Author: peggy

Rebecca Byrne bio

Rebecca Byrne has been serving as the President & CEO for the Community Foundation of South Alabama for ten years, leading the foundation in its mission to bring together and direct philanthropic assets to make southwest Alabama a better place.  The Foundation has grown to over 500 funds and has awarded over $98 million in grants and scholarships throughout the eight counties of southwest Alabama since its inception in downtown Mobile over 45 years ago. To support community dialogue and connect organizations, CFSA offers its community center as a convening place for nonprofits, businesses, and civic groups and hosts community events.

Rebecca has served in leadership roles for numerous civic, cultural and church organizations, including serving as Chair of the Mobile Public Library, Downtown Mobile Alliance, Beckwith Camp and Conference Center, and Baldwin County Trailblazers. A member of the Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy, a graduate of Leadership Alabama and Leadership Mobile, Rebecca is a member of Mobile Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

Rebecca and her husband Bradley enjoy their involvement in the community but most of all their time with their four children and three grandchildren.

 

Colin Harris bio

Colin Harris, a dedicated advocate for quality addiction treatment, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Longleaf Recovery and Wellness. With a deeply personal connection to the challenges faced by individuals and families grappling with addiction, Colin’s journey in recovery has fueled his commitment to making a meaningful impact in the field.

Recognizing the limited options for substance use treatment in Alabama early in his own recovery journey, Colin became acutely aware of the need for accessible and effective programs. Throughout his twenties, he engaged with various addiction programs across the southeast, encountering both exemplary care and subpar treatment. It is from this firsthand experience that Colin channels a profound passion for quality treatment into his role, overseeing the daily operations of Longleaf Recovery & Wellness.

As a native Alabamian, Colin is unwavering in his dedication to developing programs tailored to the unique needs of those in the state who, like him, have struggled with addiction. His vision extends beyond personal triumph to the broader mission of enhancing addiction treatment options and outcomes for individuals and families in Alabama and beyond.

Longleaf Recovery Baldwin opened earlier this summer in Spanish Fort and provides much needed recovery resources surrounding substance use disorder. Learn more about the facility at LongleafCenters.com.

Becki Connally Bio

Becki Connally has dedicated the past 12 years of her career to the Alabama Kidney Foundation, where she has been a driving force in advancing the organization’s mission, making significant contributions along the way.

Becki’s journey at the Alabama Kidney Foundation is a testament to her commitment and hard work. Starting as a part-time employee in the role of Regional Director for Mobile, her drive and dedication quickly elevated her through various roles within the foundation.

Her understanding of the challenges faced by kidney patients, coupled with her ability to forge meaningful relationships, led her to her current position.

As the State Director of Corporate & Community Partnership, Becki oversees the foundation’s corporate outreach and community engagement efforts, building strong partnerships that enhance the foundation’s impact across Alabama.

Her work is driven by a genuine desire to improve the lives of those affected by kidney disease, and she continues to be a vital asset to the organization.

The Alabama Kidney Foundation is the only state-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide financial assistance, education, and support services to kidney patients, their families, and the community.

Each year, the foundation hosts its annual Kidney Walk and Celebration throughout the State. All funds raised stay in Alabama to support the kidney population. This year, the Alabama Kidney Foundation will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Major Applewhite was named the fourth head coach in the history of South Alabama Football on Jan. 18, 2024.

Before earning to promotion to head coach, Applewhite spent three seasons with the Jaguars as the team’s offensive coordinator. South Alabama went 22-16 during those three years, including a 10-win season in 2022 and a 2023 campaign that resulted in the first bowl championship in school history.

One of the best offensive minds in all of college football, Applewhite has elevated South’s offensive attack since arriving on campus. In his role as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Applewhite’s star pupil at USA has been Carter Bradley, who became the winningest quarterback in program history and broke multiple school records along the way. Bradley received All-Sun Belt honorable mention recognition in 2023, and accepted invitations to both the Hula Bowl and Senior Bowl at season’s end.

Under Applewhite’s leadership, the 2023 Jaguar offense set a program record for points in a single season with 430 on the year. South Alabama scored 55 points or more in three games throughout the course of the season, including 59 in the team’s win over Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl. That number set a program record for points against an FBS opponent. The Jags also scored 55 points in back-to-back wins over ULM and Southern Miss.

Applewhite settles into his new role at South Alabama having already spent two seasons as the head coach at Houston. In two seasons at the helm, Applewhite guided the Cougars to a record of 15-11 with two bowl game appearances. In his first season leading the program, UH defeated nationally-ranked South Florida during the regular season on the way to a 7-5 finish and an appearance in the Hawai’i Bowl. The Cougars then improved to 8-5 the next fall while earning an invitation to the Armed Forces Bowl.

Between stops at Houston and South Alabama, Applewhite spent two seasons as an analyst on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. In 2020, he helped guide the Crimson Tide to a perfect 13-0 season and subsequent College Football Playoff National Championship. It was Applewhite’s second of two stints at Alabama, his first coming in 2007 when he served as the program’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

From 2008-2013, Applewhite coached at his alma mater, Texas, in various roles. Starting as the program’s assistant head coach working with the running backs in 2008, Applewhite was eventually elevated to offensive coordinator in 2011 and served in that capacity for three seasons with the Longhorns. While working for legendary head coach Mack Brown, Applewhite helped Texas win the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and make an appearance in the 2009 BCS National Championship game.

After starting his coaching career at Texas in 2003 as a graduate assistant, Applewhite went to Syracuse in 2005 as quarterbacks coach. Following a year in New York, he returned to the state of Texas to serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rice for the 2006 season.

Before transitioning into coaching, Applewhite played quarterback at Texas for four seasons. During his playing career, Applewhite was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and the league’s co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1999. In his final appearance for the Longhorns, he was named Most Valuable Player of the Holiday Bowl after throwing for 473 yards and four touchdowns in a four-point victory over Washington.

Applewhite owns a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Texas. He resides in Mobile with his wife, Julie, and children, Lila and Nash.

Sandy’s vision is for Mobile to become a safer, more business and family friendly City for ALL Mobilians.

The City of Mobile’s 108th Mayor, Sandy Stimpson has a bold mission for Mobile’s citizens to become One Mobile – a safer, more business and family friendly city.

Driven by a desire to affect positive change in the life of each citizen, Mayor Stimpson has proven that the greatest level of success is achieved when everyone has a seat at the table. Stimpson’s four decades of experience in the private sector and extensive community service provide a solid foundation for the type of practical change he has generated in his ten years in office. Mayor Stimpson has ushered in a new culture at City Hall, emphasizing a commitment to transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Mayor Stimpson’s leadership has led to unparalleled reform of city finances. Stimpson and his team have put the city on sound financial footing by reducing bonded indebtedness by nearly $180 million and unfunded liabilities for pension and benefits by more than $200 million. This has led to credit rating increases from both Moody’s and S&P. During the same period, he has built and maintained a two-month rainy day reserve fund and enacted more than half a dozen raises for all City of Mobile employees.

Since assuming office in 2013, Mayor Stimpson’s tenure has been marked by major achievements that stand to make a lasting impact for all citizens. Stimpson and his team have executed on several transformative initiatives including an overhaul of the city’s decades-old zoning code, an unprecedented increase in the delivery of infrastructure improvements, and the city’s first supplier diversity program. Under Mayor Stimpson’s leadership, the City of Mobile has also been recognized nationally for its innovative approaches to addressing urban blight.

Mayor Stimpson’s civic and business endeavors, both locally and statewide, have been numerous and varied. He has served on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Alabama; the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce; the Alabama Policy Institute; the Business Council of Alabama; and the University of Alabama President’s Cabinet.

A graduate from the University of Alabama in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Stimpson began a nearly 40-year career in his family’s lumber manufacturing business. Mayor Sandy Stimpson and his wife Jean have been married since 1975 and have four grown, married children and 14 grandchildren.

It’s not surprising that one of Howard’s Rotary mantras is “All In.” Howard is a District 6880 Leadership
Academy graduate; District RLI graduate; Past District RLI Chair; Past Disaster Relief Chair 2014-15;
past District Conference Co-Chair & past Mid-year Chair; Multiple PHF; charter End Polio Society
member; past District AG; past District AG Coordinator; MS-PETS Facilitator; District DG Selection
Committee member 2017-18; past District 6880 “Rotarian of the Year” 2017-18; and a District
Visioning Team member.
Howard said, “I began my Rotary experience when I was invited to join Rotary in District D5240 (CA) as a member of Bakersfield East
Rotary Club in District 5240. Almost immediately after joining, he served on the club’s major fundraiser committee as well as our
outreach committee to local elementary schools’ reading program. Howard was later sponsored by the club to attend PRLS (a multimonth long ‘Potential Rotary Leadership Seminar’ – similar to our RLI) and he ultimately graduated as a ‘Master PRLS.’ An interesting
footnote is that D5240 PDG Wade Nomura (who has since served as the RI President’s representative) was one of the lead faculty. An
amazing aspect of Rotary is the local and worldwide friendships you gain and the opportunity to ‘Do Good in the World’ through
Rotary.”
When Howard retired (the first time) and moved to Alabama in 2007, he was invited to join the Rotary Club of Fairhope by his banker.
He quickly became involved on the club’s major fundraiser committee which he chaired in 2012-13 and was later elected Club President
for 2013-14. His sons, were both involved in Rotary as Interact and RYLA leaders. His younger son was the charter President of the
Rotaract Club of Ole Miss, in Oxford, MS, and is a PHF.
Professionally, Howard began his career in college. A couple of early professors pointed him toward a public safety career beginning in
Juvenile Probation. After college, he became crime scene investigator, a Deputy Sheriff, and later moved up the ranks to a Sergeant-level
Investigator. His past assignments have included: Joint agency (federal/state/local) task force commander; Homicide & violent crimes,
white-collar crime, gangs & major narcotics cases as case supervisor where his collateral assignments included serving as an aircraft
FLIR operator conducting air surveillance and court ordered electronic wiretap investigations. Another assignment was to I.A./
Professional Standards where he served as an officer involved critical incident response team leader directing confidential investigations
into agencies across the more than 8,000 sq. miles of his office’s jurisdiction.
Howard holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Redlands, and has completed additional coursework including
at California State University – Bakersfield, the Wharton School of Business, and Stanford University School of Law. Howard was
elected to and served as a managing trustee for KCERA, a large (over $5B) public differed compensation retirement fund.
He has been certified by the U.S. EPA, F.E.M.A. and the State of California in Emergency Response Management and Mitigation and
Haz-Mat and was a CA Registered Environmental Assessor, holding a CA POST Advanced Officer Certificate. He has been granted life
member status in both the CA Haz-Mat Investigators Association and the CA Narcotic Officers Association. He served as a Range
master, armorer, firearms and chemical agents’ instructor.
After his first retirement and moving, Howard was hired to serve in the State of Alabama to start the Baldwin County’s Community
Corrections program, as its first Executive Director, and later with the State of Alabama’s 28th Judicial District as the District Attorney’s
Administrative Chief, responsible for helping coordinate office operations along with the prosecutor’s support staff. Howard still
couldn’t quite seem to fully retire, and contracted to manage properties and HOAs. More recently he had worked as an HR Specialist for
the City of Fairhope Personnel Department and at the federal level in courthouse and prisoner operations for the D.O.J. U.S. Marshal’s
Service – Southern District of Alabama as well as a stint as a contract “Special Investigator” conducting background investigations for
the U.S. State Department assigned out of the Southeastern Region, Miami Field Office Investigations section.
Beyond work and Rotary, Howard has also enjoyed serving on various other professional, civic, church and charitable boards. He has
previously served as a national board member for the Fellowship of Peace Officers and led two mitigation task force teams to assist
Gulfport PD after Katrina. He enjoys boating, waterfowl hunting and local football serving as a past Board officer of the Fairhope Pirate
Athletics Booster Club.

Matt Armbruster is a dedicated social entrepreneur and community leader in Mobile, Alabama.

In 2010, alongside his wife Tara, he co-founded Ransom Café, a donation-only restaurant. This initiative aimed to provide not just meals, but dignity and community to those in need.

In 2015, the couple furthered their mission with Ransom Reprogram, a job training program designed to empower formerly incarcerated, addicted, and homeless individuals to reintegrate into the workforce.

Building on this success, The Ransom team introduced Ransom Recycling in 2018, which provides crucial on-the-job training while reinforcing the character development initiated in Reprogram.

In 2022 collaborating with the City of Mobile, Matt spearheaded “Road2work” a transformative initiative aimed at further empowering individuals experiencing Homelessness through employment opportunities and community engagement.

Over the past 14 years, these initiatives through Ransom have impacted over 500,000 individuals

Originally from Kansas, Matt Armbruster relocated to Mobile in 1992 and has since become an integral part of its community.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Matt enjoys golf, hunting, and traveling. He also serves as a chaplain to local businesses through Coastal Chaplains.

Matt is married to Tara Skipper Armbruster, and they are proud parents to five daughters: Teagan, Shelby, Micaela, Abbey, and Mary Paige.

Mrs.Gina Englund graduated from the University of South Alabama in 1986 with a B.A. in Early
Childhood Education. She has taught in both the public and private school systems for many
years, served on the Building Leadership Team, Accreditation Tram, and was honored as
Teacher of the Year in 1994 and 2006.
Mrs. Gina became very passionate about the reading struggles that the dyslexic children were
experiencing in the classroom. She obtained her Dyslexia Therapist degree and opened a
school specifically designed for helping dyslexic learners. Bright Beginnings Academy was
formed in 2013 with Mrs. Gina as the founder and director. In 2018, she was honored with the
Golden Apple Award and in 2019, she received the Teacher of the Year award from World
Strides.
Mrs. Gina has served on the AISA Accreditation Team for the past two years and currently
serves as the Vice President of the International Dyslexia Association – Alabama Branch.
Last year, at the request of the students, the school was renamed Bright Academy, home of the
Eagles. Mrs. Gina continues to serve in her role as Founder and Director while also beginning a
new venture of training experienced teachers to become Dyslexia Therapists