Benjamin Russell

• October 4th, 2021

Benjamin Russell was born in Alexander City, Alabama on January 18, 1938. After graduation from The University of Alabama, he began his career at Russell Corporation, a textile and apparel company founded by his grandfather in 1902. In 1970, Russell was named president of Russell Lands, Inc., a private land and timber company owned by the Russell family.

Russell Lands owns more than 25,000 acres and over 200 miles of shoreline on beautiful Lake Martin, one of the oldest, largest, and cleanest man-made lakes in the South. Over the past 35 years, Russell Lands has developed several, upscale waterfront residential communities adjacent to Lake Martin. Starting in 1970 with just 15 employees whose primary concerns were lake cabin maintenance and timber management, Russell Lands has grown into a multi-faceted business with over 500 employees and multiple operating divisions in several Alabama counties. Recent developments at Lake Martin have attracted purchasers from as far away as California. The quality of Russell Lands’ developments is undoubtedly one reason for consistent Lake Martin property value increases over the past 35 years. Russell Lands handles sales of these properties through a subsidiary brokerage firm, Russell Lands Real Estate, Inc. In addition to its real estate development activities, Russell Lands leases more than 300 “Russell Cabins” on the shores of Lake Martin. Wonderful family memories for generations of Alabamians have been created in these cabins.

Russell Lands also owns Willow Point Golf and Country Club, one of the top golf courses in the State of Alabama. A golf course renovation completed in 2003 has resulted in an exceptional test of golf, as evidenced by the hosting of the 2008 Alabama State Seniors Championship and the 2008 Alabama State Amateur Championship.

Other Russell Lands business interests are as varied as those created by Ben’s grandfather near the turn of the 20^thcentury. The Russell Marine division operates four sales and full-service marinas on Lake Martin. Russell Marine was recently recognized by Boating Industry Magazine as the number nine ranked boat dealer in the world. The Company also owns and operates nine building supply stores affiliated with Do-it Best Corporation. Do-it Best Corporation, a $4 billion cooperative with over 4,000 members, recognized Russell Lands and its 4^th largest customer in 2007.

Identifying a need for alternative fuel in the ’70s, Russell formed ECON Company to promote the use of wood energy in industry. Since that time, ECON’s work has led to the use of over 5 million tons of waste wood to replace 250 million gallons of fuel oil. ECON has also led the way in the research and development of a practical wood gasification power system for vehicles. An outgrowth of its alternative energy focus resulted in the expansion of ECON’s business to include landscaping products from waste wood.

Russell’s charitable efforts have been as extensive as his business interests. In 1987, he founded and still chairs the first-ever statewide fundraising campaign for CARE, the world’s largest private relief and development agency. The campaign, CARE Alabama, has raised more than $9 million for CARE. In 1989, Russell founded and chairs Children’s Harbor, a not-for-profit childcare organization whose mission is, “Strengthening children and families.” The Children’s Harbor campus is located 15 miles south of Alexander City on the shores of Lake Martin, amid New England-style camping facilities. After a successful fundraising campaign, the campus has undergone an $8 million expansion to serve an even greater number of children and their families. Ben also made a significant financial commitment to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, resulting in the construction of the Children’s Harbor wing, which houses the Children’s Harbor Family Center, an innovative child, and family care center. This collaborative effort with the hospital provides counseling to chronically ill children and their families.

Located adjacent to Children’s Harbor, is the Russell Lands/Lake Martin Amphitheater.

In addition to being the home of the annual Russell Lands fireworks display (one of the largest in the Southeast), the amphitheater has become a favorite destination for many talented performers. Recent performances have ranged from symphonic, bluegrass, and country to more modern forms of jazz and rock, and include names such as The Alabama Symphony, Rhonda Vincent, The Derek Trucks Band, and Sister Hazel.

Ben’s interests also extend to historical preservation and enjoyment of natural resources. On a portion of Ben’s property near Alexander City, he discovered the ruins of an ancient grist mill. He is currently restoring the grist mill to its former glory and has installed a 35-foot water wheel, one of the nation’s largest. Current plans for the site include a metal forging shop and several other period buildings, all of which rely solely on water power, wood, or gas for power.

Thomas E. Jernigan

• October 4th, 2021

The life of Thomas E. Jernigan was the proverbial American Dream. From humble beginnings in rural Alabama, Jernigan grew to become successful in every endeavor he attempted.

Born in Atmore, Alabama, in 1923, Jernigan later moved to Frisco City in Monroe County. He grew up on a farm with his brothers, Ferrell and Carl, and his sister, Loretta. After graduating from high school, Jernigan joined the United States Air Force and served two years during World War II. When he returned from military service, he attended The University of Alabama.

After completing his studies, Jernigan settled in Mountain Brook, Alabama, where he raised his family and emerged as a business leader within the community and around the Southeast.

Jernigan began his entrepreneurial endeavors by developing a line of children’s playground equipment. In 1965, he founded Plantation Pattern Co., a manufacturer of wrought iron casual furniture, which still is operating today.

Four years later, Jernigan founded United Chair Co., an office furniture manufacturer. United Chair exists today as a member of the Groupe Lacasse family of brands.

Showing no signs of slowing, in 1970, Jernigan founded Marathon Realty Co. to build and develop commercial properties. The company primarily did business in the Birmingham market in Alabama and the Fort Lauderdale and Tampa markets in Florida.

In 1971, he decided to test his skills with an additional challenge. He founded Marathon Equipment Co., a maker of commercial and industrial trash compaction equipment. During the time Jernigan was at the helm of Marathon Equipment, the company was recognized as the largest commercial trash compaction manufacturer in the world and a key supplier to some of the largest waste removal companies, such as Waste Management and BFI. Like most of Jernigan’s companies, Marathon Equipment received many awards and commendations from its suppliers.

From its original plant in Vernon, Alabama, Marathon added a new plant in Yerington, Nevada, in December 1985 and another plant in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, in 1989. The company began settling its products overseas, meeting waste management needs in Australia, Mexico, Central American, and the Middle East.

In 1972, Jernigan became CEO of Delwood Furniture, a corporation that consisted of six individual manufacturing companies specializing in home and office furniture.

Not one to rest on the laurels of his mounting business successes, Jernigan put another idea into action in 1973. He developed the concept of neighborhood convenience stores in Alabama, an idea that caught on incredibly well. Jernigan founded and built a chain of Quick Marts throughout the state.

Jernigan started yet another successful business venture in 1976 when he founded Winston Furniture Co. in Haleyville, Alabama. Winston still is a leading manufacturer of aluminum outdoor casual furniture.

The company began making basic wrought iron furniture but soon added simple aluminum furniture with vinyl straps. Winston broadened and modified the materials it used, becoming the first company to develop cushioned fabrics for outdoor use. These new fabrics contained special mildew-resistant fibers and ultraviolet light stabilizers that helped the furniture withstand the elements.

In 1982, a revolution in the casual furniture industry, with Winston at the forefront of this trend. Winston introduced sling furniture, a type of furnishing in which panels of special fabric are pulled taut through the furniture frame, resulting in sleek, comfortable, low-maintenance furniture. The Winston Furniture line includes both cushion and sling furniture in varying styles, finishes, and fabrics.

In addition to his other business ventures, Jernigan was active in the banking industry. He was an original director of the Central Bank and Trust Co., which eventually became Compass Bank. Jernigan’s longtime friend and business colleague, Harry B. Brock, president, and CEO of Compass Bank said Jernigan was instrumental in changing the state’s banking industry. He was a key player and investor in the formation of the Central and State National Corp., a move that sparked the formation of the bank-holding companies in Alabama.

In 1992, Jernigan became interested in the apparel industry. Consistent with his progressive thinking, he was able to marry this new business to a philanthropic course. Marathon Apparel was born under his hand and over a 15-year period donated more than $5 million to a variety of wildlife and conservation organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, the National Turkey Foundation, Quail Unlimited, and others.

Marathon Corp. has enjoyed several years of success, and it has consistently given back to the community. In 2001, Marathon donated $1 million to the relief centers in New York City following the attack on the World Trade Center. In 1005, Marathon donated clothing and food to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and has helped flood and tornado victims across the country.

Through the Thomas E. Jernigan Foundation, a program was started in Birmingham to help churches provide holiday relief for people in need.

Throughout his life and his many successful business endeavors, Jernigan always remembered people in need. He donated generously to the United Way, the Salvation Army, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, Children’s Hospital, the Big Oak Ranch, Junior Achievement, Juvenile Diabetes, Habitat for Humanity, Cornerstone Schools, and many other organizations. His grant stated the first and only camp for children with cancer in the Southeast. This was done in cooperation with Campfire USA of Central Alabama and Children’s Hospital. He also funded medical research at local hospitals. In 1995, the Association of Fundraising Professionals presented Jernigan with the William M. and Virginia B. Spencer Award for Outstanding Philanthropist. The United Way of Central Alabama honored Jernigan in 2007, awarding him membership in the Alexis de Tocqueville Society in recognition of his generous gifts.

During his long and busy career, Jernigan also gave much of his time and money to education. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for Birmingham Southern College, and in honor of his years of service, the school awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws. He also served on the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation board of directors and the Advisory Board at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He established endowments at Birmingham Southern, Samford University, and The University of Alabama, both the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham campuses. These endowments created scholarships that still provide deserving college and nursing students with the opportunities to pursue higher education.

Jernigan also held memberships at country clubs throughout Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina. He enjoyed socializing with colleagues and friends in his spare time and was involved in the Birmingham Rotary Club, the Young Presidents Organization, and the ROMEOS (Retired Old Men Eating Out).

Jernigan passed away in January 2008 after battling leukemia. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Donna Conyers Jernigan, and his four children, Thomas E. Jernigan, Jr., Lisa Jernigan Bruhn, Mary Conyers Jernigan, and Jonathan Winston Jernigan.

Jernigan remained chairman and chief executive officer of Marathon Corp. until his death.

Frank Falkenburg, a longtime business partner and friend, summed up Jernigan’s life and character: “HE was as tough and sweet a man as I have ever known. He could be the most rugged person you might meet, and then he’d write a check for some little town in Mississippi that he read about in the newspaper trying to get over Hurricane Katrina.”

Dr. Neal Berte, president emeritus, Birmingham Southern College, said of Jernigan: “By any standard, the Birmingham community and beyond have benefitted greatly from the quiet but generous philanthropy of one of our most successful businessmen, Thomas E. Jernigan is one of Birmingham’s most successful entrepreneurs and businessmen, and his legacy of leadership will live on in the future, including those who are fortunate enough to receive a Thomas E. Jernigan Honor Scholarship.”

Carl E. Jones, Jr.

• October 4th, 2021

Carl E. Jones, Jr. graduated from The University of Alabama in 1962 with a degree in finance and two job offers. He chose to take the position of management trainee at Merchants National Bank of Mobile, a small decision that set the stage for a long extremely successful banking career.

Jones began his career selling data processing services to smaller community banks and later became a commercial lender. Then in 1978, just 14 years after his arrival at Merchants National, Jones was promoted to president of the Mobile bank, making him the youngest president of a major bank in Alabama. By 1981, he was the president, chairman, and chief executive officer of the bank in Mobile.

Later that same year, Regions Financial Corp., then known as First Alabama Bancshares, acquired Merchants National, and in 1984 Jones became regional president, overseeing the banks in Louisiana and south Alabama.

In 1997, Jones advanced to become president and chief operating officer for Regions nationally, and in the following year, he took on the role of chief executive officer. Two years later in 2000, Jones took on the additional role of chairman of Regions Financial Corp. At that time Regions held just more than $23 billion in assets and consisted of 435 offices in eight states.

Under Jones’s leadership, the bank nearly quadrupled in size through acquisitions and internal growth, becoming one of the top 15 bank-holding companies in the U.S. As Jones reached the age of 65 and stepped down as CEO in May 2005, Regions had more than $84 billion in assets and five million customers served by 1,400 offices in 16 states. While Jones served as CEO, earnings increased every year, and the annual dividend was also raised yearly up to $1.40. When he retired, Regions Financial was the largest publicly traded company in Alabama, as measured by stock market values.

Jones, who fully retired in April of 2006, says that he was “just privileged to be there with a hand on the steering wheel while all that was happening.”

The hands on the steering wheel were more able than the modest banker would admit. J. Stanley Morgan, the former CEO of Regions, said Jones is “not only a seasoned banker, but he is a man of exceptional integrity.”

Throughout his life, Jones has demonstrated true leadership qualities, as well as the motivation to succeed. In high school, he was elected president of his senior class and the student council, along with acting as captain of the basketball team. He graduated as the top student in his class from University Military School in Mobile before continuing to The University of Alabama.

Jones also stood out as a leader among his peers in the college setting. He served as president of the Kappa Alpha fraternity, chairman of the senate finance committee in the Student Government Association, and chairman of the Student Health Insurance Commission. During his senior year, he was recognized with the award for outstanding SGA senator, and the Alabama Bankers Association presented him with the award for outstanding student in banking and finance.

After graduating from The University of Alabama, Jones continued his education, attending Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking, the National Commercial Lending School at The University of Oklahoma, and the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management at Dartmouth.

Despite many additional years of education after graduating from The University of Alabama, Jones never forgot his original alma mater. As an alumnus, he has served on the Board of Visitors for the Culverhouse College of Business for nearly 30 years. He has held a seat on every President’s Cabinet since David Matthews’ term in 1969. During the University’s capital campaigns, Jones volunteered his time, including serving as one of four co-chairmen of the very successful national capital campaign completed this summer (2009). His wife, Ann, who he met while they were both in school at the university, was another co-chairman, and the team’s combined efforts exceeded the $500 million goal by 22 percent as they raised more than $612 million.

In 2005, Regions Financial established an endowed scholarship fund at The University of Alabama in honor of Jones. The company donated $1 million for full-tuition scholarships for dependents of Regions employees. Jones and his wife, Ann, tripled the amount with an additional $2 million gift of their own. Currently, over 20 students are utilizing these awards.

Jones’ generosity and years of hard work for The University of Alabama have not gone without recognition. Jones and his wife received the Volunteer in Philanthropy Award in November 2006. In 2007, the couple was again honored at the university, this time with the Frances S. Summersell Award given by the UA chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa.

In addition to his involvement with the university, Jones has also given his time to numerous organizations throughout the years. He has served on several boards of directors, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New Orleans, the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co., the Alabama Chamber of Commerce, and the Alabama Bankers Educational Foundation. Jones was an 18-year member of the Alabama Power Company board of directors, and he was also on the board of the Financial Services Roundtable, a national trade association of the 100 largest financial institutions. Jones chaired both the Alabama Bankers Commercial Credit Committee and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, and he was a trustee for the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

Somehow, in addition to serving many professional organizations throughout the Southeast, Jones found time to give to several civic groups. He served as president for the Mobile Junior Chamber of Commerce, Mobile Azalea Trail, Mobile Allied Arts Council, and Mobile Rotary Club and national president of America’s Junior Miss. Jones was very involved in education, as well, serving as a chainman for the UMS-Wright Preparatory School board of trustees and trustee for the Mobile Pre-School for the Deaf. He also served as the executive vice president of the Mobile Arts and Sports Association and vice chairman of Infirmary Health System. He is currently active at the Cathedral Church of the Advent.

For his years of dedication to both the banking business and philanthropic causes throughout Alabama, Jones has received much recognition. In 1972, Jones was named Mobile’s Outstanding Young Man of the Year and then a year later became Alabama’s Outstanding Young Banker of the Year. Jones’ high school, UMS-Wright, named him Alumnus of the Year in 1992. The National Association for Community Leadership presented him with the 1997 Distinguished Leadership Award. In November 2004, the Newcomen Society honored Regions and its CEO by named Regions as the featured Alabama company of the year. When Jones retired in 2006, Operations New Birmingham recognized him with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and then in 2007, the Birmingham Business Journal presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Today, Jones enjoys retirement in Birmingham with Ann, his wife of 47 years. They have two adult children and 3 grandchildren.

John Russell Thomas

• October 4th, 2021

Years before the birth of John Russell Thomas, his family had already left an indelible mark on the community of Alexander City, Alabama. The Russell’s were among the first settlers in Tallapoosa County. In 1902, John Russell’s great-uncle founded Russell Manufacturing Company, a small textile manufacturing operation that grew to become the international athletic apparel and equipment manufacturer known as Russell Corporation.

When John Russell Thomas was born to Russell and Crawford Thomas on August 1, 1937, it seemed apparent he would continue the family legacy. He started preparing for a future career in the textile industry as soon as he could. Beginning on his 16^th birthday, Thomas worked during summers at Russell Corp. After graduating from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1956, he attended Georgia Tech. Four years later, Thomas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in textile engineering. He then spent 1961 and 1962 in graduate school at The University of Alabama’s School of Business Administration. During his time in Tuscaloosa, he met Tate Jordan, whom he married in 1962.

After serving two years of active duty as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Thomas returned home to take the position of vice president in charge of systems and engineering at Russell Corp., the job he had planned for and anticipated most of his life.

His wife, Tate, gave birth to twin boys, John J. Thomas, and Russell L. Thomas in 1965. In 1966, not long after becoming a father himself, Thomas lost his own father. Russell Thomas had been in chief executive officer for First National Bank of Alexander City, founded in 1900 by the same uncle who created Russell Corp., and the Thomas family held a controlling interest in the financial institution. After his father’s death and issues with management succession, Thomas was forced to choose between selling the bank or running it himself. He chose the latter.

Although Thomas had been a director of the bank for eight years, he knew little about the operation and inner workings of a bank, and he had certainly never planned on a career in banking. His college education readied him for a future in the textile industry, specifically working in the family business at Russell Corp. Thomas now found himself preparing to work in the family business, but in an entirely different industry.

Faced with this midlife career switch, Thomas left little to luck. He signed up for every available Alabama Bankers Association seminar and as many American Bankers Association seminars as he could. He enrolled at the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University, and he went to consumer lending school. Thomas learned everything he could from every knowledgeable source available. He realized that other banks possessed a great wealth of knowledge, and as a licensed pilot, he was able to fly around the southeast collecting advice and tips from more experienced bankers.

All the hours Thomas logged trying to learn the ropes paid off; when he first took the helm at First National Bank in 1973, the bank was a small but solid operation squeezed into a building it had outgrown. It had $33 million in assets and two electric calculators. In 2008, the multibank-holding company, now called Aliant Financial Corp., reported more than $972 million in assets.

In his 35 years, Thomas has seen and helped facilitate a great deal of growth for the bank. One of the issues he immediately recognized was the need for space; Aliant has since expanded to three separate regional divisions including more than 20 branches in the Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa areas. From the start, Thomas also realized that technology would play an important role in the future of banking. Within his first three months, the bank had purchased its first computer, and today, Aliant offers a full range of online banking services.

Thomas credits the success of the bank to its attention to basics and people. Thomas believes in finding good employees and giving them the proper training, motivation, and equipment. Often, to find the right people, Thomas goes straight to the source, visiting local schools and recruiting talented young students to join the Aliant team. He also believes in treating his employees fairly, something the Birmingham Business Journal recognized when they named Aliant among the best places to work in 2008.

During his time with Aliant, Thomas has worked diligently to help foster and instill the corporation’s core values of serving, positive attitude, outperforming, accountability, and trust, and to help build the bank that is “small enough to listen, large enough to be effective.”

According to Thomas, golfing has also been a major player in his banking career. A member of five country clubs around the Southeast, he sees golf as not only good recreation but also as great networking; on the course, he has met and befriended other banks from around Alabama and across the country.

While Thomas enjoys spending some of his free time hunting and traveling, he also gives a great deal of his time back to the community. Over the years, he has worked actively to promote better banking and business throughout Alabama, serving on boards of directors for multiple corporations and groups across the state.

In 1986, just 13 years after the start of his banking career, Thomas was chosen as president of the Alabama Bankers Association.

In Montgomery, Thomas served on the board for the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, a public corporation that offers affordable financing for housing to low-income Alabama families. He served on the board of directors for Huntingdon College and spent 19 years on the board for Alfa Insurance Corp., which services more than one million policies across 12 states.

In Alexander City, Thomas served on the board of Russell Medical Center and Russell Lands, and he served 40 years on the board of Russell Corp. He was also chairman of the Alexander City Board of Education and president of the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the years, Thomas has given generously to philanthropic and political causes. He chaired the fundraising campaign for Big Brothers and Big Sisters Sports Ball of Greater Birmingham in 2005. In recognition of his contributions to the United Way, he was honored by the Alexis de Tocqueville Society.

Currently, he is on the board of directors for the Business Council of Alabama, as well as several groups promoting education.

Although he graduated from The University of Alabama in 1962, he has never ceased to be involved with the system campuses. He served on the President’s Council of The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he was a member of the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama for 13 years.

Today, Thomas is a member of the board of directors for the UAB Health System. He serves on The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet and the Board of the Visitors for the Culverhouse College of Business, as well as the Athletic Foundation, and he is chairman of the 1831 Foundation.

Thomas married Claudia Paden Thompson in 1995, after the death of his wife, Tate, in 1992. Together they have four children, Russell L. Thomas, John J. Thomas, Laurie McGill, and Reynolds Thompson, and 10 grandchildren.

In the face of today’s economic turmoil, Thomas remains optimistic. He is ever confident in his employees, saying that Aliant’s “great team has the grit to take the rough but necessary measures” to weather the storm. While the next few years may not be the easiest, Thomas notes that Aliant has already survived a depression and two world wars, and he envisions a solid future for Aliant. “Throughout its 109-year history, Aliant has seen good times and bad. By keeping a clear head and steadily moving forward with one foot in front of the other, we expect to meet our difficult challenges.”

Drayton Nabers, Jr.

• October 4th, 2021

Drayton Nabers, Jr. of Birmingham has been a successful business executive, a chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, an attorney, a civic leader, an author, and a man of faith.

Nabers was born in Birmingham, the son of Drayton Nabers and Jane Porter Nabers. He is a 1962 graduate of Princeton University and a 1965 graduate of Yale School of Law. He began his law career as a judicial clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. HE returned to Birmingham to join the law firm of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas, and O’Neal as an associate, 1967-1971, and as a partner, 1971-1978. It was at Cabaniss, Johnston that he began his association with Protective Life Corporation, an association that lasted for 40 years.

After 12 years at Cabaniss, Johnston, Nabers left his potations there to become general counsel at Protective Life Corporation, where he rose to the positions of president, chief operating officer, then the chief executive officer in 1992, and then chairman of the board.

Nabers led Proactive Life through a period of extraordinary growth. During the 10 years, he was CEO, Protective’s assets grew from $3.3 billion to $17 billion; during the same period, annual operation earnings per share grew from 69 cents to $2.39 and the market value of the common stock increased from $6 to $31.62 per share.

In 2002, when retired from Protective, he was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley to the post of finance director of Alabama. He served as the state’s finance director until 2004 when Gov. Riley appointed him to the state Supreme Court, to serve as Chief Justice.

In 2007, Nabers returned to the practice of law with the law firm of Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC.

He is a director of Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation and ProAssurance Corporation.

Nabers has volunteered his time and leadership to a number of business, civic, educational, and philanthropic endeavors.

In addition to Protective Life, he has served on the boards of Parisian, Energen Corporation, National Bancorporation, and the National Bank of Commerce.

He is chairman of Cornerstone Schools of Alabama.

He also has served as chairman of Leadership Birmingham, United Way of Central Alabama, and the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee for District 7.

Over the years, he has served in various capacities with Altamont School, UAB’s President’s Council, The Salvation Army, Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Alabama, the Alabama Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Health Insurance Association of America.

He is on the board of directors for the Alabama Symphony, the Railroad Park Foundation, the Newcomen Society of Alabama, and the Alabama Christian Foundation.

Nabers has been a frequent speaker on the issues of ethics in business and has written two books relating to character and faithful obedience.

Each year he travels to Rwanda and Uganda to support ministries and teach.

Nabers and his wife, Fairfax, have three children, Drayton Nabers III, Mary James Nabers Doyle, and Fairfax Virginia Nabers Blount. They also have two granddaughters and five grandsons.

Edward Lee Spencer, Jr.

• October 4th, 2021

Edward Lee Spencer, Jr. was born in Loachapoka, Alabama, the son of Edward Lee Spencer and Florence Rowell Spencer.

He graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University) with a B.S. degree In 1952 and earned a regular commission in the U.S. Air Force. In addition, he received a Fulbright Scholarship and studied in England for a year. After his military service, he began working at Spencer Lumber Company and thus embarked on a career in business that included lumber, construction, banking, and ranching.

During his years in the lumber business, he expanded his interest in construction and established Lee Electrical Supply, Spencer Heating and Air Conditioning, Auburn Millwork, and real estate development.

In 1975, Spencer join AuburnBank’s board of directors and in 1980 was named the chairman of the board. Ten years later, he became the bank’s seventh president and chief executive officer. Sine 1975, the bank’s assets increased from $2.8 million to almost $780 million by mid-2011. The bank now has branches in Auburn, Opelika, Phenix City, Hurtsboro, and Notasulga along with mortgage loan offices in Valley, Phenix City, and Mountain Brook. Two small communities, Hurtsboro in 1999 and Notasulga in 2001, came to AuburnBank because their only financial institutions were closing, and the residents thought a bank was imperative for the town’s survival. AuburnBank responded to their requests and established branches in both communities. This exemplifies Spencer’s philosophy that “If you do what’s right for the community, it’s right for the bank.”

AuburnBank has been recognized for the past six years in “U.S. Banker” magazine as being among the nation’s top 200 Community Banks, one of the few banks in Alabama to receive this recognition for outstanding financial performance.

When not being a banker, Spencer can often be found in Nebraska at his Bow and Arrow Ranch in the Sand Hills, where he has a cow/calf operation.

Spencer was appointed to the board of the East Alabama Health Care Authority in June 1982 and was elected chairman in 1990 serving in that position until 2008. He also served on the Auburn Industrial Development Board and is a past president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. He was one of the founding members and a director of the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn. He is responsible for financing the restoration of the Auburn University Chapel which is the oldest building in Auburn. He provides several scholarships to the Auburn University Harbert College of Business, where he was a Lowder Visiting Executive. He is a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn and has served in many capacities. He played an instrumental role in the development of the Presbyterian Community Ministry. This organization was established as a way for the church to aid those who need help with their homes, paying bills for critical survives, and other emergency needs.

Spencer has long been an advocate for affordable housing for low-income families and has been a guiding force in the community for the construction and financing of housing for many citizens of Lee County.

Spencer and his wife, Ruth Priester Spencer, have three children: E.L. Spencer III, Steve Spencer, and Sandra Spencer.

Richard E. Anthony

• September 29th, 2021

“Destined to be a banker.”

Richard E. Anthony, 66, was born in Troy, Ala., and from the beginning, he was destined to be a banker.

His maternal great-great-grandfather founded Farmers & Merchants Bank in Troy in 1880. In 1906, his great-great-uncle founded Troy Bank and Trust. And his paternal grandfather was chairman and CEO of Commercial Bank in Andalusia, where he was succeeded by Richard Anthony’s father Eiland Eland Anthony Jr. In addition, his son, two brothers and two brothers-in-law are or have been involved in the financial services industry.

And while American bankers are sometimes painted as a tough bunch, Anthony guided Synovus to the No. 1 ranking on the Fortune Magazine’s list of the best places to work in America. “We try to do more than just compensate people,” Anthony said at the time. “People want more from an employer than just compensation.” Synovus employees call it a “culture of the heart.”

Anthony earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Alabama and continued his education at the University of Virginia where he received his MBA. He also graduated from the management and banking programs at Duke University and Louisiana State University.

The retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Synovus Financial Corp., a regional banking company headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, with banking offices in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee, began his banking career at AmSouth Bank where he served as Executive Vice President. As a co-founder of First Commercial Bancshares in 1985, he helped lead the company’s expansion into Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, and Huntsville, using its Jasper community banking presence as a foundation.

Anthony was President of First Commercial Bancshares when it merged with Synovus in 1992. He became vice-chairman of Synovus in 1996, overseeing Synovus’ banking operations. In 2003, he became president and chief operating officer, then taking over CEO responsibilities in 2005. In 2006 he was named Chairman and CEO. His service at Synovus concluded in April 2012, when he retired as a board member.

His leadership responsibilities at Synovus covered a tumultuous period of financial stress and he led the company through two major capital raises, a dramatic restructuring, and a successful spin-off of Total Systems Services, its credit card processing subsidiary.

Civic affiliations have included: President, Birmingham Kiwanis Club; Captain, Monday Morning Quarterback Club; Leadership Birmingham; Leadership Alabama; The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet; the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s Board of Visitors; Member of the Board of Directors for the School of Fine Arts; Director of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He also led the United Way Campaign in Columbus, Georgia, and was Chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

Anthony served on the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, and Total Systems Services, Inc.

Anthony and his wife, Ginny, have been married 45 years and have two grown children, Richard Jr. and Lee, and six grandchildren.

He began playing golf at age eight and still plays. He played competitively at the junior and amateur levels in his teens and early 20s, winning a number of events including the Alabama State Junior Championship, The Future Masters Tournament, and the Alabama State Amateur Tournament.

James S. Holbrook

• September 28th, 2021

When Jim Holbrook became chief executive officer of Sterne Agee Group, Inc., revenue was $5 million. Today firm revenue is more than $350 million.

James S. Holbrook, Jr., 68 and now chairman, president, and chief executive officer, has remained at the helm of the investment bank for 22 years since the consolidation of its securities firm, Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. with First Birmingham Securities Corporation, the company Holbrook founded and operated from 1970-1990.

Sterne Agee was founded in 1901 and remains one of the few privately-owned brokerage firms in the country. The firm has more than 140,000 clients across all 50 states and manages more than $17 billion in assets. Sterne Agee Group, Inc. comprises seven subsidiaries.

Holbrook has kept the company’s headquarters in Birmingham, providing economic sustainability and employing more than 400 residents of the city and suburbs, and more than 500 statewide. The company employs 1300 people.

Holbrook began his affinity for the investment world after receiving his bachelor of arts degree in business and finance from The University of Alabama. His first job was in the Public Finance Group at R.W. Knight & Company in 1966.

Throughout his career, he has served on the Board of Governors for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA) and was Vice-Chairman of the National Business Conduct Committee. During that time Holbrook also served on the Corporate Finance Committee, the Sanctions Guidelines Committee, the Statutory Disqualifications Committee, and the Executive Committee.

At one point, he served as Chairman of the District No. 5 Business Conduct Committee. Holbrook is also a member of the SIFMA Regional Firms Committee and Management Roundtable.

Holbrook’s civic involvement includes The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame Board of Directors, past Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, and a member of the Commerce Executive Society. In 1999, Holbrook was made Honorary Member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society at The University of Alabama serving business programs accredited by AACSB International.

To encourage the growth and development of the business community, Holbrook currently serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the Birmingham Business Alliance and in 2008 served on the Board of Trustees for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also is a member of the Alabama Council of Economic Education Board and serves on the Robert E. Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation Corporate Board.

He has been a long-time member of The Newcomen Society, Alabama chapter, and Toqueville Society, as a partner of United Way.

Holbrook is married to the former Patricia Giltz. He has a son and a daughter and five grandchildren.

Paul W. Bryant, Jr.

• September 28th, 2021

Paul W. Bryant, Jr. is the son of the late Paul W. Bryant and Mary Harmon Black Bryant. He was born in Birmingham while his father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He spent his youth in Lexington, Kentucky; College Station, Texas; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama – the towns where his father coached. He earned his degree in finance from The University of Alabama in 1966. Selected for Beta Gamma Sigma, he received the Financial Executives Institute of America Award for the outstanding student in commerce and business administration as well as the Alabama Bankers Association Award for the outstanding student in banking and finance. He also was elected president of C&BA students.

Bryant established two dozen operating companies and over 50 real estate ventures and syndicates. Currently, Bryant is president of the privately held holding company, Greene Group, Inc. which has operated a multi-state business engaged in reinsurance, finance, leasing, par-mutual racing, casino management, cattle ranching, aquaculture, catfish processing and distribution, fuel distribution, outdoor recreation, wildlife management, and concrete/aggregate construction.

In 2005, Bryant founded Bryant Bank. From its body of 6.500 member banks, the American Bankers Association presented its Revitalizing Youth Community Award for outstanding community service efforts to Bryant Bank in 2012. Over 10 years, Bryant Bank has grown to over $1.5 billion in assets, becoming the largest family-owned bank in the state of Alabama.

Although Bryant never served in the military, he is a lifelong scholar of American military history and active in battlefield preservation. He is a founder of the Civil War Trust in Washington D.C. and personally underwrote the merger with the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites that created the modern Civil War Trust. Acknowledged by the National Park Service and leading conservationists as the foremost American heritage land preservation organization, the Civil War Trust is known to be the largest and most effective non-profit devoted to the preservation of America’s battlegrounds. Bryant is Chairman Emeritus and the longest-serving member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. The trust has over 50,000 members and more than 250,000 supporters throughout the country. Collectively, it saved 41,000 acres of battlefield land in over 120 states during Bryant’s board tenure.

He established the General J.C.C. Sanders Memorial at The University of Alabama honoring alumni who served the Confederacy. He has also commissioned two books by Delbert Teed honoring Alabama alumni who served in World War II: When Winning Was Everything: Alabama Football Players in World War II and All of Us Fought the War.

For his philanthropic efforts, Bryant became the inaugural recipient of the Racing Commissioners Humanitarian of the Year Award by the organization of State and Canadian Racing Regulatory Commissions.

Mr. Bryant was Chairman of the Crimson Tide Tradition Fund, the organization that preceded the Crimson Tide Foundation. Thereafter, he has been chairman of the Crimson Tide Foundation since its inception.

From 2000 to 2015, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System. During these years, he served three successive terms as President Pro Tempore. Throughout his time on the board, he was a member of the Physical Properties Committee including nine years as chairman, during which more than 360 physical properties projects were completed with a total value exceeding $2 billion. In addition, he chaired the committee that hired Dr. Robert Witt, past President of The University of Alabama and retired Chancellor of The University of Alabama System.

Bryant has been married for 50 years to UA classmate Cherry Handley Hicks Bryant. They have three daughters: Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, Mae Martin Bryant Murray, and Anna Laurie Bryant McKibbens, all graduates of The University of Alabama, and three grandchildren.

Charles Adair

• September 28th, 2021

Charles “Eddie” Adair is a Partner in Cordova Ventures, a venture capital management company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

He began his business career as a staff accountant at Haskins & Sells, which became Deloitte & Touche. In 1973, after becoming a CPA the year before, he joined Durr-Fillauer Medical Inc. as Controller. Durr-Fillauer was a NASDAQ listed company that distributed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to hospitals, physicians, drug stores, and other healthcare providers. His career there spanned 20 years, becoming President and COO in 1981, and serving on its board of directors. By the time the company was acquired in 1992, it had approximately $1 billion in revenues and 1,300 employees in sixteen states. He joined Cordova Ventures in 1993.

For the past 20 years, he has served on numerous public boards across the country. Currently, Adair is a member of the Board of Directors for three publicly-held companies: Tech Data Corporation, Torchmark Corporation, and Rayonier Advanced Materials. Tech Data, a Fortune 50 company, is a $34.0 billion worldwide distributor of hardware, mobility, software, and peripher­als. Torchmark is a $3.5 billion financial services company specializing in life and supplemental healthcare insurance, and Rayonier is a $1.0 billion manufacturer of cellulose chemicals.

He serves as the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Lead Director at Tech Data and the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee at Torchmark. Previous roles at other companies include Chair of Audit and Compensation committees.

In July, he was named to the 2017 National Association of Corporate Directors Directorship 100 in recognition for his leadership while promoting the highest standards of corporate governance. In 2015 he was named Outstanding Public Company Director in Tampa Bay, Florida.

He was previously on the Board of Performance Food Group until its sale to Blackstone Group in 2008. He was also on the Board of PSS World Medical, Inc. until its sale to McKesson Corporation in 2013.

After enrolling at Vanderbilt University in the fall of 1965, he soon transferred to The University of Alabama where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1981.

Adair has been an active civic and community leader, particularly in efforts to improve lives through health care.

He currently serves as a board member for the UAB Health System and UAB Health Services Foundation in Birmingham. He previously served on the board of the Montgomery Area Red Cross, the Montgomery Small Business Incubator, the United Way, Leadership Montgomery, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and others.

Adair is a member of the First United Methodist Church where he served on the Board of Trustees, Administrative Board, and the Finance Committee.

Adair has been married to his wife Ginny for 47 years. They have two children Charlie and Emily, and five grandchildren. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he has called Montgomery home since 1973.