Spotlight on Chilton County: Movers & Shapers

The individuals who help shape the communities of Chilton County

Alan Childress is chairman of the city of Clanton’s Industrial Development Board, a board re-established in 2020. He is new to the economic/industrial development community, having retired from the pharmaceutical/critical care industry in 2017. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Montevallo. He served 12 years on the Chilton County School Board and helped to start a new church plant in the city of Clanton. He is president of the Chilton County Lions Club, which sponsors the Chilton County Peach Festival.

Robin Gray works in the family business at Peach Park in Clanton, managing the boutique, as well as handling marketing, buying and merchandising, social media and more. She retired from a 25-year career teaching mathematics in Chilton County. She is active with the Chilton County YMCA and a board member of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce.

 

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Jimmie Hardee is chairman of the Chilton County Commission. He is the owner of Roadside Diesel and has been a mechanical technician for more than 20 years. He is a member of the Lions Club, National Association of Counties chaplain and chairman of a nonprofit group called WeGo, a ministry made up of local citizens from Chilton County who volunteer for local storm cleanup or national disasters in surrounding states.

 

Maymay Helms is owner of Maymay Made It, in Clanton. Her business is built around social media with a focus on YouTube. She started her YouTube career in 2011, from a 4×6 closet turned studio in her home, and has grown her audience and online business to more than 330,000 subscribers by teaching paper crafting. Her storefront in Clanton attracts visitors from all over the world. She is co-chairman of the Merchants Association of Clanton. She is a teacher at and supporter of the Chilton County Arts Council.

 

Rachel Martin is a Chilton County native and is executive director of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Special Program Achievement Network advisory board and is a member of the Rotary Club of Chilton County. She attended Wallace Community College Selma and has completed certification in leadership development.

 

Jeff Mims is serving his first term as mayor of Clanton. A licensed general contractor, he operated a concrete business in Clanton for more than 25 years. Mims has focused his administration on upgrading critical infrastructure within the city, pursuing economic development opportunities, expanding municipal services and working to improve the quality of life for residents. During his administration, the city of Clanton has devoted considerable resources to revitalizing its downtown area by initiating a street paving program, establishing the Peach Arts and Entertainment District and organizing a Merchants Association to increase communication among local retailers.

Charisse Ramone is the owner of Much A Brew About Something coffee shop in Clanton. She proudly serves Vaneli’s handcrafted coffee. A native of Sacramento, California, Ramone worked at B. Sakato Art Gallery and managed a record store chain. She received New Business of the Year in 2020 from the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce and was featured on the cover of Progress Magazine by the Clanton Advertiser in 2021. Much A Brew is now a part of the Peach Arts and Entertainment District and plans to add craft beer and coffee-infused alcoholic beverages.

 

Billy Singleton has been employed in the aviation and aerospace industry for more than 40 years. Elected in 2020, he serves as Mayor Pro Tempore of the Clanton City Council. He is the immediate past president of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce and continues to serve on its board. A member of the Chilton County Airport Authority, he is responsible for coordinating federal and state grants for airport improvement projects, helping make the airport an economic engine. Singleton is a graduate of Troy University with a master’s from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

 

Sylvia Singleton is administrator for the Chilton County Commission. A native of Monroe County, she received an associate degree from Patrick Henry Junior College in Monroeville before graduating from Auburn University at Montgomery. She has completed certifications in local government and professional management, as well as completing requirements for Certified County Administrator. Before entering government service, she was a tax accountant and office manager for more than 25 years.

Stanley “Tip” Varner, a retired command sergeant major, served 28 years in the U.S. Army here and abroad. He serves on the Industrial Development Board and Personnel Board of the city of Clanton. He sits on the Westend Neighborhood Watch and the Clanton Kiwanis Club boards. He holds an associate degree from Troy University, a bachelor’s from Excelsior College, and a master’s from Northcentral University. He founded Tip’s Hammer as a custom woodworking hobby to relieve stress.

Hannah Wilson, a Chilton County native, founded the nonprofit Special in a Small Town, to aid families touched by special needs. Her organization recently partnered with the city of Clanton to help organize events for the town’s special needs community and make existing yearly events more inclusive. Active with the Epilepsy Foundation of America, she serves as an epilepsy ambassador, an anchor for Alabama Care disability news network and has served on the Kids Crew Leadership. She has written two children’s books based on her oldest daughter, Charlie Mae, who has special needs.

 

Bob Woods is chief of staff for Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims. Woods also serves as chairman of Clanton’s planning and zoning commission and on the economic development committee. He is a Troy University graduate with an MBA from Samford University and worked 40 years with Alabama Power including two years as an APCO lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He was instrumental in developing the “Go Build Alabama” program, serving as its executive director. After retiring from APCO, he founded and served as the CEO of the “Go Build America,” implementing it in several states.

 

This appeared in the August 2022 issue of Business Alabama.

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