations among electric cooperatives across Alabama.

The awards, given during AREA’s annual communications conference in Huntsville, are for work created in 2024.

“These awards highlight the impact that marketing does for cooperatives and subsidiaries,” said Jon Cullimore, CVEC general manager. “I’m grateful for the team’s efforts and look forward to seeing what they can achieve next.”

CVEC and CVT each earned two Awards of Excellence, the highest honor given in each category. Cullimore received the Best Column Award for his Alabama Living magazine piece, “Giving Thanks After Helene.” The column recounts the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and highlights the critical role Alabama’s cooperatives and linemen played in restoring power to affected communities.

“Orchestrating an Outage Response,” also published in Alabama Living magazine, was named Best News Story for its behind-the-scenes look at the coordinated efforts required to respond to a power outage.

CVT, a subsidiary of CVEC, won Best Wild Card for “Daily Dose of Fiber,” a nutrition-label-themed cereal box featuring the organization’s fiber service features. Pioneer Utility Resources, a firm specializing in electric cooperative marketing, created the cereal box design.

CVT’s Trunk R Treat Cybersecurity Halloween Event was recognized with the Best Event Campaign Award for its engaging, family-friendly approach to promoting online safety.

CVEC also received two Awards of Merit. The Alabama Living article titled “Helping with Helene” highlighted CVEC linemen providing mutual aid after Hurricane Helene. It was honored in the News Story category.

Safety Director Tommy Tant earned a Best Photo nod for his nighttime image titled “Nighttime Ballet,” which captured the precision and teamwork of linemen working after dark.

Marketing efforts from 2025 will be recognized during the annual conference in October 2026.

Museum Exhibit Perfectly Blends History and Art

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free

mphasis on preserving the history of Pell City and that of its families and community.  One of its most recent exhibits perfectly blended that history with the art of quilting.  The museum, on the second floor of the Municipal Complex, typically contains its exhibits to the interior of the museum, but recently has been expanding outside its doors to showcase the work of the area’s talented citizens.

“Hosting exhibits like the quilt show allows us to celebrate the incredible talent in our own community,” said Museum Coordinator Erica Grieve.  “It reminds us that art isn’t just found in galleries far away.  It’s being created right here at home.”

The quilt exhibit ran from late October through November and featured roughly 40 quilts created by members of the Friendship Quilters Guild of St Clair County.  The opening featured a presentation by historian Joe Whitten, a quilt collector himself, who shared stories about the history of quilts and shared some of his quilts.  There were also demonstrations showing the making of a quilt from start to finish. 

Part of the history of quilting included the quilting bee, a social gathering of ladies whose focus was on finishing a quilt together.  Such was the case in the making of Janet’s Double Wedding Ring quilt on display by her daughter Janet Jones. 

A group at Pell City United Methodist Church got together to complete the quilt for a silent auction.  When the silent auction did not meet the minimum bid to cover expenses, the ladies voted to give it to Janet’s mother, Janet Weldon. 

Weldon had reportedly done much of the hand-stitching, including the stitching around each of the intertwined rings.  Her daughter said quilting was so important to Weldon that when her mom passed, they elected to drape her casket in the Double Wedding Ring quilt, rather than having a funeral spray.  “Because it was cold, we also took some of her other quilts to the graveside to cover our legs,” said Jones.  “She would have liked that.”

Ken Kilgroe came to the exhibit to honor his now-deceased grandmother, Roxie Moore.  One of her quilts, made more than 60 years ago, was on display.  Moore, an Eden native, reportedly hosted quilting bees often in the 1950s.

The Museum of Pell City’s next special exhibit opens Dec. 4 and features the beautiful woodcarvings of local artisan Eric Knepper.  A reception will be held on Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The museum is open to view other compelling pieces of the history of Pell City, St. Clair County and Alabama Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Goodgame Company

Celebrating seven decades of building relationships

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Mackenzie Free

It’s hard to miss a Goodgame Company truck crisscrossing Pell City and St. Clair County these days. Multiple projects across the community have those bright red trucks, emblazoned with the familiar, oval-shaped Goodgame logo, moving at as rapid a pace as the buildings they engineer going up.

It’s not an overnight success story by any means. It has been seven decades in the making. But in each of those seven decades, one principle has been the guide. Beyond the brick and mortar, it’s the relationships Goodgame Company has built that has more than 90 percent of its clients returning for more.

As the 70th birthday approached this year, President Jason Goodgame, his mother, Connie, and his sister, Janna Masters, wanted something special to commemorate the history of the company its patriarch, Adrick Goodgame, built.

Welding in shop area of Goodgame Company’s headquarters

Jason was looking online for some hunting clothes, and he came across the artwork of Dirk Walker, whose hunting and fishing series was featured. He was naturally drawn to the work, so he contacted him about commissioning a painting, not knowing Walker’s studio was only two blocks away.

They met. They talked. Walker created a hand sketch. And what evolved as the portrait was a compelling mosaic of scenes that tell the Goodgame story, reflections of 70 years.

It now hangs as a focal point in the company’s lobby, a reminder of Adrick’s legacy. “It turned out to be perfect,” Goodgame said. “It’s something we will cherish and keep forever. Dad would be proud of it.”

Parallel to the portrait, the company created a video series that “symbolizes us,” he said. It was an opportunity to celebrate 70 years of what relationship building means to the clients and employees alike. “Pell City has been good to us. There are not many contractors who don’t have to travel out of town to work. There are not too many opportunities like this in our business.”

It all goes back to the relationships. Right now, you’ll find those red trucks at sites virtually around every corner – First Baptist Church of Pell City, Pell City Police Department’s new headquarters and Pell City Fire Department Station 2, to name a few.

Just completed was TC Customs at Town & Country Ford. Douglas Manufacturing Rulmeca Group, Ford Meter Box, Allied Mineral Products and Eissmann Automotive are among others completed in recent months.

On the drawing board for the future is Helms Healthcare and others. Those relationships just keep on building, and so does the Goodgame family legacy.

Before Adrick Goodgame died in 2023, his son said, “we talked about the transition and what it would look like. We talked about it, but we were not prepared” for the loss of the architect of their family business. His shadow still looms large over the company he built from a metal fabrication shop to a major player on the state stage in the construction industry.

The Goodgame Company office team

“You have to understand, for 20 years, we spent six days a week together. We talked about goals and where we were headed,” but they daily discover the details Adrick simply “took care of.”

An adjustment? Yes. But with a page from his playbook, they have adapted, changed to meet the needs, and they’ve grown even more because of it.

It was Adrick’s signature ability – adapting and changing to meet the market’s needs. Whenever there was a major shift in the market, Adrick Goodgame was there to meet it with a new business plan, whether it was the Great Recession in 2008 or the post COVID years in 2019.

“We’ve changed how we do business and who we do business for. The company does design- build-negotiated work, which has brought their repeat business to well over 90 percent. One client called it “a one stop shop.”

Headquarters near downtown Pell City

“It’s that relationships piece,” Goodgame explained. “If we grow, we still maintain our relationships. Through the years, we have maintained our base” in addition to the new business.

He credits the business retention to a continuing philosophy of community focus. They grow their own workforce, providing educational opportunities that earn employees certifications and management and supervision roles.

They invest in their employees and continue to treat them as family, honoring their years of service and providing perks like the recent “Boot Day,” where every employee was given a new pair of boots, a steak lunch and the afternoon off.

The mindset Adrick handed down to the next generation has not changed. He taught them well.

It’s family. It’s adapting to change. It’s relationships. “The loss,” Goodgame said, “is the hardest part.”