County Commission | The Magazine April 2018 | Page 7

government a little bit better
every day.
And we’ve tried very hard to
wear the shoes of leadership that
Buddy left behind. Even so, the
Association is about to lose some of
its really key players.
Our longest-serving past
president, Tuscaloosa's Hardy
McCollum, will leave office in
January. He was first elected
leader of the Tuscaloosa County
Commission when I was a senior
in high school, and he’s been a
faithful partner and leader for this
organization for more than four
decades. But it’s time for him to
enter another phase of his life.
And two recent presidents,
Chambers County’s Debbie Wood
and Bill Stricklend of Marshall
County, have elected not to seek
re-election. They will leave a void on
the Association’s Board of Directors,
and in its sphere of influence, that
presents a big opportunity
Rest assured that it will be
for new faces to wear
their shoes in the
necessary for someone to wear
coming months.
those shoes. The challenges –
There are others
who will be missed, like
and opportunities – will not end
former ACCA board and
with election night just a few
insurance trustee Kim
weeks from now.
Ballard of Dallas County,
who is not seeking re-
to make county government just a
election. He served for years as
little bit better each day.
trustee chair and has been one of our
Every couple of years about this
consistent voices in the Black Belt
time, I do get a bit worried about
of Alabama. And there are others
where this Association will be on
whose leadership must be replaced.
the morning after the election. And
Election night is just around
not surprisingly, on the morning
the corner. The voters will speak.
after the election, we always seem to
Many veterans will return and will
continue to provide insight, wisdom find new faces who are ready for the
challenges that are ahead.
and active commitment. But, in
Sometimes I wonder if we
some districts, the voters will choose
are
doing
enough to cultivate
to go in a different direction.
and grow new leaders. Then
In those cases, the Association
someone, unknowingly, puts me in
will look for new faces, new vision
and new commitment to our pledge my place. n
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