County Commission | The Magazine April 2017 | Page 33

NEWS YOU CAN USE
County Caucus
Rep. George Bandy, Lee
Rep. Jim Carns, Jefferson
Sen. Clyde Chambliss,
Autauga
Rep. Corley Ellis, Baldwin
Rep. Joe Faust, Baldwin
Rep. Berry Forte, Barbour
Rep. Steve Hurst,
Talladega
Rep. Reed Ingram,
Montgomery
Rep. John Knight,
Montgomery
Rep. Dimitri Polizos,
Montgomery
Rep. Randall Shedd, Cullman
Rep. David Standridge, Blount
Rep. Randy Wood, Calhoun
humbling moment. “That’s a big deal
to me,” he said. “That’s where the
people’s business takes place.”
He described the session’s first
week as fun and interesting. “It was a
week I thought would never get here.
I wanted to dive in and see what I’ve
gotten myself into,” he said.
Ellis identified three major
influences on his approach to serving
in the Legislature.
“My dad always says to leave
things better than you found them,”
he said, and this focus on the future
intensified greatly when he became
a dad himself. He and his wife, Julie,
welcomed their son, Jamison, to the
family five years ago.
As the owner of a small business,
Ellis said that he puts a high value on
contributions that the small business
sector makes to the state economy and
individual communities.
And that decade as a county
commissioner, working closely with
other local government bodies,
gives him a deeper appreciation
for the trickle-down effect of
state-level decisions.
“It’s so interconnected,” he said.
“You’ve got to think through all
the aspects.” n
© Writeyourstoryphotography | Dreamstime.com
April is National Safe Digging Month
Always Call 811 Or Click al811.com
Before You Dig.
One free, easy call gets your utility lines marked
AND helps protect you from injury and expense.
Safe Digging Is No Accident: Always 811 Before You Dig.
www.al811.com
COUNTY COMMISSION | 33