Marvin Mann

• September 28th, 2021

Marvin L. Mann graduated from Samford University in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree with majors in accounting, economics, and office management. He earned an MBA with majors in marketing and economics from The University of Alabama in 1958. He graduated from Northwestern University’s International Executive Program in Switzerland in 1980 and was president of the class.

Mann joined IBM in Mobile, Alabama in 1958 as a computer systems account executive. He ultimately became a Vice President at IBM. Among Mann’s greatest achievements was his role in something commonplace around the world today – the Universal Product Code. While Mann was manager of IBM’s Store System Business unit, the UPC was developed in cooperation with major retailers and manufacturers IBM gave the UPC to the industry. In celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the first successful contributions to the UPC. Mann played a key leadership role in the success of the UPC and was the keynote speaker at this event.

Mann served as president and CEO of the Satellite Business Systems Company, a large partnership of IBM, Aetna Casualty, and Comsal. He managed the company and later led the sale of the company and merger with MCI Corporation. He served as general manager of the IBM typewriter business where he and his team laid the foundation to transition from typewriters to computer printers. He was president of the IBM Information Products Division that developed and manufactured typewriters, printers, and copiers. ATMs and other banking systems, and numerous other worldwide businesses.

After his retirement from IBM in 1991, Mann worked with the private equity firm, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, in the purchase of IBM’s desktop printer and typewriter business. He was chairman, CEO, and investor in the newly founded company, Lexmark International. Lexmark became a highly competitive, high-growth computer printer company listed on the New York Stock Exchange operating in more than 150 companies. Mann retired in 2010 as Chairman Emeritus of Lexmark for life.

Mann served as a member of the board of independent trustees of Fidelity Investments for 13 years, the last five years as chairman of the board. He also served on the board of directors of M.A. Hanna Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, and Imation, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Upon retirement, Lexmark established a $250,000 scholarship fund in Mann’s name at The University of Alabama. He continues to support the scholarship fund and the university in numerous ways. He and his wife, Frances, endowed the Frances Marvin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership at Samford University. His charitable service encompasses numerous worthy causes. In the early days at Lexmark, a number of the employees and managers were helping to build Habitat for Humanity houses. With Lexmark’s support, the employees built a house each year and have helped with additional houses for more than 20 years.

Mann was presented with an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree in 1993 and named Alumnus of the Year by Samford University in 1993 and 2004. In 2006, Samford presented him with the Ethics-in-Business Award, an annual award known as the Marvin Mann Ethics-in-Business Award at The University of Alabama. Mann is a member of the president’s cabinet and the Board of Visitors for the Culverhouse College of Business.

Mann served three and a half years in the Navy as a Navy Exchange Officer. He and his wife, Frances, were married for 53 years and have two children, Tara and Jeff; two granddaughters, Leah and Olivia; and two great-granddaughters, Madeline and Charlotte.

William Michael Warren

• September 28th, 2021

William Michael (Mike) Warren, Jr. is a longtime resident of Birmingham, Alabama, but is originally from Texas. He attended high school in Auburn, Alabama, and graduated from Auburn University with honors in 1968. Three years later, he received his Juris Doctorate degree from Duke University

Warren served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force for one year, then for the next 12 years worked for Bradley, Arant, Rose & White in Birmingham, Alabama. He left in 1983 to Join Alabama Gas Corporation where he became president a year later. He became a director of Energen Corporation, the parent company, in 1986, rose through the ranks to chief executive officer and chairman. Warren led the company through a 10-year streak of expansions, transforming it from a simple utility provider to a pioneer in nontraditional natural gas extraction. Under Warren’s leadership, the energy company was one of the first to work with the state on researching and extracting coalbed methane in Alabama’s Black Warrior Basin. During his tenure, Energen’s stock outperformed the S&P 500 Index by a factor of 7 to 1.

In 2007, Warren retired from Energen and became president and CEO of Children’s of Alabama, a position that he currently holds. Warren had served on the Children’s of Alabama board for more than 20 years, serving two years as chair. While at Children’s, Warren led the hospital through a $400 million expansion of the hospital and physically connecting it to the University of Alabama at Birmingham medical facilities. He continues to be responsible for one of the organization’s most important charges-raising between $8-10 million yearly to supplement the medical costs of Alabama’s sickest children. Children’s of Alabama is currently one of the largest pediatric facilities in the United States. Warren’s other professional affiliations include past chairman of the American Gas Association, past chairman of the American Gas Foundation, past chairman of the Southern Gas Association, and past executive committee member of the Gas Technology Institute. He also has served as a board member for Protective Life Corporation, Royal Cup Coffee, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and AEGIS Insurance Services, Inc.

As for civic involvement, Warren has a long list of accomplishments under his belt. He has served as the chairman of United Way of Central Alabama, Children’s Hospital, Leadership Alabama, Leadership Birmingham, Metropolitan Development Board, Business Council of Alabama, Campaign for Alabama, Forward Alabama, Alabama Symphony Association, and the United Negro College Fund Campaign. He also served as a board member for Economic Development Partnership, Health Services Foundation Board, National Conference for Community and Justice, and president of the Birmingham Area Heart Association. He also has been involved in education, serving on the Mountain Brook School Board, Birmingham-Southern College Board of Trustees, and the UAB President’s Council.

Warren is the recipient of a plethora of prestigious awards and honors. He received most recently the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, the Vulcan Gamechanger Award, and the Alabama Appleseed Brewer/Torbert Award. He was named the American Heart Association Heart Ball Honoree and CEO of the Year by Birmingham News. Mike Warren was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2004. He also received the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice and was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Law degree by Birmingham-Southern College.

He is married to his high school sweetheart, Anne McLeod Warren, a University of Alabama alumna, M.S. Social Work 1983. They have a son, Bill, two daughters, Laura and Amy, and 10 grandchildren.

William Hulsey

• September 28th, 2021

William C. Hulsey is a University of Alabama alumnus and holds an honorary doctorate of law from Birmingham Southern. He is the former CEO and current chairman of Arlington Properties, Inc., a development, construction and management company specializing in multifamily housing for 46 years with projects currently under construction in Virginia, Tennessee and Florida.

Hulsey attended Kentucky Military Institute where he graduated in 1956. He later went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Alabama, graduating in 1961.

Hulsey went to work for his father and uncle in the mortgage banking business when he graduated from college. In December 1976, he joined Arlington Properties. The company, which was founded in 1969, began as a small construction firm specializing in multifamily and commercial properties and has since transformed into a vibrant and diverse company while under Hulsey’s leadership. He currently serves as the chairman of Arlington Properties, Inc. and Arlington Construction Services, LLC. The latter construction company currently has upscale apartment projects under construction in Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. Arlington Properties has future projects planned in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi and Louisville, Kentucky.

The management division of Arlington currently operates 53 communities in eight states from Virginia to Florida and from the East Coast to Texas.

Other business affiliations for Hulsey include being a former director of SouthTrust Corporation, Allied Products Company and All Seasons Travel, Inc.

Hulsey holds and has held several civic offices. He is currently a member of The University of Alabama’s National Advisory Board and President’s Cabinet. At Birmingham Southern College, he was a past member of the board of trustees and is its former vice chairman. He has served as chairman of the Birmingham Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and Eye Foundation Hospital, Inc. He also served as president of the Rotary Club of Birmingham and the Civic Foundation Club, Inc. He is a past member of the board of trustees for the Birmingham Symphony Association; past board of trustee member for the Birmingham Children’s Theatre and served as past member of the Birmingham Area Board of Governors of the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

For Hulsey and his wife, art is a passion, especially late 19th and early 20th century American Art. In 2008, they endowed the William Cary Hulsey Curatorship of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art. They have acquired and donated several pieces of art to the museum, including Rembrandt Peale’s Portrait of Miss Pratt.

James C. Lee, III

• September 28th, 2021

James C. Lee, III, “Jimmy,” currently serves as Executive Chairman and Owner of Buffalo Rock Company, one of the largest privately held, family-owned Pepsi franchises in the United States.

Jimmy began his career with Buffalo Rock Company, working summers, at the age of 12. After graduating from Auburn University in 1970, he spent one year working with Pepsi-Cola Company. He then came to work for Buffalo Rock Company on a full-time basis in 1971. Jimmy ultimately became the fourth generation Lee to manage the business and is currently involved at a strategic level with company operations as Executive Chairman.

As a Birmingham resident, Jimmy concentrates his efforts toward community involvement. With his encouragement and support, Buffalo Rock makes significant contributions to the community through sponsorship of charitable events, including donations of time, services, and product. In addition, a civic project with which Jimmy has had a passion for is Bent Brook Golf Course. The 27-hole facility was the first privately-owned public course in Birmingham that offers residents an upscale alternative for public golf.

In 2015, Jimmy was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame and received Auburn University’s Jefferson County Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Jimmy was also the recipient of the 2013 Alabama Newcomen Award and was named the 2011 March of Dimes Citizen of the Year.

Jimmy is currently a member of the Alabama Beverage Association, Board Member of the Mike Slive Foundation, Board Member of the Coach Safely Foundation, Board Member of the UAB School of Medicine’s Board of Visitors, and Board Member of the Lord Wedgwood Charity. Jimmy is also the Past Director of the Birmingham Business Alliance, Past President of Children’s Hospital Foundation Board, Past Chairman of the Board of Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Past President of the Alabama Beverage Association, Past Board Member of the American Beverage Association, Past President of the Vestavia Park Foundation, and Past President of the Auburn University Athletic Development Council.

John Johns

• September 28th, 2021

John D. Johns is Executive Chairman of Protective Life Corporation. He joined Protective in 1993 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He became the Company’s President and COO in 1996; President and CEO in 2002; in 2003, he became Chairman, President and CEO, and Executive Chairman in July of 2017.

Prior to joining Protective, Johns served as General Counsel of Sonat, Inc., a diversified energy company. Before joining Sonat, Johns was a founding partner of the law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale.

Johns was awarded a B.A. degree, with honors, from The University of Alabama in 1974.

While at UA, he developed his leadership skills through membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa and service as president of the Jasons Honor Society and Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

He also received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School, both in 1978.

Throughout his career, Johns has been actively engaged in community and philanthropic service. He currently serves as a member of The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet and works as co-chair of the Campaign for UAB, which is targeting an ambitious $1 billion fundraising goal. Johns is on the corporate boards of Regions Financial Corporation, Genuine Parts Company, and Southern Company.

He has served as the Chairman of the Business Council of Alabama, the McWane Science Center, the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America, Innovation Depot, and the Birmingham Business Alliance, the umbrella chamber of commerce organization for the greater Birmingham region.

He has also served on the boards of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama, the United Negro College Fund, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. He is Past Chairman of the national trade association for the life insurance industry, the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), and currently serves on its executive committee. He is a member of the Financial Services Roundtable in Washington, D.C. and of the National Council of the American Enterprise Institute, also in Washington, DC.

During his time at Protective, the Company and its Foundation have contributed more than $50 million to improve the quality of life in the community, including substantial gifts upon the merger of Protective Life Corporation and The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company.

Those gifts support insurance education and research at the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama; infrastructure improvements at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens; and the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, which is a joint venture with the Southern Research Institute to investigate new innovations in drug treatments.

His philanthropic work has earned him recognition by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Alabama Chapter, as Outstanding Civic Leader at the 2013 National Philanthropy Day.

In October 2013, Johns was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor owing to his ability to “roll up his sleeves immediately and work collaboratively to solve problems and accomplish public service miracles.”

He and his wife Dr. Nancy Dunlap Johns have a son James and daughter Anna Johns Hrom and son-in-law James Hrom.

Dr. James Andrews

• September 28th, 2021

Doctor James R. Andrews is one of the founding members of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, and the co-founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), a non-profit institute dedicated to injury prevention, education, and research in orthopaedic and sports medicine.

He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of ASML Andrews is also a founding partner and Medical Director of the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He is President and Chairman of the Board of the Andrews Research and Education Foundation.

Andrews is internationally known and recognized for his skills as an orthopaedic surgeon as well as his scientific and clinical research contributions in knee, shoulder, and elbow injury prevention and treatment. In addition, he has made major presentations around the world and has authored numerous scientific articles and books.

Andrews graduated from Louisiana State University in 1963 and completed LSU School of Medicine in 1967. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Tulane Medical School in 1972. In that year, he had surgical fellowships in sports medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and at the University of Lyon in France. He has also been awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree from Livingston University, a Doctor of Science Degree from Troy University, and a Doctor of Science Degree from Louisiana State University.

He is a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is the past President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and also served on that board as its Treasurer and its Secretary. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Arthroscopy Association of North America as well as the International Knee Society.

In addition to holding board member positions with multiple organizations, Andrews is also on faculty at multiple institutions, including The University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School and Tulane University School of Medicine. At present, he is the Medical Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon for Auburn University Intercollegiate Athletics and Senior Orthopaedic Consultant at The University of Alabama.

Andrew’s work extends beyond college athletics where he is Senior Consultant for the Washington Professional Football Team and Orthopaedic Medical Director for the Tampa Bay Rays Professional Baseball team. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Andrews has been inducted into multiple halls of fame including the Alabama and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. Additionally, he has been the recipient of a multitude of awards, some including the prestigious NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award that honors an individual who has provided significant leadership in the role of advocate for intercollegiate athletics and has done so on a continuous basis over the course of their career.

A native of Homer, Louisiana, Doctor Andrews has called Birmingham home since 1986. He also resides part-time in Pensacola Beach, Florida. He and his wife Jenelle have six children, Andy, Amy, Archie, Ashley, Amber, Abby, and six grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys yacht racing, which includes the “America’s Cup.”

Don Logan

• September 24th, 2021

Don Logan has had a long and prominent career in media and sports leadership.

He and his two sons currently own the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team, Seek Publishing, and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.)

As the largest membership organization of bass anglers in the U.S., B.A.S.S., LLC has a footprint that consists of magazines, television programs aired on ESPN2, websites, a radio show and fishing tournaments across the entire country.

Logan retired in 2002 as chairman of Time Warner’s Media and Communications Group, where he oversaw the operations of America Online, Time Inc., Time Warner Cable and the Time Warner Book Group.

As chairman and chief executive officer of Time Inc. from 1994 to 2002, Logan led the company’s magazine, book publishing, video, and music enterprise. Before that role, he served as president and chief operating officer of Time Inc. He was a member of the Time Warner Cable Board of Directors until their acquisition in June 2016.

His path to Time Inc. started in 1970 when he joined regional book and magazine publisher Southern Progress Corporation. In 1978, he was named president of its book publishing division, Oxmoor House. In 1986 Time Inc. acquired the company and Logan was promoted to chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Progress Corporation.

In 1966, Logan graduated magna cum laude from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Logan earned his master of science from Clemson University, and he has received honorary doctorates from Auburn University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Clemson University.

He currently serves on the boards of the Birmingham Business Alliance as well as many private companies.

Logan received the Henry Johnson Fisher Award in 2001, which is the highest honor in the magazine industry.

In 2003, he was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor. Then in 2004, he was inducted into The University of Alabama, College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame.

His Auburn family recognized him in March 2005, when he was presented the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Most recently, in March 2009, Logan was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.

A native of Hartselle, Alabama, Don and his wife, Sandy, reside in Birmingham and have two sons, Stan and Jeff, two grandsons and three granddaughters.

Jeffrey Bayer

• September 24th, 2021

Jeffrey Bayer is the President, CEO and co-founder of Bayer Properties, LLC, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which specializes in developing, leasing, managing, and marketing mixed-use real estate properties nationwide.

As the President and CEO, Bayer founded Bayer Properties in 1983 with the mission to, “Create real estate environments that improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.” Since its inception, he has fostered the organization’s growth from a local property management firm to a national commercial real estate leader. One of the first outdoor lifestyle centers, The Summit in Birmingham, Alabama, was built in 1997. Bayer continues to attract premier lessees and cultivate community gathering places through developments like Cahaba Village and The Pizitz.

In 2016, Bayer was recognized as Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top CEO for Large Companies,” “2014 Executive of the Year,” and currently tops the publication’s list of “Most Influential Executives.”

The American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Red Mountain Theatre Company have honored him. In 2014, he was the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center L’Chaim honoree.

Bayer serves on the board of directors for Leadership Alabama, is a board member for Leadership Birmingham and the Alys Stephens Center, and is an International Trustee for the International Council of Shopping Centers. He also sits on The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet, The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business Board of Visitors, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham President’s Cabinet Executive Committee. He became a board member for The University of Alabama Health Services Foundation in 2015 and serves on The University of Alabama Health Services Foundation Executive Committee.

Bayer received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business. Jeffrey and his wife Gail live in Birmingham and are members of Temple Emanu-El where he served as board president from 2005-2007.

They have two daughters, Annie Goldberg and Lindsay Shipp, and four grandchildren.

Don James

• September 24th, 2021

Donald James retired as CEO of Vulcan Materials in 2014 and as Chairman in 2015, after eighteen years in those leadership roles. During his time, Vulcan grew to be one of the largest public companies in Alabama. Vulcan’s enterprise value has grown from $2 billion when James joined Vulcan to $18 billion at the end of 2017. Prior to joining Vulcan in 1992, James was a partner in the law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose, and White, where he served on the firm’s Executive Committee.

Over the years, James has been involved in many civic and community activities, including serving as Chairman of the Birmingham Museum of Art and The Mountain Brook Board of Education. He has served on the Boards of Birmingham Southern College, United Way of Central Alabama, McWane Center, Central Alabama Council of Boy Scouts, Children’s of Alabama, UAB Health Services Foundation, UAB Health System, Rotary Club of Birmingham, Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation, Hugh Karl Foundation, The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet, and The Culverhouse College of Business Board of Visitors.

On the national level, he has served on the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Manufacturers Association. In 2009, James received the Corporate Citizenship Award from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. Currently, James serves on the Board of Directors of Wells Fargo and The Southern Company.

In 2009, James was selected to the Alabama Academy of Honor, a roster that is comprised of distinguished citizens of Alabama chosen for accomplishment or service greatly benefiting or reflecting great credit on the state. James grew up in Russellville and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from The University of Alabama and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his wife Anna live in Birmingham and have three children, Dr. Virginia Grace Cohen, Clarence W. James II, and Julia Lundin, and five grandchildren.

Charles McCrary

• September 24th, 2021

Charles McCrary has spent the entirety of his career, which has spanned 40 years, at the Southern Company and its Alabama Power Company subsidiary, which he led as president and CEO. At Southern Company, he served as Vice President for Southern Nuclear Operating Company and was President of Southern Company Generation, among other executive-level roles.

While at Alabama Power Company, he established a mutually beneficial partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This partnership, known as the AP model, is recognized throughout the public utilities industry and has received awards from the industry and federal agencies. Variations of it have been adopted by the utility industry across the United States. McCrary is a current member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees and the boards of Regions Financial Corporation, Great Southern Wood Holdings, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. His business expertise is highly valued, demonstrated by his previous service as chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and service on the boards of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International and Protective Life Corporation. He was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 2015, the Alabama Power Foundation honored McCrary by founding The McCrary Institute at Auburn University. The Institute advances the research and development of new energy system technologies to improve the reliability and security of the power grid and related civil and industrial infrastructure critical to our nation’s operations.

McCrary attended Auburn University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He also earned his Juris Doctor from the Birmingham School of Law. He and his wife Phyllis reside in Birmingham and have two sons, Douglas and Alex, and five grandchildren.