Category: Past Speakers

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

Born in Mobile, Garrett earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia where he was a pole-vaulter on the varsity track team. Garrett went on to complete his master’s degree in Fitness Management (M.S.S) at United States Sports Academy. While at the Academy, Garrett interned at the Siegfried health center at St. Johns Medical facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Cooper Institute in Dallas Texas.

After personal training for eight years in different facilities in Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama, Garrett opened Personal Edge Fitness, in 2000. With the most qualified staff in the southeast, Personal Edge offers personal training in all facets of fitness and sport through in person, online, in home and corporate settings.  Garrett can be heard weekly as the Host of the “Personal Edge Fitness” podcast, dispelling myths about health, fitness, and wellness.

In 2010 Garrett re-entered the competitive athletic field in Sprint Triathlon. In August of that year Garrett, qualified for TEAM USA and his first World Championships in Beijing, China. In Beijing Garrett finished 15th in the world and was the top American finisher in his division. Since 2011 he has competed for Team USA in 10 world championships in Sprint Triathlon, Aquabike and Aquathlon. Garrett will compete in his 11th World Championships representing TEAM USA, in Australia, August 2024.

He is married to Stephanie Jane Eads from Jasper, Alabama. They are both very active with Save-a-Stray and their K-9 foster and adoption programs. They are the proud parents of five dogs and provide a temporary home to many fosters.

 

Carrington Hodge is a Chancellor’s Scholar and student at Vanderbilt University, where she plans to major in Medicine, Health, & Society, focusing in inequality, intersectionality, and health justice, with minors in Communications and Political Science. She is also a member of the Vanderbilt Dance Team and serves on the executive boards of the MOSAIC Student Recruitment Program and the Black Student Association. Carrington is also the founder of Unmasked: The Simone Project, an educational resource website that serves as a platform for neglected voices, which positioned her as the recipient of the 2022 Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Merit.