Growing up in Russellville, Alabama, the son of a Baptist minister, Sam Gaston knew he wanted to do something in service to people. “I didn’t hear the scripture call,” Gaston says, “but I knew I wanted to serve in some way.”Now almost 32 years after coming to Mountain Brook as the city’s longest serving City Manager, Gaston has done just that. At the beginning of the year, … [Read more...]

 By Loyd McIntoshKatherine McRee is a leader who doesn’t think of herself as one.  At least that wasn’t on her radar screen when she and her sister, Susan Day, opened the Lili Pad, a popular children’s boutique in Cahaba Heights two decades ago. However, in recent years, McRee has emerged as one of the most significant and highly respected civic leaders in … [Read more...]

By Lee HurleyBirmingham, Alabama, surprises many visitors. It’s our hills that catch them off guard first, people tend to think of us as Kansas down south. The fact that we sit at the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains is unique and interesting and throws carpetbaggers off guard. Perhaps a lesser surprise is our national prominence in Orthopedics and Cardiovascular … [Read more...]

By Barry Wise SmithFor 25 years, Mountain Brook native Virginia Carruthers Smith has served her community on the City Council—17 of those years as Council President (Smith has served as president since 2008). For her many years of dedicated service, this year, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce selected her as the 2025 Jemison Visionary Award winner.“I’m incredibly … [Read more...]

On November 1, 2024, something happened that Alex Wyatt never saw coming. After Mayor Patrick McClusky announced his retirement in September, Wyatt, the Council President, assumed the office of Mayor. When asked if he ever predicted being Homewood’s mayor, Wyatt’s answer is simple, “Never. Absolutely never.”Wyatt got his start on the Homewood City Council when he was … [Read more...]