Candidates seek middle school, new jobs
Published 3:55 am Wednesday, August 13, 2008
By By Lydia Grimes – features reporter
Attracting new industry and supporting schools are goals for both candidates for Brewton City Council District 1.
Dennis Dunaway and Shannon Hall are seeking the seat currently held by Ann Marie Sasser, who is not running for re-election.
Dunaway previously held the seat for eight years.
Dunaway said he wants to see Brewton's economic base expand.
Dunaway said he supports agreement on city's school system.
Dunaway said he also supports improving the city's infrastructure and recreation opportunities.
Dunaway said he would work with constituents to accomplish those goals.
Dunaway has lived in Brewton for the past 30 years. He is the owner and general manager of Brewton Broadcasting Inc., WEBJ Radio. He is married to Janet Monk Dunaway, who is the judicial assistant for Judge David Jordan. Their daughter, Chandler Dunaway, is a Spanish teacher at T.R. Miller High School.
Dunaway attended Jefferson Davis Jr. College from 1969-1971. He is a 1973 graduate of Auburn University, a 1978 graduate of University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he won the deans award as Most Outstanding Student in the school of education.
He is the former Director of Intramural Sports and Recreation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; the former president of the Alabama Intramural Association; and a former teacher and coach at Upson County High School in Thomaston, Ga., Evergreen High School in Evergreen and Paxton High School in Paxton, Fla. He is a former Prudential Insurance agent, Southern Lifestyles sales agent in Brewton and Monroeville and a former manager at Philip May Company. He is a member of First Baptist Church (former college age Sunday school teacher), member of the Brewton City Council for eight years, committee member for Escambia County Vocational School, Escambia County Drug Court committee member and a former member of the Brewton Lions Club.
Hall said he wants to see a new Brewton Middle School built in a timely manner. Other important issues facing Brewton, he said, include “continued economic development to obtain new quality jobs for our citizens, supporting funding to keep the Drug Task Force in operation; and developing recreational outlets for our children.”
Hall said he has varied experiences that make him best suited for office.
Hall said he wants to see progress on a new middle school soon.
Hall said he will “work diligently” to bring new business to the city.
Hall, 44, is originally from Conecuh County. He graduated from Evergreen High School in 1982 and attended Jefferson Davis Community College from 1982-1984 and transferred to Troy State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and computer science in 1986.
Prior to moving to Brewton in 2000, Hall lived in Prattville for 10 years and was employed as a senior manager at Kershaw Manufacturing in Montgomery. He is currently employed at NDI as vice president of information technology and is a member of the senior management team. His wife of 18 years is Jennifer and they have two children, Will, 16, and Baxley, 13, who both are in the Brewton City School System. The family are members of the First United Methodist Church of Brewton.