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Doug Morrison
Doug worked for Integrated Benefits Solutions, Inc. from1995 – 2022 as a Senior Systems Analyst in the 401k Recordkeeping Business. In July of 2022 he accepted his dream job as the Big Canoe Nature Preserve Manager for the City of Springville. Doug served as Board President for The Friends of Big Canoe Creek a non-profit from 2008-2020. During his time with The Friends of Big Canoe Creek, he helped create the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in nominating parcels of land to the State of Alabama’s Forever Wild Land Trust. In 2015 he received the River Hero award from the Alabama Rivers Alliance. He also served as Board President for the Coosa Riverkeeper for a few years and served on the board for a total of 12 years, before stepping off in 2023. Doug has also served as a volunteer on the Parks and Rec Board for the City of Springville prior to accepting his new position with the city. He also serves on the City’s Planning and Zoning Committee
Wendy Jackson – Chair
Wendy began her professional career in conservation as the Director of Land Protection with the Nature Conservancy in Alabama helping conserve over 30,000 acres during her tenure. In 2001, Wendy led the Freshwater Land Trust in Birmingham, AL. She grew the organization form the small, relatively unknown conservation organization into a well-respected land trust with assets exceeding $40 million and annual operations of $1 million. In 2016 Wendy moved to Washington D.C. to become the Land Trust Alliance’s Executive Vice President and joined the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCA). Recently retired, Wendy continues to represent the Alliance as a volunteer helping facilitate land conservation in every state.
Dean Goforth – Vice Chair
Founded SCSI, a full-service facility maintenance company, in 1983 in order to meet facility maintenance and management needs of multiple clients. The company continues to grow under his leadership and follows the same vision today as he had in the beginning. He has also served and is affiliated with the State of Alabama Economic Development Board, US Small Business Council, State of Alabama Forever Wild Program, and SBA Economic Development Board. He works with various philanthropic organizations and youth mentoring programs and is proactive in helping those in need. Dean has authored many industry articles.
Chip Martin, CPA – Treasurer
Chip is the owner of American Income Tax in Gadsden, AL since 2012. Chip has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2002. Throughout his career, Chip has worked in the public sector and in private industry. Chip has also served as a city council member and budget chairman for the City of Springville. He also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Springville Parks and Recreation Board, the Springville Industrial Development Board and the Springville Commercial Development Authority.
Jacob Melvin – Secretary
Jacob Melvin is an educator, writer, and storyteller. He has a BA in English, an MA in Creative Writing, and a MAE in Secondary English Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His award-winning fiction and nonfiction have appeared in places such as Post Road, The Bitter Southerner, and The Saturday Evening Post. Currently, he teaches English full-time at Jefferson State’s Pell City campus. Jacob is also the co-founder of a non-profit marketing company and is a freelance writer for Alabama Media Group. A Springville native, he and his wife Courtney reside in the community with their four children.
Cannon Lawley
H. Cannon Lawley, a native of Pell City, is a partner in the law firm of Clark, May, Price, Lawley, Duncan & Paul, LLC, and licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of Alabama and Mississippi, and before the United States Supreme Court. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources, Honors Program from Auburn University in 1995, and his Juris Doctorate from Alabama School of Law in 1998, and has represent landowners, forestry professionals and timber companies in a broad range of transactions and litigation, as a primary component of his over 20-year practice. Cannon is the current Chair of the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Advisory Council, active in the Alabama Forestry Association, and the Vice-Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Forest Resource Committee. Additionally, he previously served as a Commissioner for the Alabama Land Recycling & Economic Development Commission and is a graduate of Leadership St. Clair County.
Jimmy Stiles
Jimmy is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. His research revolves around restoring bottomland hardwood forests infested with Chinese privet using fire as well as Chinese privet’s effects on reptile and amphibian communities. He received his MS in Biological Sciences from Auburn in 2013. His thesis centered around Alabama’s indigo snake reintroduction project. During his work as a Naturalist at Oak Mountain State Park and Ruffner Mountain Nature Center he developed a deep passion for Alabama’s native biota, while cementing his dislike for all invasive species. In addition to his studies, Jimmy and his wife Sierra present education programs all over the state focusing on Alabama’s astounding biodiversity and its threats.
Candice Hill
Candice Hill is the Retail/Marketing Specialist for the St. Clair County Economic Development Council (SCCEDC). She works with the County and each of its municipalities to help implement the SCCEDC’s 5-year strategic plan by working with local leaders on initiatives such as Leadership St. Clair County and Small Business St. Clair. Candice is a graduate of UAB with degrees in Marketing and Public Administration. Her 14 years of experience in economic development, she has had the opportunity to work with all of the County’s municipalities and chambers of commerce and is thankful to be able to be call St. Clair County home.
Blair Goodgame
Blair Goodgame, a graduate of Auburn University, serves as the Tourism Coordinator with the St. Clair County Economic Development Council. The position was created in 2019 as part of the EDC’s five-year strategic plan, Partnership for Tomorrow. The St. Clair County tourism initiative, Visit St. Clair, connects the dots among outdoor recreation, economic development, and health and wellness in the community. Blair is passionate about community development and volunteering. She is a past president of the Pell City Rotary Club, and currently serves as an Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 6860. Blair is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and was named Rotarian of the Year in 2014 by her home club of Pell City. Additionally, Blair is a trustee for the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama and serves on the Executive Committee for the PARCA Roundtable. She is a graduate of Leadership St. Clair and the Alabama Leadership Initiative.
Jill Chambers
Jill Chambers, PhD Science Curriculum & Instruction. I have been affiliated with High School science education for 29 years. I began my career as a classroom chemistry and biology teacher then took on the role of the Biology Specialist for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). Designing curriculum for Environmental programs is the most rewarding part of my profession. I am passionate that students of all ages, appreciate the beauty of Alabama’s ecological diversity and become good stewards of this unique gift.