A.G. Gaston Conference also names winners of its first A.G. Gaston Community Service Awards
By Roy L. Williams, special to the Birmingham Times
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Mayor William Bell will receive the 2015 A.G. Gaston Conference’s top award next week, the A.G. Gaston Award, presented to someone who epitomizes the attributes of the late Black millionaire.
Bob Dickerson, co-founder of the conference taking place Feb. 17-18 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, said Bell is being honored for following Gaston’s mantra of “finding a need and filing it,” in this instance for political leadership in our region.
“In his still short stint as mayor, not only have numerous projects that foster economic development been developed and announced, but Mayor Bell has helped instill a ‘can do’ attitude among citizens, corporate leaders and other elected officials,” Dickerson said.
Mayor BeIl set aside city funds to help build the Westin Hotel and Uptown entertainment district adjacent to the BJCC. He also led to the development of the Birmingham Crossplex, a facility which has hosted NCAA and high school indoor sporting events in Five Points West. Two weeks ago, Bell had his biggest victory to date after the announcement that the City will host the 2021 World Games, a sports competition that will pump an estimated $250 million into Birmingham.
On Wednesday, February 18 during its closing luncheon, the A.G. Gaston Conference will present its first Community Service Awards. Conference organizers this year asked citizens to nominate deserving unsung heroes for their contributions to better society. Selected out of 25 nominees were Lisa Riley of Tuscaloosa and David Sadler of Montgomery. Dickerson said Riley’s “advocacy on behalf of autistic children has been laudable” and Sadler “has worked to restore voting rights to felons who had paid their debt to society. “
Register for the A.G. Gaston Conference at www.AGGastonConference.com. The conference is $150 for both days or $75 a day including lunch. On Tuesday February 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the BJCC East Meeting Room, the A.G. Gaston Conference will also host a free town hall meeting in which the public is invited to an in-depth discussion of how to address the wealth gap. Speakers and topics for both days are available on the conference website.
