background and experience

PERSONAL

• Sheffield native and lifelong resident

• Married to Gwen Phillips Stanley for 46 years

EDUCATION

• Attended Sheffield City Schools

• B.S. in Business Management Minor in Economics - The University of North Alabama

• Completed many professional development classes and programs related to my career in Information Technology Management

• CAPZO Planning and Zoning Training Courses

• Certified Advanced Municipal Official - Completed 95+ hours of Alabama League of Municipalities approved training.

PROFESSIONAL

• Managed Information Technology Departments with multi-million dollar budgets at Reynolds Metals Company, Wise Alloys and Nucor Steel for 32 years. Designed, developed, installed, maintained and managed IT systems related to all aspects of the businesses.

• Realtor Broker Associate.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

• Sheffield City Council Member – Three consecutive four year terms, 2008 to 2020.

  • Liaison to Sheffield Utilities City; Police Department; and Parks and Recreation Department in respective terms.

  • Justified and passed fiscally responsible budget changes to allow multiple employee raises.

  • Performed diligent financial oversight and insured responsible financial management.

  • Provided input to Standard and Poor's that helped Sheffield attain its first ever "A" bond rating.

  • Acquired property and liability insurance from the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corp.

  • Compiled list of capital needs for all departments.

  • Coordinated street repair projects.

  • Established a program to replace faded, rusty and missing traffic and street signs. All street signs have been brought up to standards. More traffic signs need to be upgraded.

  • Negotiated with the Old Railroad Bridge Company and the Lauderdale County Commission to annex the Old Railroad Bridge and adjacent property into the Sheffield City Limits. Sheffield now has territory in both Colbert and Lauderdale Counties.

  • Received a grant from TVA to construct a canoe and kayak launch at Rivermont Park.

  • Stabilized the original Village School building by repairing roof leaks; replacing rusted out gutters and downspouts; clearing storm drains; and rebuilding front porch roof supports.

  • Compiled and passed numerous ordinances and policies.

    • Updated the Trees and Beautification ordinance to expand and reestablished the Sheffield Beautification and Tree Board. With the SBTB, restored Sheffield's Tree City USA certification to join Florence as the only Shoals Cities with this distinction.

    • Rewrote and passed the Solid Waste Ordinance.

    • Created the Sign ordinance to regulate the size, condition and appearance of signs, consistent with the other Shoals cities.

    • Changed the Alcohol ordinance to regulate Sunday sales consistent with the related local act.

    • Updated Animal Control ordinance to better protect pets by prohibiting tethering and other provisions.

    • Made numerous changes to the Zoning Ordinance.

      • Added Resort Mixed Use Planned Unit Development classification to enable the River City Golf Resort development which evolved to be Inspiration Landing.

      • Revised and expanded the List of Permitted uses to be more comprehensive.

      • Improved procedures for Special Use Permitting.

      • Overhauled the List of Permitted Uses aligning it with business licensing NAICS categories.

      • Brought Group Home provisions in line with the Federal Fair Housing Act.

      • Revised the process for applying for a Special Use Variance to insure proper land use.

      • Updated the Zoning Ordinance to accommodate the TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation Overlay District in conjunction with annexation of 313 acres of TVA property.

    • Changed the Historic Preservation ordinance that established the Historic Sheffield Commission to align it more accurately with the State authorizing legislation, Code of Alabama Chapter 68 Historic Preservation Commissions and Architectural Review Boards.

    • Changed the Business Codes ordinance to update and clarify the requirement for contractors to have proper and adequate insurance.

    • Updated the Historic Preservation ordinance to incorporate the Muscle Shoals Reservation Historic Preservation District.

    • Passed a smokefree ordinance to protect public health and set Sheffield apart as the 33rd municipality in Alabama and the first in the Shoals to be smoke free.

    • Reinstated random drug testing of city employees to maintain safety.

    • Updated the Vehicle Policy to ban texting and insure proper commercial licensing of city drivers.

• Sheffield Redevelopment Authority, Chairman since its inception in 2005 to the present.

  • In 2005, the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority was established by Mayor Billy Don Anderson's administration. I volunteered to serve and was elected chairman. In 2006, Mayor Anderson, Mary Settle Cooney of the Tennessee Valley Art Association and I went to Montgomery to meet with the Director of ADECA to appeal for a Community Development Block Grant to renovate Third Street and the façade of the Ritz. We succeeded and began the first in a series of streetscape improvement projects that transformed the appearance of downtown Sheffield and other areas of the city. The streetscape improvements gave developers and entrepreneurs the confidence that they could be successful renovating buildings and starting businesses.

  • In 2007, acquired property adjacent to City owned parcels to enable the River City Golf Resort development which evolved to be the Inspiration Landing Development.

  • Instrumental in two successful EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant applications totaling $700,000. The grant funds were used to assess environmental risks associated with numerous properties in Sheffield including the old municipal dump and shooting range at Furnace Hill. The first Assessment Grant paid for a cleanup plan for Furnace Hill and led to a successful EPA Cleanup Grant application.

  • In 2015, I recognized the opportunity to transfer ownership of the old municipal landfill at Furnace Hill from the City to the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority to allow us to apply for a $200,000 EPA Cleanup Grant. As the responsible party for contaminating the site, the City was ineligible. I successfully negotiated an additional $300,000 loan from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management at 0% interest for 10 years. I coordinated the successful clean up of the old dump site and shooting range. The property was transferred back to the City to convey to Inspiration Landing Development under terms of a Land Transfer and Development Agreement I helped negotiate.

  • Supported multiple downtown building renovations and business startups by investing in capital items that leveraged their investments and helped insure success.

  • Facilitated the establishment of the Sheffield Central business organization. I drafted and filed articles of incorporation; applied for and received IRS 501 (c) (6) tax exempt status; drafted bylaws; provided initial funding from the SRA; and served as a charter Board of Directors member.

• Sheffield Planning Commission, former Chairman and Member for around 20 years starting in 1997.

  • Converted from paper to digital zoning map with the help of Sheffield Utilities. See the zoning map at the following link: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:cc15104e-0fb8-47de-a107-3171dca40d21

  • Evaluated zoning classifications for all property in the City and recommended changes to reflect current actual use.

  • Initiated rezoning of property along Avalon and S. Montgomery Avenues from residential to business to promote commerce.

  • Managed many requests by property owners for rezoning.

  • Wrote the TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation Governance and Management Plan required by TVA for Sheffield to annex 313 acres of TVA property along reservation road. See it at the following link: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AjpCyPFs8TMlgadXs-GwVOJgrjWe3Q?e=wd0doH

• Tuscumbia Landing.

  • Participated in the National Park Service Charette to develop Tuscumbia Landing in Sheffield as a Trail of Tears Interpretative Site.

  • Established the City of Sheffield Port Authority at Tuscumbia Landing to implement the plan.

  • Acquired $50,000 grant to develop construction plans.

• Alabama Brownfields Association Board of Directors. See website at https://www.albfa.org/

  • Presenting webinars to members of Regional Planning Commissions around Alabama about Sheffield's Brownfields experience and the impacts of the Inspiration Landing project.

  • Collaborate with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to coordinate efforts to promote Brownfields redevelopment in the State.

  • Participate in planning for Alabama and Southeastern Brownfields Conference in 2020.

• Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Coordinating Committee Member for 12 years - 2008 to the present. The MPO TCC is comprised of representatives of the cities and towns of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, Killen, Leighton, St. Florian and the urbanized portions Colbert and Lauderdale Counties. The MPO Policy Committee consists of the Mayors and County Commission representatives of the Cities, Towns and Counties. The TCC recommends allocation of Federal highway and transit funds for projects in the Shoals area to the Policy Committee. The MPO maintains the Shoals Area Transportation Improvement Program, Long Range Transportation Plan and contributes to and approves other plans such as the Shoals Area Bike and Pedestrian Plan. The Cox Boulevard road improvement project is an MPO project funded by Federal highway funds. I am an active contributing member of the TCC and can join the Policy committee as Mayor with no learning curve. You can see these and other area plans at this link: https://www.nacolg.org/documents

• Riverbend Mental Health Center Board of Directors Past Chair, Current Executive Committee Member - 2006 to the present. Appointed by the City Council to represent Sheffield on the Board of Directors our Regional Mental Health Center that serves people with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse. Riverbend is highly respected by the Alabama Department of Mental Health and sets the standard with many of its programs.

• Scope 310 Authority Board of Directors, Finance Committee Member. Appointed by the City to represent Sheffield on the Board of Directors our Regional Center for treatment of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Riverbend Foundation, Past President, Current Investment Committee Chairman - 2007 to the present. Appointed to represent the interests of Riverbend Center for Mental Health on the Foundation. The Investment Committee has responsibility for managing a portfolio of over $3 million. It's programs include support for NAMI of the Shoals and Day by Day. We provide training to law enforcement departments in Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin Counties on mental illness so they can be better prepared to safely deal with people with mental illness. We fund the cost of advance degrees for Riverbend employees in positions difficult to fill. We provide support to Riverbend Center for Mental Health.

• Shoals Area Chamber of Commerce.

  • Active member through the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority.

  • Local Issues Committee Member.

  • Legislative Affairs Committee Member.

  • Keep The Shoals Beautiful Board of Directors, Past Chair, Current Treasurer, Charter Member in 2007 to the present. https://keeptheshoalsbeautiful.org/

    • KTSB is our local Keep America Beautiful affiliate under the auspices of the Shoals Chamber Foundation. We work to keep the Shoals clean and beautiful and promote recycling.

    • Our efforts help Shoals cities comply with their ADEM Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Storm Water Management Permits, another program a Mayor should be familiar with.

    • Our Thank You For Not Littering signs make a difference throughout the Shoals.

• Shoals Earth Month, Inc. Board of Directors Treasurer, 2012 to the present.

  • Puts on the Shoals Earth Day Festival every year except during pandemics. It was scheduled to be in Sheffield in 2020 until we had to cancel it. https://www.shoalsearthmonth.com/

• Sheffield Kiwanis Club Member, Past Distinguished President, Past Secretary, Hixon Fellowship, 2004 to the present.

• Colbert County Children’s Policy Council, Inc. Board of Directors President, 2014 to the present.

  • Children's Policy Councils were established by the Legislature under the Juvenile Court Judge in each County. Their purpose is to identify the services needed by children and work to fill gaps that keep children form reaching their potential. The Colbert County CPC is under the auspices of Judge Chad Coker.

  • Drafted and filed articles of incorporation; applied for and received 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status.

  • Implemented Character in Action program for Judge Coker to recognize children who display good character as determined by their teachers or school administrators. Recognizes students who may not otherwise have the opportunity.

  • Established a Drug Free Community Coalition to address substance abuse among children in Colbert County.

• NAACP Tri-County Chapter, Legal Redress Committee and Political Action Committee - 2017 to present.

  • Aspire to achieve racial equality and harmony.

  • Work to combat racial discrimination.

  • Promote voter registration and participation in the political process as a non-partisan organization.

• Trail of Tears Association Alabama Chapter Board of Directors, Treasurer - January 2020 to present.

  • Work under the Nationals Trail of Tears Association and with the National Park Service to identify, preserve and interpret sites in Alabama that were used during the forced removal of Native Americans from their homes in the Southeast in the 1830's. Tuscumbia Landing in Sheffield is a prominent site on the Trail of Tears.

• Shoals Symphony at UNA Past Board of Directors Member, Treasurer - 2006 through 2019.

  • Provide the Shoals area and Northwest Alabama with a professional quality Symphony Orchestra.

  • As an immediate past member of the Board of Directors Executive Committee, I am participating on a committee to negotiate an updated Memorandum of Understanding with UNA to continue and enhance our successful collaboration.