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.
