Photos courtesy of City of Mountain Brook.
Mountain Brook City Employees of the Year, Johnny Franklin, left, and Dana Hazen.
The city of Mountain Brook, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and the O’Neal Library have announced their picks for their annual awards. The awards will be presented at the end of the month.
City Employees of the Year
Photos courtesy of City of Mountain Brook
Dana Hazen
Nominated by their peers, Dana Hazen and Johnny Franklin both play pivotal roles in the operations of the city of Mountain Brook.
Hazen serves as director of planning, building and sustainability for the city. She works with zoning, land use, signage, sustainability, building inspections, code enforcement and mapping.
She began working with the city in 2007 as the city planner. Later, when the city combined planning with the inspections department, Hazen moved to her current role.
In 2023, Hazen said, she really focused on the sustainability aspect of her work, leading Mountain Brook to become the first Bee City, USA, affiliate city in the state. Bee City, USA, is a national program that provides a framework to municipalities and their residents to become more pollinator- and native plant-friendly in their practices.
“I believe it was this push for a structured sustainability program that resulted in my nomination,” she said. “I am grateful for the recognition and happy to be part of a team where the city staff and elected officials are so supportive of my efforts.”
“Due to Dana’s efforts, the city has strong zoning and aesthetic codes that keep things beautiful and attractive,” City Manager Sam Gaston said.
Photos courtesy of City of Mountain Brook.
Johnny Franklin
Franklin leads the right-of-way division in the public works department. He began his career with the city as a laborer and later as a truck driver. He has held his current position for the past six years.
Gaston said Franklin’s division was instrumental in assisting with residential garbage service several years ago, when Waste Management was falling short on their responsibilities.
Franklin, who has been with the city for over 26 years, said he is very appreciative of this honor.
“This is a reflection of all our employees' hard work at Public Works,” Franklin said. “I'm very thankful for my work family and what the city of Mountain Brook has provided to my family over all these years.”
Jemison Visionary Award: Nimrod Long
The Mountain Brook Chamber will honor Nimrod Long with its Jemison Visionary Award, which “recognizes a servant leader whose commitment and contributions to our community are unparalleled.”
Long is the owner of Nimrod Long and Associates. Over his career, he has worked in master planning and streetscape and landscape design for various commercial developments, institutions, municipalities and state and federal clients.
Mountain Brook City Council member Graham Smith said that Long has been molding the city and its natural landscape for countless years.
“From our sidewalks to our verdant areas, to our trails and green spaces, Nim has donated his time, talent and energy into preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of Mountain Brook,” Smith said. “A nationally renowned landscape designer, we are blessed to have his level of talent used for the communal good.”
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Mountain Brook fire Chief Chris Mullins speaks at a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in 2021. The Fire Department received the 2023 William Tynes Award for its “meaningful and devoted service” to the city of Mountain Brook in its response to a burst pipe and flooding at the O’Neal Library in May.
William Tynes Award
The O'Neal Library and the Mountain Brook Library Foundation will present the Tynes Award to the Mountain Brook Fire Department to recognize them for their “meaningful and devoted service to the City of Mountain Brook and especially the O’Neal Library.”
The award was named in honor of William “Bill” Tynes Jr., who served on the Mountain Brook Library Board from 2000 to 2008, including as chairman, and on the Mountain Brook City Council from 1988 to 1996. In each position, he strongly advocated for the O’Neal Library.
The library chose to honor the fire department for their role in the disaster response on May 5, 2023, after a pipe burst and flooded the library’s first floor and basement. Fire Chief Chris Mullins also allowed the library to use the KI Temple building on Overton Road, which was purchased by the city for a new fire station, as their temporary location during the summer while repairs were completed.
“Within two weeks, the Fire Department made sure that the building passed the fire safety inspection and was safe for library patrons,” Executive Director Lindsy Gardner said. “The library greatly appreciated the opportunity to offer an in-person summer reading program, and patrons seemed genuinely appreciative to have a temporary location for browsing and programs.”
Gardner added that the fire department invested its time and energy to help the library and she and her staff were grateful for the “cheerful, cooperative spirit of Chief Mullins and his command staff and firemen.”
The Mountain Brook Chamber will host its 2024 annual luncheon on Jan. 31 at the Country Club of Birmingham. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and include lunch, networking and a celebration of the winners. It will also celebrate the chamber’s accomplishments in 2023 and recognize outgoing board President Millie Rudder and incoming board President Joseph Braswell.
To register, visit mtnbrookchamber.org.
