By Lee M. Hurley
A developer, insurance professional and infrastructure builder are soon to be the newest members of the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame.
The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham each year inducts into the Hall of Fame business leaders who have “exemplified strong leadership and made extraordinary contributions to the Greater Birmingham area,” according to the club’s website.
This year’s inductees are Robert Earl Kelly, W. Stancil Starnes and William C. Hulsey.
Kelly is the founder of Kelly Road Builders, Kelly Natural Gas Pipeline and Kelly Underground.
The company was established in 1999 to specialize in milling and asphalt paving, and along the way it has diversified into directional drilling and fiber and gas transmission, among other specialties.
Kelly also is a trustee of Miles College and a board member of the Birmingham Airport Authority.
Starnes is the past executive chairman of ProAssurance Corp., having served as its chief executive officer from 2007 to 2019.
ProAssurance is an industry-leading specialty insurer with expertise in health care professional liability, products liability for medical technology and life sciences, legal professional liability and workers’ compensation insurance. He was named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list for more than 20 consecutive years, among many other accolades.
Hulsey is the former chairman and CEO of Arlington Properties Inc., a development, construction and management company that has constructed or developed more than 15,000 multi-family units and manages more than 9,500 units in 10 states.
Hulsey also is a former director of SouthTrust Corp., Allied Products Co. and All Seasons Travel.
Hulsey’s son Duncan had this to say about his dad: “He is a true servant. He wants to take care of others, be it family members, close friends or those who worked for his company. He is someone who asks good questions and then listens. He spoiled us by giving the expectation that adults should be patient listeners.”
The three are joining 153 business leaders who already are members of the hall of fame. The hall, in the Harbert Center, contains portraits of leaders with famous names – Harbert, Gorrie, Styslinger, Gaston, Stephens and Ireland – along with many more individuals who have had eclectic and significant business successes.
“For nearly three decades, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham has had the honor of recognizing and celebrating the dreamers, doers and innovators who have shaped our community,” Executive Director Honora Gathings wrote in a recent email. “The Birmingham Business Hall of Fame is not just a celebration of these remarkable leaders but also a way to share our history with a future generation of leaders to inspire them to dream big, invest in and take pride in our home.”
Induction Event
Kelly, Starnes and Hulsey will be inducted during an event Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Harbert Center. The event begins with a coffee reception at 11 a.m. and a luncheon and induction ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
For more information about the event, to learn about past honorees or to buy tickets and sponsorships, please visit kcob.org/events/bbhof.
Founded in 1917, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham is the oldest and largest Kiwanis club in the world with more than 500 business and nonprofit leaders. Its members devote hundreds of hours of service to youth each year and invest more than a million dollars in the city.
“We want our contributions to make an impact, whether it’s the Vulcan Trail, the Giraffe Experience at the Birmingham Zoo or any of the other children-oriented projects we take on,” said Billy Forbes, co-chair of the hall of fame event and senior vice president and wealth advisor for Regions. “You’ve got to have the volunteer spirit to be in Kiwanis because it’s time-consuming. But I believe we help change our city.”
