Destiny Allman Gladden is a fifth-generation farmer at Allman Farms and Orchards in Oneonta where she is the food safety manager and store manager. She also founded Take Root Solutions, a food safety consulting business for farms looking to become Food Safety Modernization Act or Good Agricultural Practices certified. Gladden serves on Blount County’s 4-H Adult Advisory Board, Multi-Purpose Center Advisory Board and Fair Committee and is a member of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers board. She earned an associate’s degree at Snead State Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Blair Goodgame is director of tourism for the St. Clair Economic Development Council. She is a graduate of Auburn University, is a licensed Alabama Auctioneer and has earned Travel Marketing Professional and Festival and Events Planner certifications through the Southeastern Tourism Society. Goodgame also serves as trustee for the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, is a board member for Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve Partners, a graduate of Leadership St. Clair and the Alabama Leadership Initiative and is an active member of the Pell City Rotary Club.
Philip Hall is president and CEO of the Etowah Chamber. Hall was born and raised in the Rainbow City/Gadsden area and earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Alabama. After graduating from the Birmingham School of Law in 2012, Hall worked for a local law firm before beginning a career in the insurance industry.
Scott W. Hassell is Judge of Probate for Etowah County. Earlier, he worked as a mental health provider in public, private and nonprofit sectors. In addition to a Ph.D. in cognitive and behavioral psychology, Hassell holds numerous mental health provider certifications including as a mental health coach/interventionist. He is a lifetime member of the National College of Probate Judges, a member of the Gadsden State Community College Alumni Association, the American Legion (Post 5) and a professional member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He also is active in the Alabama Probate Judges Association.
Jonathon W. Horton is Etowah County Sheriff. Earlier, he was chief of police in Glencoe and Rainbow City and served with the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. He spent 10 years in the military with the U.S. Navy, Alabama Army National Guard and U.S. Army military police. As sheriff, Horton has implemented D.A.R.E. and Neighborhood Watch, provided school resource deputies and bolstered training. He serves on Etowah County’s 911, drug enforcement and community corrections boards and the Special Programming for Achievement Network board. He is a graduate of Gadsden State Community College and the National Sheriffs Institute.
Eric Housh is chief growth officer at Fast Slow Motion, a business management consultant. He also is a founding member of the Logan Martin Charity Foundation, co-producer of the Logan Martin Lakefest and Boat Show and serves on the board of directors for America’s First Federal Credit Union. Housh attended Birmingham-Southern College and earned an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Brian Muenger is city manager for Pell City, where he has been credited with driving a decade of rapid growth. He has a team of 220 employees and manages a budget of more than $30 million, a figure that has doubled since he took the city manager position in 2015. He also serves as president-elect of the Rotary Club and volunteers for a variety of causes, including health care, animal welfare and arts and culture.
Robert Nail is county engineer for Etowah County, where he has worked since 2006. He began his career with the Calhoun County Highway Department in 1999 and has served two counties since then. Nail holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a licensed engineer and bridge inspector. He currently serves as vice president for the Association of County Engineers in Alabama and on the Etowah Communications E-911 board of directors.
Lisa Nichols has worked in health care in a variety of roles for 30 years and is currently the hospital administrator of UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair. She serves on the board of directors for the St. Clair County Community Health Clinic and for Kid One. Nichols earned a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis.
John Rea is a partner at the law firm Trussell, Funderburg, Rea, Bell & Furgeson P.C. where he maintains an active litigation, government affairs and business law practice. He also serves as the city attorney for Pell City and represents and advises numerous other public entities, businesses and individuals, including the St. Clair County Board of Education. Rea is a member and past president of the Pell City Rotary Club. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Yale Law School.
Dr. Molly Tipton is the owner and optometrist at Southern Vision Eye Care in downtown Oneonta and the author of the children’s book “A Pony Named Pickles.” Tipton attended Auburn University, where she earned her biomedical sciences degree and graduated with honors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Optometry School. She is vice chair for the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce, the secretary-treasurer for the Oneonta Rotary Club and is active in the Oneonta Business Association. She also serves on the Alabama Optometric Association board and was selected to participate in the 2025 American Optometric Association Leadership Institute.
Lauren Wilson is in her 26th year in education, with a diverse career that has spanned several roles in both secondary and post-secondary education. She currently serves as the director of dual enrollment and director of the Oneonta Instructional Site of Wallace State Community College. She also serves on the board of the Blount County Literacy Council, the Covered Bridge Players at the Neely Theatre and the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree and educational specialist degree from Troy University.
This article appears in the April 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
