By By Mary-Allison Lancaster – Managing Editor
The city of Brewton officially received its Alabama Communities of Excellence designation this week at an ACE meeting in Mobile.
Mayor Ted Jennings said the city was among six communities to receive the designation May 8 and was presented the award by Gov. Bob Riley.
ACE was created as a non-profit corporation, organized to utilize the collective expertise of partner organizations to assist Alabama's smaller communities in becoming part of the ACE program.
The program focuses on communities with populations between 2,000 and 12,000 in areas of leadership development, strategic planning, commercial business development, education enhancement, infrastructure requirements, health and human services, tourism, economic development and quality of life/recreation issues.
Jennings said about 15 to 20 communities applied, and eight communities were chosen. Brewton was among the eight, which included Demopolis, Guin, Guntersville, Haleyville, Monroeville, Wetumpka and Valley.
The ACE program has four phases including an assessment period, a period of leadership development and strategic planning, implementation and certification.
Brewton's ACE committees were led by Ed Livingston, leadership; Carol Gordy, quality of life; Yank Lovelace, economic development; Loretta Thomas, infrastructure; and Ann Marie Sasser, education.