Times staff report
Jefferson County Sheriff-Elect Mark Pettway on Monday announced his seven-person transition team made up of a diverse group of individuals with backgrounds in various entities.
The team includes officials from the cities of Birmingham, Vestavia Hills,
“Since my election, we have worked hard to put the right team in place that will make for a smooth transition into office, “Pettway said. “I am confident that the people we have chosen will offer valuable insight and tools that will set a new tone for the Jefferson County Sheriff department.”
After serving in law enforcement for over 25 years, Pettway was elected November 6 as Jefferson County’s first ever African American sheriff. He will be sworn-in January 11, 2019.
Here are members of the transition team:
Attorney Emory Anthony
Anthony is a product of the Birmingham Public school system. He obtained a Bachelors degree from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical, before earning a Juris Doctorate from Miles Law School. He spent four years as a prosecutor in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office. In 1983 he was appointed and served as a judge in the City of Birmingham’s Municipal court where he served until 1995. Anthony went on to start his private practice, which he still operates today. Over his career Anthony served as the dean of Miles Law School for 10 years and has also previously served as the attorney of the mayor of Birmingham for eight years.
Raymond Brooks
Brooks is a former public sector senior level executive. Over his career he has led public sector departments within large and small communities. Prior to his retirement he most recently served as fire chief in the city of Compton California where he also served as assistant city manager. Brooks previously served as fire chief where he led over 700 employees. Brooks is a past Chairman of the Black Chief officers committee, a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum, and graduate of Leadership Birmingham, and a past chairman of the Birmingham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
The Honorable U.W. Clemon
Judge Clemon earned a bachelor’s degree from Miles College, before earning a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. He worked in the New York office of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, until he returned to Birmingham and started his private practice, He served in the Alabama Senate from 1975 to 1980 and in 1980 he was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama where he served for nearly three decades before his retirement in 2009. Clemon has had a distinguished career as a student, activist, civil rights attorney, elected official, and federal judge.
Mayor Ashley Curry
Curry is a graduate of the University of Alabama and holds a MBA degree from the University of South Carolina. After spending seven years with South Carolina based Milliken and Company Curry spent 25 years as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He served in the Tampa division and over 23 years in the Birmingham division. Upon retirement from the FBI, he served as the Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement with the Transportation Security Administration for the Northern District of Alabama.
After 27 years in law enforcement, he became the Corporate Recruiter for EBSCO, Inc. He retired from EBSCO in 2014 after nine years of service. He was elected mayor of Vestavia Hills in November of 2016.
Henry Irby
Henry Irby, III has 32 years of experience in law enforcement with the Birmingham police department. He accumulated a great deal of experience at every level within the department. In 2013 he was appointed to the position of deputy chief, where he oversaw the Investigative Operations Bureau. He served as Interim-chief of police from April 19- June 4, 2018 for the Birmingham Police Department, which is the largest municipal police department in the State of Alabama.
Amber Ladner
Ladner was admitted to the Alabama State Bar after receiving her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law and went on to establish her criminal defense practice. Ladner has operated her firm for the last 15 years. She is a seasoned criminal defense attorney, who has successfully tried numerous criminal trials in both state and federal Court. Ladner has previously served as president of the Alabama Criminal defense lawyers association, president of the Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and she has been named a Super Lawyer on five separate occasions. She is extremely skilled and is a tremendous addition to this team.
Birmingham City Councilor Hunter Williams
Williams is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. After graduating he returned to Birmingham and started a business that provides surgical risk mitigation services to local hospitals. He is a 2010 graduate of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Academy. As a volunteer reserve deputy he served as a Sergeant in the Reserve Unit’s Uniformed Patrol Division and currently serves in Metro Area Crime Center. Williams is currently the chairman of Birmingham’s Public Safety Committee and the first APOST certified Law Enforcement officer to chair Birmingham’s Public Safety Committee.
